Cyclone Namu to the Tsunami!

23 April 2007

Cyclone Namu--June 1986--triggered off a ten year national downward spiral which ultimately lead to our Social Unrest years of 1998-2003. Could our recent Tsunami disaster be the first step to building up the nation for the 21st Century?

More than half our present population wasn't born when Namu's winds, the Solomons most destructive natural disaster in history, killed more than a hundred of our people, pulled down thousands of village homes, dozens of school buildings and literally washed away major bridges, road systems and wharfs. But in a more profound sense, Namu's physical destruction was less powerful than its psychological effect. Namu's cyclone winds were the first step that lead the Solomons to its toxic years of Social Unrest.

It's hard to believe people's great enthusiasm, hope even joy that they greeted Independence Day, 7 July 1978. At long last--85 years of colonial rule, 1893-1978--was ending. Our own 'boys' would now run the country, the national wealth of a vibrant population, significant natural resources of timber, food, fish, copra would fund our independent years and especially our people's dream and vision for a better life for all could now come about.

1978 through 1986, then, were the nation's Golden Years. Not that village life was easy but people had great hope. Unfortunately, the price of copra, fish, timber and palm oil weakened worldwide. What cost one bag of copra to buy in the 1970s, took 3 bags of copra by 1983. But for the people of that time, it didn't really matter! If we worked hard, pulled together, then great things could still happen. However, it became clear to certain leaders of that time that real development--reaching down to the village level--would take time, really years. They couldn't wait!

Newer leaders sang another song. Development happens best, they promised, if villagers sold their timber wealth. Cyclone Namu's destructive winds encouraged this kind of thinking. Round tree logging exports, these leaders said, was the royal road out of poverty. Log exports alone lead to national prosperity. Development planning and hard work were too slow. For 10 years--1987-1997-- then, the resource owners followed this poor advise and unfortunately, some parts of the Solomons still does.

When the Ulufa'alu government came to power in mid-1997, it tried to reverse this destructive trend but was opposed in and outside of Parliament by groups of leaders who had become quite rich and influential through the export of round logs. They were determined not to allow any kind of reversal even if it meant weakening the national fabric. This ten year period of time--1987-1997--, I call our Leaden Years!

But worse was to come. From 1998-2003. our Toxic Years, the organs of the state--police force, judicial and prison systems, central government's ministries of finance, medical and education, etc.--weakened considerably. The state failed its people in its most basic work of protecting them. The only bright spot in Solomons during this whole period was the villager's ability to keep the nation fed, secure, protected and hopeful. In fact the village sector was the major factor that jump started the economy from below zero in 2002 to a robust 5.8% in 2003, months before RAMSI landed on our shores.

This toxic period saw the Family Charity Fund sucking tens of thousands of dollars from the poorest of the poor. Taiwanese business houses promised millions of dollars if it could dump tons of toxic waste on unsuspecting villagers along Makira's Weather Coast. Conman, Noah Masingku, promised the Cabinet billions. National leaders claimed thousands of dollars by lodging fraudulent compensation claims. Other crooks were more direct! They brandished high powered weapons in the Ministry of Finance to demand thousands of dollars for dubious rights and claims. Government's response to this day light robbery was curious. It constructed an iron fence around the ministry. Government had no appetite to actually go out, search for the robbers and bring them to justice. These criminal acts and total disregard of the people dominated the national scene during these 5 years!

Thank goodness RAMSI came in and for the next four years--2003-2007--, brought us breathing space. Over the past few years, then, loyal officers and public servants re-vamped the police, re-vitalized the judiciary, prisons and public service and helped to bring back part of the dream and vision that sparked our earliest independence years. This four year period is our Restoration Era!

Now, am I too bold to assert that our recent Tsunami waves echo another new beginning? Do people sense a period of real recovery from a time of severe destruction and chaos? Are the dreams and visions of our first years of independence returning after our terrible Leaden and Toxic years have begun to disappear? Please share with us your thoughts along this line!

J. Roughan
23 April 2007
Honiara