Cultural Understanding Vital

Need to understand cultures is vital says chief

Wednesday, April 02, 2008-www.fijitimes.com

Update: 10.59am TUI Macuata Ratu Aisea Katonivere yesterday told participants of a community based workshop there was a need to learn new ways of understanding people of many races, cultures and religions.

His comments come as participants at the Sustained Dailogue on Identity and Belongingness in Fiji workshop were encouraged to work towards finding a sense of belongingness and identity for the people of Fiji.

"We need to seriously survey the landscape of our mindsets and entrenches patterns of interaction from which we view ourselves as insiders and outsiders.

"Today, we can begin to recognise and acknowledge the challenges that threaten to blight our efforts of becoming a people and of building a common destiny," Ratu Aisea said.

He encouraged participants to use the seminar as a platform of bringing people together to build a better Fiji.

"This opportunity can be an opportunity for us to use to increase dialogue about issues related to identity and belongingness in Fiji.

"We readily accept ethnic separateness as normal part of our national life in a way that our mutual fears and distrust have become greater than the risks of forging real bonds of friendship, collaboration and unity," Ratu Aisea said.