Bula Vinaka
The Young Peoples Concerned Network is a network of Youth Advocates like yourself from around Fiji who have been working in the area of youth advocacy for some time.
We have been excited just as you are, about this Pacific Youth Festival. To us, the festival is a pot of many ingredients – ingredients needed to carry and sustain youth advocacy in the region, setting the bar for better understanding, involvement and standards for young people in all our Pacific nations especially Fiji.
We as an organization cannot be part of this years gathering of great minds, wise voices and future leaders of our Pacific but I sincerely hope you all the best.
As a youth network, the YPCN has faced some very trying trails that have tested our endevours and strenghen our beliefs. When I say this, I make mention of our Democracy Shrine that was destroyed 2 times by militant elements in 2006, later on termed by a Insurance Report into the incident as a ‘terrorist attack’. I recall the hardships many of the members of the YPCN have faced whilst been detained and abused for the cause of Youth Progression. I recall members and 100 plus supporters who have since Easter 2009 worn the ‘Black Arm Band’ to silently share their thoughts on the extent of human rights violations we face not only as youth but as citizens of Fiji after the Junta Administration has been set up and have replaced our laws with their own, demeaned the Judiciary and gagged our media. I make mention also of many events we were to organised but unkindly blocked out by security forces and denied permits or spaces to encourage meaningful dialouge on the furture of Fiji youths. I recall my own personal trials, where i and other mebers have been arrested, on a handful of accasions warned, intimidated, and abused for believing that ‘youths should have a voice’. In making these recollections, I plead with all participants in the PYF to use their time wisely and make every moment count. Many voices that have gone before you, have ensured that our governments and civil society have specified programs that factor in young people and prepare them for sustainable futures.
I also make mention of the efforts of many Department of Youth and Pacific Youth Council Memebers to tried their very best to negotiate our presence at the PYF this year and keep us in. Because of our principles and extensive experiences in the area of youth progression we have eventually been blocked out of the PYF, an event we have been preparing for, with heartfelt appreciation of its endureing promises. It has been our prayer from the very begining that the PYF engage all sectors of our society and not be as politicised and controlled as it looks. Now as a result we cant help but mourn the missed opportunity where many young people have been denied the help of some of the worlds most inspirational speakers and great minds of democracy, human rights and gender equality.
But the answer for Fiji is Peace, Dialouge and Understanding, and we accept the ban placed upon us by Fiji’s Junta, but we make this statement, we will not be dettered. The YPCN holds onto its priciples and will continue with its work with young people and will push the ‘youth agenda’ striving for ‘youth justice’ in all spheres of our lives. It is our calling!
We will be pasteing our resources and speeches we hoped to share at different sessions throughout the PYF on our website www.ypcnfiji.com (which is also self censored for the safety of its members) and please do visit the page and access our database of youth advocacy materials.
Enjoy yourselves and make every moment count.
Vinaka
Peter WaqavonovonoPresidentYPCN
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