30 April 2007
Solomon Islanders have come a long way in a few short years. Less than 4 years ago, the nation found itself in the middle of a man-made disaster. To put it bluntly, the nation-state was seriously failing its people. People were being brutally murdered, thousands more suffered great distress and there was little anyone was doing to change the situation.
Schools across the nation were operating at half strength--teachers' salaries had not been paid for months. Village aid posts, provincial clinics and even the nation's central referral hospital in Honiara had only a handful of staff at post and less than sufficient medicine at hand to work with. Government ministries' daily output seriously limped. The Ministry of Finance, for instance, collected few funds yet was expected to pay for government services with money that just wasn't there. In a word, the nation was sliding head first down a slippery slope towards chaos.
Then, things turned for the better. Over the past four years (2003-2007), RAMSI silenced the militants, took away most of their weapons, the economy bounced back and is now well on the mend. Who exactly, then were the groups responsible for this amazing turn about, this re-birth?
There were a number of major actors that brought the nation back from the brink of chaos to re-birth. Of course RAMSI's help in re-structuring the police force, the return of a re-invigorated justice and prison system, strengthened government ministries and, if not a booming economy, certainly a vigorous and well performing one has made all the difference in the world.
But the most important and least recognized elements in the nation's re-birth can be traced to the two groups of citizens who had been so negatively impacted by the Social Unrest years. I speak of the nation's youth and its women!
The first group--the nation's youth--were the ones who lost the most during the Social Unrest years, 1998-2003. Youth keep both eyes glued to the future and during the nation's chaos period, it was that very future which was shattered. Paid employment, jobs and self employment just evaporated before their eyes. In the '80s and '90s, employment grew at the modest rate of 3 to 4% a year but during our chaos period it reversed to a negative rate. SIPL, Gold Ridge, tourism, government jobs, etc. collapsed.
During the nation's re-birth days--2003-2007, it would have been so easy for youth to have rebelled, to be the seat of much trouble but that didn't happen. In fact, just the opposite! Young people still flock to the schools and when the churches call upon their participation, e.g. the recent Carrying of the Cross through Honiara, Auki and Gizo, they appear in their thousands. The Iraqi situation is instructive. Both Solomons and Iraq experienced the landing of intervention troops in the same year (2003) but with far different consequences. Only one RAMSI soldier has been killed in almost 4 years while in Iraq thousands have died.
The second most important group that has brought about the nation's re-birth are women. During the Social Unrest years they kept the nation fed, cared for the sick and were the major reason why peace, order and tranquility ruled village life when the nation's security forces were practically non existent. During the current re-birthing period--2003-2007, women continue to exercise significant influence in the peace building process. They have experienced the worse of the Social Unrest years and want no return to that period of distrust, uncertainty and fear.
These two groups--youth and women--then, must be the focus for investment--seasonal worker schemes, new employment opportunities, etc.--for national renewal. The Pacific Forum's RAMSI Review team is currently in town. This two person team would be well advised to listen carefully to youth and women representatives since it was they who have been the major factors in the nation's re-birth and are a key to its renewal in the years to come.
J. Roughan
30 April 2007
Honiara
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