Page 28 - IB FEB 2018

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16 Days, 4 Countries – Voices for Peace

By Sian Rolls with Vanessa Heleta,
Ender Rence and Carolyn Kitione
“Achieving peace and justice can only
(happen) when there is no violence, abuse
(or) corruption,” says 13- year -old Lilyan
Falemaka from Tonga.
The 16 Days of Activism to end Gender
Based Violence, marked annually from
November 25 to December 10, is a time
of reflection.
With a host of international commemo-
rations, it provides an opportunity for
collective action, outreach and celebration
– including the International Day for the
Elimination of Violence against Women
(November 25), the International Day for
Persons with Disabilities (December 3)
and World Human Rights Day (December
10).
This was the spirit embodied by mem-
bers of the Global Partnership of the Vanuatu Young Women for Change VanGames 2017 booth
Prevention of Armed Conflict (GPPAC)
Pacific network through a series of Peace
Education activities in Solomon Islands, mentors and parents, they celebrated and you get there for the first time but it’s not
Tonga, Vanuatu and Fiji supported by shared their visions of a future that they once you get to know the ocean better.”
the Swedish International Development want to contribute to, including through “I see myself as the sun. I am strong and
Cooperation Agency (SIDA). the use of creative storytelling using il- I am in control of myself,” added 14-year
Across the network, women were lead- lustrations and symbols. old Amy Katoa. “I am a peacemaker.”
ing the way in engaging in dialogue with “My symbol is the sea because it may be “My symbol is a star because it’s strong
communities of all diversities to provide calm but then it gets rough too,” shared 15 and bright and I want my mind to be bright
the opportunity, time and space to unpack year old ‘Paea Fakatava. “It fights back the because I believe in myself,” said 14-year
and define what peace and a life free of all situation that comes. It’s dangerous when old Unaloto Pa’uu.
forms of violence means:
In Solomon Islands, Vois Blong Mere
Solomon (VBMS) organised for women
with disabilities to come together with
the media to share their experiences in
Malaita Province.
“It is very critical to link the issues
that are faced in the community to the
mainstream media,” explained Josephine
Teakeni, Executive Director of VBMS.
“Most of the news is being dominated by
politics or issues that are not humanised.
Therefore this training (has been) an eye
opener for most of the participants. It is
very important for (them) to understand
what advocacy is. It will help them to come
up with their own advocacy strategies to
highlight their issues and finding the right
medium to advocate for change.”
In Tonga, the Talitha Project organised
a Girls Camp where together with their Mothers and Daughters’ dialogue at femLINKpacific’s Labasa Community Media Centre, Fiji

28 Islands Business, February 2018