Fiji & Pacific Talanoa on Governance, Policy and Sustainable Development

Abel Lalagavesi reports that the team slept at Dakuivuna Village. They had an Anti Corruption Information Session where they talked about Integrity and Anti Corruption and reporting mechanism if villagers were witnesses or victims of corruption.. Abel reports that, “After the session, came across this incident where a girl was sent to the shop. Along the way she met a man who told her to give him the items she bought and give him the change to take back. When she reached home and she asked about the item she bought from the shop and the change. She found out that the item was given back but not the change (money). She went up to the man and said "qori gonna na corruption. Practice honesty."   Mili, Jone and Abel walk to Korovou Town Transparency Fiji expresses its heartfelt thanks to GOODMAN FIELDER for providing chicken and tee shirts for all our WOC walkers. The support is very deeply appreciated. #WOC2DAY Day 2 Tees courtesy of @Goodman Fielder #Dak...

The Transparency Fiji team made up of YFI, CRID and MYF volunteers have been walking from Nayavu to raise awareness on integrity and anti corruption issues. Abel Lalagavesi told me by phone that they have been stopped by passers by on the road and they have explained the reason for their walk and the importance of the public understanding anti corruption issues. Able wrote , " We woke up at 4am and started walking. Now we in Nasautoka ready for breakfast. The weather is a bit cold and I didn't bring any warm clothes 😂 I decided to wear vest instead 😊 🔫 Starting to feel body pain and feeling very very weak. But what good is a challenge walk without having this challenges. # sickbutstillgoingstrong . While walking you can still see people living in tents and damaged homes. # WOC2day . Any who I will be having a lot of late post cos Digicel sadly doesn't catch in Tailevu # nothingnew 😂 For this entry on his timeline Abel received over 60 likes and 2 shares. ...

THE "Walking out Corruption" Campaign will see Youth Integrity volunteers and Community Representatives walking from Tailevu to Suva over a 5 day period.   The team gets ready to catch the Sunbeam bus for Tailevu on Monday afternoon Dec 5/2016 "We intend to educate the public on the importance of integrity and anti corruption,"This was the comment by Jofiliti Veikoso, one of Transparency Fiji’s WOC organisers. He added that they will stop over in selected villages in the evenings and have non formal talanoa sessions on integrity. Mr Veikoso said that. “Corruption could be one of the biggest tragedies of mankind for the simple reason that it is ongoing and difficult to combat. We would like to work closely with FICAC and civil society to ensure that those who are victims or witnesses to corruption can come forward and report it.”' Executive director Ms Koila Kabu said the campaign was a lead-up to the International Anti-Corruption Day tha...

Corruption is something that cannot be eradicated completely from the society. However, there is definite possibility in the reduction of corrupt activities. Corruption has been part of many young people's life where they tend to accept it as norms of life. They witness it as ways to success and sadly that at certain point of time in their life, through pressure they received, becomes actors of corruption. It has been a deadly virus in our community's immune system and the good news is, it is curable. Being a youth worker and part of the Youth for Integrity (YFI) movement, I personally believe that the reduction of corruption can be achieved through the promotion of integrity.  Simple act of integrity shun away corruption and its deceitful ways. It takes the commitment of individuals to fight against corruption and also teamwork with in our various space and community. Gone are the days of mere preaching and it is now time to stand up, get out of our comfort zone and put ou...

Mr.Abel Lalagavesi - 19years of age, youngest walker for the WOC2day Campaign. I am walking to challenge my peers that Integrity starts with me. Be the agents of change today and unmask corruption.  As the Minister of Youth and Sports - Hon.Laisenia Tuitubou always reiterates  : “Youths are not only the leaders of tomorrow, they are the leaders of today ” Editors Note : Abel has been a member of the youth arm of Transparency Fiji (Youths for Integrity) since 2015. He was a member of the Fiji Youth Parliament in the same year whilst studying in High School. He loves music and can play 5 musical instruments, and was awarded best bandsman for the Natabua High School Brass and Marching Band (Fiji's Best High School Marching Band) An ardent Red Cross youth volunteer and youth advocate for Youth Champs for Mental Health. 

