Fiji praised for showing courage, new telecentre opens
Fiji has been commended for being the voice of all small island states within the Pacific on the global arena by the Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, Baroness Patricia Scotland.
While officially opening the Telecentre at Korovuto College in Nadi yesterday, Baroness Scotland said that Fiji had shown courage that just because they are small it didn’t mean they couldn’t be powerful too.
One of the most common challenges faced by this region, she said was climate change.
Baroness Scotland said she was deeply saddened by the recent destruction brought by tropical cyclones on small island states and even her country too.
She then praised the Fijian people for despite limited resources they managed to respond to challenges effectively with resilience on the international stage. Baroness Scotland then encouraged the students of Korovuto College that they have the ability to make an impact in the Commonwealth which consisted of millions of people and that 30 per cent were under the age of 30.
“This is my first visit to Fiji as Commonwealth Secretary-General and I have been greatly touched by the beauty of not only the islands but the character of people too, the charm and resilience of the Fijian people,” she said.
Baroness Scotland then acknowledged the school for providing a Telecentre whereby the people within the nearby community could use it to connect with the globe. “The opening of the Telecentre will ensure free access to the community especially to those who don’t have the resources to access such services due to socioeconomic or geographical problems.
“It will allow students and families to communicate for free in critical times of need and provide a level playing field with those larger countries within the Commonwealth,” she said.
College Principal Sanmogam Naidu said the school was honoured to have Baroness Scotland to officially open the Telecentre. “Her visit and words will encourage our students, and will uplift the morale of the students, we are really honoured to have her here at our school,” he said.
The Government funded Telecentre will provide services free of charge to people within the area from 4pm to 9 pm from Monday to Friday every week.