Page 22 - IB FEB 2017

Tribute
Papy John - a life well lived

Tahiti’s loss, the
By Nic Maclellan Pacific’s loss ...
John Taroanui
THE Pacific lost one of its greats on Doom, man of
many hats.
Christmas Day 2016, with the death in Photo: Marie-
Tahiti of John Taroanui Doom, at age 80. Helene Villierme
From across the political spectrum, Ta-
hitians mourned the loss of the scholar,
religious leader and anti-nuclear activ-
ist. The government of French Polynesia
paid its condolences, stating: “With
passion, but with great tolerance and re-
spect for the views of others, John Doom
gave his life to defend the Polynesian
people. He was a man of deep humanity,
who loved the Polynesian people, their personnel were better protected than the retary General of the Eglise Evangelique
culture and languages.” islanders. As radioactive fallout envel- de la Polynesie Francaise (EEPF) in
For Oscar Temaru, “John was a man oped the island, the French delegation 1971 – later renamed the Eglise Prot-
of letters but also a man of the divine fled without informing the locals. Three estante Maohi (EPM) at the time of the
word, above all a humanist and curious days after the Aldebaran test, a French Taui in 2004.
about everything. It was this curiosity naval vessel was sent to Mangareva to John’s faith led him across the region
that led him to witness France’s first monitor the fallout. Technicians found and the globe. After leading the largest
atmospheric nuclear test – a monstros- that unwashed lettuce from gardens on denomination in French Polynesia and
ity he immediately recognised. The the island had levels of contamination working on the executive committee
anti-nuclear movement found in him a 185 times greater than normal back- of the Pacific Conference of Churches
peaceful but committed warrior”. ground radioactivity. (PCC), he took up an appointment with
Fortunately, John’s memoirs were On the 40th anniversary of this first the World Council of Churches (WCC) in
published in October last year (A he’e French test, John organised the inau- Geneva. From 1989 until his retirement
noa i te tau -Mémoires d’une vie par- guration of a park in central Papeete in 2000, Doom served as the WCC’s ex-
tagée). They document a life well lived. named Place du 2 Juillet 1966. This ecutive secretary for the Pacific, carrying
One of 12 children, Taroanui Doom green oasis in Papeete commemorates the voice of Pacific peoples into the wider
was born on 6 May 1936, in Papeete, the first of 193 French nuclear tests in ecumenical debate. As his memoirs pro-
French Polynesia. He grew up on the the South Pacific. claim: “The goal is to help those who are
island of Tubuai, in the Austral archi- In 2001, working with Roland Oldham oppressed and give a voice to those that
pelago. and Bruno Barrillot, John co-founded have none. We all have the capacity to
As a young journalist with the Office Moruroa e Tatou – the association of intervene in world affairs.”
de radiodiffusion-télévision française former Maohi workers from Moruroa Papy John was also a man of culture
(ORTF), John witnessed the first French and Fangataufa. His calm counsel but and a learned scholar of reo Maohi.
nuclear test, codename Aldebaran, driving passion has slowly forced the With Maco Tavane, he was one of the
which exploded into the atmosphere French State to acknowledge the need co-founders of the Académie Tahitienne
above Moruroa atoll on 2 July 1966. for clean-up of the nuclear test sites. - Fare Vana’a in August 1972, which
Working as an interpreter for the visit- France is still resisting however full promoted Tahitian language, literature
ing French delegation, the experience compensation for the civilian and mili- and culture. Forty years later, he briefly
transformed John’s life, which he spent tary personnel who staffed Moruroa and returned as Director of the Académie
campaigning for a nuclear free and in- Fangataufa for the thirty years of testing from 2 June 2012, until ill health led to
dependent Pacific. between 1966 and 1996. his retirement.
On the day of the test, John was on John was deeply committed to the The region has lost one of its great
Mangareva, acting as interpreter for the church, appointed as a deacon in 1962 Metua. He was buried at Papeari on 27
visiting Overseas Minister Pierre Bil- and then, after 1972, serving for five December, alongside his beloved wife
lotte. Some years later, John told me he years as principal of the Hermon Theo- Tetua.
was shocked when he saw that French logical School. He was appointed as Sec- n nicmac3056@gmail.com

22 Islands Business, February 2017