Prime Minister, Manasseh Sogavare has called on all Solomon Islanders to reflect on the questions of whether they are positive agents of peace in their conducts and what it means to embrace peace in relation to nation building.
The Prime Minister made the call in his address at the official celebration of the country’s 38th Independence Anniversary at the Lawson Tama Stadium in Honiara Thursday.
“I must call on all Solomon Islanders in all walks of life and whatever responsibility you are entrusted with in our country to take a hard inward look and ask yourselves the question: Am I a positive agent of peace in the way I conduct myself?
“By the way things are going, it is people in leadership positions that must now wake up from their hibernation and come to terms with the fact that the country is determined to move forward and we (leaders) could be left behind.”
Sogavare said as Solomon Islanders, it is in everyone’s interest that ‘we’ realise that ‘we’ have a role to play, whether big or small, in the process of developing our nation.”
Sogavare said the theme for the 38th Independence Anniversary ‘Embracing Peace for Nation-building’ was chosen on the basis of the conviction that the time is right to openly discuss issues such as nation building in the country.
He said furthermore, the theme is a logical continuation from last year’s Independence Anniversary theme of ‘Unity in Empowerment for a Changing Solomon Islands.’
Sogavare said the 2015 theme was made in the spirit of hope for the country and its development and that this year’s theme should follow from there and offer a pathway to making that hope a reality.
“It is often said that hope is not a plan and therefore in the proper scheme of things, a plan is both necessary and important as it helps to translate hope into future action and action, when hope is implemented, transforms hope into reality,” he added.
Prime Minister said, “with this objective in mind, the message that comes out powerfully during this week is, we cannot talk about positive hope and successful implementation of development plans without achieving lasting peace.
“That peace had to start with all of us with all of us and it must be a deliberate choice by all of us to achieve it and this is what the action word, embracing, in the theme is trying to put across,” he said.
Sogavare said if people find it difficult to take part in peace activities then they are a stumbling block to peace because peace starts with each individual.
He added that, “This is not a time to make excuses. It is attitude like this that keeps holding back this country from progressing. Having allowed this country to slip into anarchy, it must be a deliberate choice on our part to allow peace to once again reign in this country by the Grace of God because when we talk about peace, we talk about the character of God.
“Having expressed that concern, I believe we have a reason to celebrate because we have just completed a very successful national healing and apology programme, which in a way, lifted a burden that we have inflicted upon ourselves half way through our (national) journey.
“We have not been able to address nation building in a meaningful way in our 38 years journey because for more than half that period, we were bogged down in coming to terms with the effects of the ethnic crisis that we could have easily avoided if we had been more sensitive to the intricacies of our ethnic diversity and custom in the making of a new nation.”
He said Solomon Islands has a reason to celebrate that as a nation it has made the bold decision to come forward and tell itself, its regional friends and the United Nations that it is fully capable of rising above its ethnic differences and narrow ethnic and provincial aspirations to pursue the cause of nation building as a collective and national responsibility.
The Prime Minister said the National Healing and Apology Programme that concluded Wednesday was the climax of 16 years of reconciliation activities that have taken place in many parts of the country, especially those that were badly affected by the crisis.
Elaborating on the question of what it means to embrace peace in relation to nation building, the Prime Minister said, “For me the question of embracing peace begins with appreciating what peace means in the first place.
However, he said embracing peace is personal choice whilst nation building is a collect effort and responsibility, which in this context, is shared by all Solomon Islanders.
“Choosing to live and experience peace within yourself will enable you to live in peace with those around you, be it your family, friends, wantoks, neigbours and acquaintances.
“The ability to live well also will enable you to think well. When you are able to think well, it will enable you to contribute and participate well in nation building of our country Solomon Islands.
“My challenge and appeal to each and everyone of you fellow Solomon Islanders on this 38th Independence Anniversary is to embrace the gift of peace and to rise up and take up your place in the company of all wantoks and help contribute towards the building of our nation Solomon Islands.”
The Prime Minister also used the occasion to thank country’s development partners and donor agencies for their assistance and expressed anticipation for their continued cooperation and mutual support through 2016 and beyond.
He also thanked the private sector, which he said continue to faithfully serve the country in keeping the economy going.
The Prime Minister acknowledged the Royal Solomon Islands Police, which he said with the support of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands continue to ensure peace in the country.
He also acknowledged the contributions of nurses, doctors, teachers in clinics and schools throughout the country and all other Solomon Islanders who contributed to the development of the country.
