BY LYNTON AARON FILIA
A newly launched National Perception Survey will act as the Solomon Islands Government’s strength to restore and sustain peace after the RAMSI’s departure.
Solomon Islands Government and the United Nation Development Programme have launched a National Perception Survey findings last week, and such document will be used as reference for country’s peacebuilding.
Permanent Secretary for the Ministry of National Unity Reconciliation and Peace Mr Justus Denni said as the RAMSI left, SIG and UNDP have undergone a survey using qualitative and quantitative to generate evidence-based information relevant to peacebuilding, reconciliation and stability.
He said such report will alert leaders of the country to invest more on peacebuilding programmes to restore and maintain sustaining peace in Solomon Islands after RAMSI’s departure.
PS Denni said, “The National Perception Survey findings show citizens of Solomon Islands perceive various issues as important for peace and peacebuilding in this country.”
He said some of the issues reflected in the perception survey are recurring and cross-cutting and have been shared in different reports and forums held in and outside the country.
Mr Denni adds an example is employment creation or the government creating opportunities for our youths to have formal and gainful employment.
“An interesting, if not intriguing outcome of the survey is that land issue as a trigger of the ethnic tension is not identified as important for peacebuilding,” he said.
Mr Denni also shared an interesting finding in the survey where a respondent did not rank resolution of outstanding claims relating to the Bougainville crises and ethnic tensions as important.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Ministry of Finance and Treasury Mr Manasseh Sogavare said results from the survey are important.
He it will be used to evaluate existing mechanisms or formulate critical key policies or re-adjust existing policies to address the areas identified from the Perception survey.
“They will also form the basis of an advice to Cabinet as to a way forward”, Mr Sogavare adds.
“These Results will no doubt provide an objective window for policy and decision makers in making future directions on our path to peacebuilding,” Sogavare said.
