Youth participation
Nurturing democracy to strengthen anti-corruption strategies
PRIME Minister Sitiveni Rabuka while speaking in Parliament recently said the essence of democracy and of parliamentary debate was the battle of ideas out of which came the best solutions.
Mr Rabuka added that government was not afraid to admit its weaknesses and they acknowledged the mistakes they had made and were willing to take on the views expressed by any member of the society and all Members of Parliament. He also mentioned that government would act to provide constructive solutions for the betterment of Fiji.
His remarks reflected similar sentiments discussed during the third Summit for Democracy (S4D3) held on March 18-20 in Seoul, South Korea. The S43D3 was attended by Fijian singer Josa Nailati who represented Integrity Fiji / Transparency International. He recently (with his music collective) launched the anti corruption album “Integrity.”
Grace Konrote, Integrity Fiji’s youth co-ordinator said Mr Rabuka’s remarks on democracy in Fiji was timely as Fiji needed to leverage anti-corruption tools to strengthen resilience and take steps to prevent democratic backsliding.
“We must acknowledge the vital role of young people who demand honest government and who will hopefully vote in substantial numbers to ensure their democratic futures,” she said.
Nailati said his observations and learnings from the Summit4Democracy provided him with the following observations:
1. Technology / digital platforms are changing the landscape and dynamics of politics and democracy. Politicians are increasingly using social media to campaign. Young people are using it to hold politicians accountable and they are also launching movements / protests / gatherings.
2. Intergenerational leadership is the way forward. The wisdom of the elders combined with the energy of the young creates positive impacts, that yields progress as opposed to the two generations despising each other.
3. Democracy is not a 100m dash; there are no quick fixes lest we compromise its quality. In a country like Fiji which has had four coups and a period of repression for 16 years, democracy has to be nurtured and people, especially youths, have to be involved in the national decisionmaking process that is beneficial to the nation.
4. Technology is a multi-edged sword with positive and negative sides and many layers of complexity. This is because we are dealing with culture, traditions, customs, and long-standing conservative (and often authoritarian) systems that will take time to dismantle because of the stereotyped mindsets.
5. There is a need to bridge the gap between the younger and older generations through digital transformation, upskilling, building capacity, being adaptable and becoming compatible, through education, with the changing social media landscape.
Nailati said to implement change, it was important that new voices were brought to the table, otherwise the (pointless) cycle of finger pointing, and inaction would continue.
Konrote said young people were the current and next generation of democracy’s defenders. They were active at the forefront of global advocacy and democracy movements. Furthermore, young people were deeply engaged in civic life therefore poviding increased opportunities (including at S4D3), for youth political participation multiplies global efforts to combat corruption and ensured the next generation flourished in a secure democratic world.
She said TI’s Corruption Perceptions Index CPI 2023 (released in January 2024) showed that momentum was building in the fight against corruption in many jurisdictions, but challenges impeded progress.
Hence, there are concerns that corrupt actors are adapting and deploying new technologies to overcome safeguards.
Konrote said TI Chapters like Integrity Fiji were supporting regional initiatives to combat corruption.
Working with talented singers like Josa and his music collective, Integrity Fiji is leveraging social media to enhance its anti corruption advocacy.
Nailati noted that expressive arts was a powerful medium for advocacy because it added an emotional element to the messages, appealing not only to the mind but to the hearts of people as well.
“In my experience, this quote rings true ‘When words fail, music speaks’ because it crosses over boundaries and barriers,” Nailati said. . . .