By Loretta B Manele
The Ministry of Traditional Governance, Peace and Ecclesiastical Affairs (MTGPEA) will soon launch a national peace policy.
Lottie Vaisekavea, permanent secretary to MTGPEA made the announcement on Tuesday (March 25) at a “Peacebuilding and Security Dialogue” at the King Solomon Hotel.
“The ministry will release soon a national peace policy to supersede what we have already.”
Vaisekavea expressed that when you hit a new era, a new timeframe, a new dimension or a new component we have to change what we have been doing.
“Because the structures, the institutional structures that have taken us up to this time can no longer keep us and secure us going into the future.”
Speaking of peacebuilding, Vaisekavea voiced that we have gone through some stages but it won’t always be enough.
“So, in peace-building, going by what Solomon Islands has gone through, transitional justice, we have reconciled, we have made peace with the warring parties.
We have demobilized them. When we look at it in the traditional way, it will always not be enough.”
Vaisekavea said the reason for this is because we would want to have some funds to enable the completion of a reconciliation or reintegration process.
He mentioned that in the reality of where Solomon Islands is at the moment, there is simply not enough funds.
Vaisekavea said in this case, we have to think outside the box and with the support of stakeholders and financial institutions we can be able to learn and to move forward.
“So how fundamental we can change a day to make it a pivotal point going into the future, it depends on us.”
Vaisekavea stressed that we live in a democracy hence the partnership of everyone is important.
He said together we face challenges but going back to the past and repeating what had happened in the past won’t change anything.
Vaisekavea furthered that things that have happened back then is in the past and we are here today thus we need to step forward and take on the challenges of what the future is presenting to us.
The dialogue was facilitated by Transcend Oceania and Conciliation Resources from March 25th to 26th at King Solomon Hotel with funding support from UK-Integrated Security Fund.
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