Fiji Day Celebrated in Geneva
The Fiji Mission in Geneva celebrated Fiji Day this week with the international community and the Fijian diaspora.
While speaking at the event Fiji’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations in Geneva, Ambassador Nazhat Shameem Khan, welcomed guests to the reception. She said the members of the Fijian community attending the reception were a reminder of how Fiji had taken its place among the nations of the world as a country, which believed in multilateralism. She said that when Fiji became independent in 1970, the Fijian people had a vision for a country which was progressive, strong and resilient, which believed in unity and equality, which showed solid economic growth, and which celebrated difference.
“We have all travelled a long way since 1970. Our past has not always been peaceful or predictable. We have not always tolerated each other, nor celebrated difference. But we have learnt, through our past, that we cannot build a future on inequality, greed, or opportunism,” Ambassador Khan said.
“We have learnt the hard way, that we can only build a future on inclusive policies. Not by building walls to keep people out, but by building bridges to invite people in. Not by shutting out dissent and disagreement, but by providing opportunities to embrace differences. And we have learnt also with the outrageous sense of humour that all Fijians share, that friendship and understanding cure many disagreements.”
She said that after many years of peacekeeping, and the chairing of multilateral meetings, Fiji now looked to membership of the Human Rights Council.
She said that Fiji did not pretend to be a perfect country and that sometimes for three steps forward in the path to ratifying and implementing human rights instruments, Fiji might be seen to take one step back.