BY JOHN HOUANIHAU
Reverend James Bhagwan, General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, calls on Pacific Islands Leaders to take the Ocean of Peace Declaration seriously following its endorsement at the 54th Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leaders’ Meeting in Honiara.
Responding to how the Ocean of Peace can benefit Pacific communities, especially the most vulnerable, Rev. Bhagwan said the declaration must go beyond words.
“When we talk about the Ocean of Peace, we talk about what we have already heard. But in all of this, it only talks about the combatants. It doesn’t talk about the indigenous lives that were affected. It doesn’t talk about the communities whose livelihoods were affected,” he said.
He stressed that the declaration must be accessible and shared widely.
“Perhaps the first step is that we all need to have copies of it and share it with our communities. But the test for an inclusive Ocean of Peace is practical. It’s just a simple question.
“Will this declaration ensure that life and dignity are improved for our women, young people, persons with disabilities, and our maritime families? If not, then it’s not peace — it’s publicity,” Rev. Bhagwan said.
He urges leaders to put people before geopolitics, honour customary land and ocean rights, and ensure free, prior, and informed consent in all decisions.
He also calls for the prioritisation of locally led solutions.
Rev. Bhagwan said peace in the Pacific must be understood beyond the narrow security concept, drawing instead from indigenous traditions and ways of living.
“Inclusion must be part of the design and implementation of the Ocean of Peace. We need to collect gender and disability-segregated data, apply universal design, and embed safeguarding practices, so that women, children, survivors of violence, and persons with disabilities are protected,” he said.
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