Page 7 - IB AUG 2019

We Say

Nauru, New Zealand and Tonga also gave their national vol- had actually “deteriorated.”
untary review reports before the UN Forum, and the story was Specifically for the Pacific, we are “regressing” on zero hunger
the same. Island nations of the Pacific are well on their way to (Goal 2), industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), life
achieving their SDGs by 2030. below water (Goal 14) and peace, justice and strong institutions
This is a bold call to make in light of the worrying conclusions (Goal 16).
of an SDG progress report that a UN agency released not too long It is a sobering read, especially given the pretty positive if not
ago. Called ‘Asia and the Pacific SDG Progress Report 2019,’ the exaggerated portrayal of the work our governments have done,
UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific or are yet to do in the space of the UN’s SDGs. Such reporting of
(ESCAP) reached the disturbing conclusion that “on its current course is done voluntarily, with each reporting state allotted just
trajectory, Asia and the Pacific will not achieve any of the 17 20 minutes to present their report at the High Political Forum.
sustainable development goals by 2030. Proper scrutiny and verification of such presentations become the
Little progress has been made towards ending hunger (Goal early casualties of time restrictions.
2), supporting industry, innovation and infrastructure (Goal 9), One has to wonder whether much good would be achieved
reducing inequalities (Goal 10), building sustainable cities and if independent observers were allowed by the UN to offer com-
communities (Goal 11), combating climate change (Goal 13), mentary and inject some much needed balance on such reporting
protecting life below water and life on land (Goal 14), or towards by the state.
supporting peace, justice and strong institutions (Goal 16). Being a super mammoth creature, it is also worth consider-
ing whether resources – constrained as they currently are in the
The ESCAP report further laments that for at least three goals; world body— would be better utilised if agencies and offices of
providing clean water and sanitation (Goal 6), ensuring decent the United Nations talk to each other and encourage the sharing
work and economic growth (Goal 8) and supporting responsible and exchange of vital information regarding member states.
consumption and production (Goal 12), the situation in the region

Warning from the front line

THE spread of crystal methamphetamine (or ice) is an escalating phetamine users and addicts in New Zealand. In 2000 I was in a
problem for many Pacific Island communities. Now respected place where there was no hope, no help, no ‘love’ – my wife and
Cook Islands News publisher John Woods has written about his my children had abandoned me. I had given up on myself. But
own drug addiction. His recent column is published here as a the people who really loved me had not completely ditched me
first-hand account of the damage wrought by drugs and as a and I realised in the pain and grief of abandonment that I had
contribution to the effort of raising awareness about drug ad- to get into recovery, regain my sanity and resume my role as a
diction in our countries. husband and father and take control to the point of resuming my
career as a journalist and editor, latterly as a publisher.
I used to have a meth habit. But continuing so-called controlled drinking and abuse of soft
In talking about a meth habit, I am talking about a disease drugs led to the inevitable ill health that comes with heart disease
that has no cure. --coronary failure and stroke – and thence to relapsing.
It is a terminal disease, which affects all of us in New Zealand, Then another stroke put me back on my deathbed in hospi-
and now sadly in the Cook Islands. tal where at last I came to my senses, realising that without a
It is filling emergency rooms and complete and radical change of lifestyle I was headed to my own
Addiction is a therapy clinics with victims, our pris- premature funeral.
bad disease that ons with inmates, our streets with That was a year ago, resulting in a turnaround that took me
affects good homeless people, and our homes with to a treatment program at Capri Sanctuary in South Auckland
people broken families. where I acquired the skills of recovery in the form of better health,
For me this disease is also known mindfulness meditation and a wellness strategy with new coping
as alcoholism and drug addiction. And I have it. I am both an mechanisms such as reading and writing, woodworking, garden-
alcoholic and a drug addict. If you know me, take a good look ing and returning to my favourite sports of cycling, stand-up
at me, as I am what one looks like. paddling and surfing.
Addiction is a bad disease that affects good people and fami- Nowadays I follow the 12 steps programs of Alcoholics Anony-
lies, me and mine included. I didn’t grow up thinking I would mous and Narcotics Anonymous taking one day at a time in
become an alcoholic or an addict. My parents didn’t raise me for order to resist the urges to feed my addictions, and savouring the
that to happen; no one expected that to happen. But it did. I had rewards of sober living such as waking up without a hangover
everything I could ever want in terms of being loved and cared and feeling energetic and positive.
for, but I still became addicted to alcohol and other drugs. Not only has this saved my marriage and most of the important
The lowest and worst of my depravation as an addict was relationships in my life, but I am free from guilt to speak openly
marked by selfish squandering of an annual income in excess of and honestly about the perils of substance abuse and, where
$120,000, more than half of it going into drugs and alcohol and possible, to help other suffering addicts and their families.
associated immorality, the deceitful theft and selling of family This is why I am committing to addressing the problem of drug
assets and possessions in order to feed my bad habits, lying and abuse in our community.
general poor behaviour.
Twenty years ago I was amongst the first wave of metham- We Say is compiled with the oversight of the editor

Islands Business, August 2019 7