Since December 2005, the only legal instrument that aims to combat corruption was formed in the document called the United Nations Convention Against Corruption.  Ratified by 173 States across the world, it consists of a body of Articles which enable the State Parties to formulate and introduce mechanisms to prevent, and combat corruption. Fiji has ratified the UNCAC, and undergone 2 review cycles.  The Summary Report of the Implementing Peer Review has been released, and indicates the positive responses to curbing corruption in Fiji.  The UNDP through its UN Pacific Regional Anti-Corruption Office has also released two reports on the Pacific's Implementation of Chapters 3 and 4 of the UNCAC. A Youth Network which focuses on raising Youth Awareness on Corrupt behaviour and Unethical Practice is the Youths for Integrity.  With Integrity Promotion as their focus, the Youth Leaders have begun to equip themselves with the UNCAC and searched for ways to use the Conven...

A few weeks back @Abel Lalagavesi, a young Anti Corruption Advocate posed a question on whether men were more affected by corruption than women.  Straight out of our conscious minds (and fingers), there was a load of views expressed through our Youths for Integrity Facebook page.  This is one of the many questions asked of statisticians when trying to break down the hows and the whys. In most families, if not all, the woman holds the purse and the strings attached to it.  And this emotive power has influenced whether the family settles down for a nice badjhia and tuna dinner, or tea with biscuit breakfast.  This is by no means hinting that this is not healthy and the families that do so, have the right to eat and live with dignity.  The point is that the mother, wife, woman, young woman, or girl in the family is affected differently from corruption than our fellow brothers or fathers. Unfortunately, there has not been any recent findings to indicate thi...

Personal sharing of experiences … What does it mean to me as a mother, when I consent to my child attending Afternoon classes, and upon return from school, the class was cancelled for a reason unknown to us.  Where have you been?  What did you do instead?  These are questions that arise.  How does it affect me as a mother, when I only have $2.00 to spare until next pay, and my child insists on giving fifty cents for his mufti levy, which is never accounted for, nor do we know where the cents are going to.  When do I draw the line at CAPS meeting, when there is clearly a live electrical wire just beneath the blackboard, with a notice of DO NOT TOUCH pasted nearby.  How do I react to the nurse who has just given me a lecture saying “we close at 4 pm”, when my baby needs urgent immediate help?  Such is the daily fight that challenges mothers, and as resilient as we are, the refocusing of priorities to what is my Immediate need and foregoing an import...

In my whole 7 years with an NGO that aims to eradicate Corruption, the challenge has been to mobilise young people, men, women, and those working at all levels of government.  Very recently this focus has been on unregulated areas of society eg. Sports clubs, faith based groupings, which exists on the ground, but do not get much participation in the national and municipal level activities.  My Message is thus shaped on my own personal ability to undertake a Challenge out on the Road.  So for me, there will be a pause to the advising, teaching, training and guiding.  I will put on the walking shoes and draw people’s attention to how we can fight corrupt behaviour, Together as a nation.  My target group will be Mothers, and how crucial a role they hold in decision making at ALL levels.  It is not only about speaking up, but about using their role, position and influence to cultivate a Society or community that despises unethical practices, and corrup...

Walking out Corruption campaign launched Charlene Lanyon FIJI TIMES Report Monday, November 14, 2016 THE Walking out Corruption campaign launched on Friday November 11 by Transparency  Fiji aims to promote the importance of integrity in the everyday lives of all Fijians. Executive director Koila Kabu said the campaign was a lead-up to the World Anti-Corruption Day that was celebrated globally on December 9.  Some of the YFI leaders relax during the debriefing held after the WOC Launch on Friday Nov 11. "In 2013 67 per cent of youths between 15 and 35 said they had participated in corrupt activities but since 2013 we found out that more than 82 per cent of the young people interviewed actually said they could do something against corruption," Ms Kabu said. "This year we have moved our campaign away from the workshops and training centres and decided to conduct a three-day walk from the Nayavu research station in Wainibuka to Suva City. ...

WALK OUT CORRUPTION TODAY #WOC2day  LAUNCHED Friday 11th November, 2016 Transparency Fiji in partnership with its youth and research arms - the Youths for Integrity (YFI) , Center for Research on Integrity and Development (CRID), board members, corporate partners and invited guests officially launched the #WOC2day event on the 11th of November, 2016.  The Walk Out Corruption event is an activity spearheaded by Transparency Fiji that leads up to December 9th, which is celebrated globally as the International Anti-Corruption Day.  The public is encouraged to document their positive messages of anti-corruption or anti-corruption elements such as integrity, transparency, good governance, accountability etc....and use the hashtag #WOC2day.  http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=378385 About the Event (#WOC2day) Ten (10) members of Transparency Fiji including its youth and research arms will be participating in the challenge walk.  The party ...