BY LORETTA B MANELE
SINU Vice Chancellor, Dr Transform Aqorau said it is time to take stock of how far Solomon Islands and the Pacific region has come and to chart the course ahead.
He made the statement whilst delivering the “New Academic Year Opening Address 2026” at Solomon Islands National University’s (SINU) Panatina Campus last Wednesday.
Aqorau said the world around us is changing rapidly and Solomon Islands faces critical choices.
He said this is a moment to reaffirm our values and our purpose.
“It is a moment to inspire each other to live with truth, to serve with purpose, so that together we can build a higher future for the next generation,” Aqorau said.
He went on to say that the past few years have reminded us that history is not static, but alive and at times unforgiving.
Aqorau said we are living in an era of geopolitical instability and great power rivalries, where the familiar post-Cold War rules based international order is fading.
He said that conflicts and crises far from our shores, from wars that shock the to economic upheavals and pandemics, send ripples that breach even our peaceful Pacific lines, pointing out that the rise of a multi-polar world means that no single country dominates.
“Instead, we see increasing competition among major powers, and our own Pacific region has become a stage for this strategic conflict.
“We hear it said that strong do what they can and the weak suffer what they must. As a small nation, this could be a cause for fear and pessimism,” he said.
Aqorau however urged that we should not see themselves as powerless, saying that on the contrary, we have strength and our unity with our Pacific values.
“I urge that we do not see ourselves as powerless because the power of the less powerful starts with honesty, with speaking the truth about our challenges and acting with integrity,” he said.
Aqorau said we must refuse to simply go along to get along when our future is at stake.
He raised that in this predictable geopolitical climate, sovereign islands must stand firm on its principles of sovereignty, peace, respect for international law and work with all partners who respect our values and right to chart our own course.
Aqorau said in this regard, we must also be clear about how we see ourselves as Pacific peoples.
He said we are not small and isolated states scattered across the vast ocean but are part of a greats sea of islands that are connected.
The Vice Chancellor said recognition of our strength does not lie in the size of our land but in the vastness of our ocean, richness of our culture and the solidarity of our region.
He added that it is also reflected in the leaders’ vision of an ocean of peace where our region is not a theatrical contest but a zone of cooperation, stability and collective security shared by Pacific priorities.
Aqorau said in asserting this identity, we reject narratives of our vulnerability that diminish our agency.
“Instead, we affirm that the Pacific can and must chart its own pathway, one grounded in unity, guided by our values, and committed to safeguarding our ocean and our future for generations to come,” he said.
Photo credit: Loretta B Manele
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