Fiji Wins Bid To Host International Meeting
Fiji for the first time has won the bid to host the International Civil Society meeting in Suva at the end of the year.
Pacific Islands Association of Non-governmental Organisations is co-hosting the event at the University of the South Pacific’s Laucala Campus.
“In the 20-year history of ICSW, 13 other civil society week events have happened in other parts of the world; this is the 14th, but the first in our Pacific region,” said Executive Director of PIANGO Emele Duituturuga at the launch of the event’s logo on Friday.
The event will provide a platform for key civil society and stakeholder discussions on the theme ‘Our Planet. Our Struggles. Our Future.’ “Governments, the Council of Regional Organisations in the Pacific of which USP is a member and our joint efforts have continued to try to put the Pacific on the map,” she said.
Fiji was the only country from the Pacific to bid for the event and had to beat a strong push from Asia to win an unprecedented victory. USP Vice-chancellor Professor Rajesh Chandra congratulated PIANGO for securing “a very significant event.”
“This is a wonderful opportunity for the Pacific to, in a way, build on what has been an extraordinary performance on the part of the Pacific. We co-chaired the Ocean’s Conference in New York and that was a major achievement for Fiji,” Professor Chandra said.
In 2016, the International Civil Society Week event in Singapore attracted over 800 delegates from more than 100 countries who participated in joint events like the CIVICUS Youth Assembly, CIVICUS World Assembly, ICSW local events and many more.
Ms Duituturaga confirmed the membership fee of $250USD will be waivered for all Fiji residents under the age of 30.