Prime Minister and Pacific Islands Forum chair, Sitiveni Rabuka says the recent challenges within the Forum family have personally reaffirmed the need for them as leaders, to make considered efforts to invest in the leadership potential within the region.
While welcoming leaders of the region during a PIF Special Retreat dinner in Denarau last nignt, Rabuka said they don’t just need any kind of leadership but need to invest in leadership that is contextualized to pacific cultures and traditions.
“We have seen how this worked in my recent visit to Kiribati, and I pray that it will also contribute to a stronger and united Forum Family now that Fiji has performed earlier today, the traditional ceremony of matanigasau, our proven and age-old ceremony of rebuilding relationships by seeking forgiveness for wrongs that have been committed.”
“We share common values that are built around our people, our communities, our cultures and our traditions.
“At its very core, they are the very values that underpin our solidarity as a family; our collective effort as a region; and our shared vision for our people.”
Rabuka also highlighted that the gathering is like no other, as it is a gathering of a family reconciled, a family that has worked through its differences and as a result, stands stronger and united today.
