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Joni Madraiwiwi

62 quotes

“The politicians pontificate and manoeuvre with eloquent manifestos and pronouncements saying little about the challenges we must confront.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, 15 August 2001.
“The issue which concern all of us as citizens of this country, irrespective of our political beliefs and ethnicity, is this: if we are to forbear all legal proceedings against the perpetrators of the events of 19 May 2000 what does that say about our sense of right and wrong? What does it say to those that were directly and indirectly harmed by their actions? Without an accounting, we encourage repetition of this conduct, make light of the pain and suffering people endured and suggest to the impressionable that such conduct is appropriate.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, 15 August 2001.
“With hindsight, the Samoa system with appropriate modifications ought to have been adopted. The complete acceptance of western democratic structures, apart from the appointment of Bose Levu Vakaturaga appointees in the Senate, in some respect was in advance of the understanding of democratic principles, particularly in the rural areas.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, 15 August 2001.
“We have survived bitter divisions in our society. Reconciliation requires us to put aside our differences and forgive the injuries done to us just as justice is essential to that equation. Those who have done wrong and broken the law must be punished. There can be no setting to rights or settling of accounts without that element. Until that is done there will be no finality to our collective nightmare. Until we all accept that simple fact the sense of hurt and betrayal continue.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, 15 August 2001.
“It is time to move forward together. Stronger for the bitter experiences we have shared, wiser for the suffering inflicted on us and more compassionate for having the capacity to forgive. For all its faults and cruelties, Fiji remains a country full of promise and hope simply demonstrated by the goodwill that has endured and the love we have for this land that is our home.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2001 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Our Country at the Crossroads - 2001 Parkinson Memorial Lecture Series, 15 August 2001.
“Not five generations distant, Fijians were cannibalizing each other. The missionaries and the colonial administration imposed a veneer of civilization on their native subjects. However, it is not apparent that they imparted to them any profound understanding of the process involved in the maintenance and upholding of the law.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Siwati Memorial Lecture, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 24 September 2004.
“Ultimately, the best guarantor of the rule of law is not the state and the branches which comprise it but the recognition by people of its value and their willingness to fight for, and uphold it.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2004 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Siwati Memorial Lecture, Honiara, Solomon Islands, 24 September 2004.
“In order to build a common identity, we must find a name with which all of us are comfortable. While I personally have no problem with the term ‘Fijian’, I recognize many others in my community are not. But let us not leave it there, let us find other options.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“There is no denying the powerful emotions appeals to ethnicity can arouse. We need to develop linkages that will subdue or weaken such appeals. This will lie in deepening relationships across ethnic boundaries. It cannot be forced but must be encouraged by all in any position to do so. Because we need to expand and strengthen the interethnic connections which already subsist to mitigate the siren calls of ethnicity when they are made.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“I trust you will bear in mind the deeply-held fears and insecurities Fijian have as an ethnic community. This is a subject I dwell on repeatedly because, while I do not share them, I am sufficiently Fijian to appreciate the depths of these emotions.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“One wonders whether the ethnic categorization effort at finding solutions to problems that cross ethnic boundaries. Poverty is poverty is poverty. It does not have peculiar ethnic characteristics.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“We need to try and focus less on ethnicity in this country and concentrate on trying to improve the lot of the marginalized whoever they are.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“The Spirit of Rotary is to voluntarily improve the lot of their fellow human beings because it is the ultimate calling in life. Not for reward of for personal gain, but for the satisfaction of having made a positive difference to someone else. How different would life be if those of us with more advantages could all practice these virtues? This would be a society where the strong would be just and the weak secure. It is an ideal that we can all work towards.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“It is not easy to remain motivated in the face of widespread apathy and self-indulgence.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lautoka Rotary Club (Centenary Dinner), 12 March 2005.
“When national leaders address the people of Fiji in specifically Christian terms, whatever the occasion, nearly half of our people are excluded. When prayer in mixed company is uttered in terms of a purely Christian God, we unintentionally omit and diminish others present of different faiths. When we use Christian symbolism to promote reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, we discount the contribution and equally rich traditions extant in other faiths and cultural traditions.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to a Hindu gathering, 26 March 2005.
“Opportunity marries with circumstance and is midwife to the resultant bartering of public office. The mutuality is advantage to the parties involved merely facilitates the spread of such practices. When it reaches the point of being commonplace and is pragmatically perceived as the most practical means of getting things done, it has become systemic and difficult to eradicate.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening remarks to Transparency International Pacific Regional Meeting, 13 April 2005.
“It will be impossible to achieve this (keeping the people together) if the elders and chiefs have their own way and are too proud of their chiefly status to not bring themselves down to the people.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Lau Provincial Council, 11 May 2005.
“This privileged position (lawyer) obliges you to remember that most of the population cannot afford your services or fees. As a consequence they are denied access to justice. It therefore behoves the legal profession to consider practical ways of alleviating this unacceptable state of affairs.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Fiji Law Society, 2 July 2005.
“It (insecurity) is a feeling that is deeply felt and is shared by most members of my community, irrespective of religion, status, education, background or place of origin.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Fiji Law Society, 2 July 2005.
“For it is only when we all believe that the Constitution and the rule of law protects all our people and their rights, can these guarantors of rights be assured.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Fiji Law Society, 2 July 2005.
“Those who decry the rule of law as a Western principle or an imported construct, misunderstand the concept. It is about abiding by a set of standards for the well-being of society as a whole.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Speech to the Fiji Law Society, 2 July 2005.
“This is a small country with limited resources. Can we afford the time spent on endless debates about ethnicity and identity?”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Tourism Forum at the Sheraton Resort, 7 July 2005.
“We need to move forward and beyond the point where we endlessly pursue the demons bequeathed us by our history.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Tourism Forum at the Sheraton Resort, 7 July 2005.
“Traditional leadership is based on ascription. In former times, there was some degree of flexibility which enabled change. This was based on prowess in war and statecraft. The British fossilised the system and traditional leaders became government functionaries. Their authority was strengthened by the colonial administration.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the Pacific Regional Workshop on Leadership Development, Lami, Fiji, 9 July 2005.
“The essence of traditional leadership is learned by osmosis. The next generation learns from what their elders and the current generation does. This was appropriate in a society where the pace of change was gradual.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the Pacific Regional Workshop on Leadership Development, Lami, Fiji, 9 July 2005.
“There will necessarily be a tension between the church and tradition on one hand and human rights on the other.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to the Pacific Regional Workshop on Leadership Development, Lami, Fiji, 9 July 2005.
“Back then (in 1985) the issue of the day was nuclear testing, now we are faced with problems such as climate change, overfishing, deforestation, shipments of radioactive materials through Pacific waters and nuclear proliferation. We need to remain vigilant so that we won't become victims again.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to Greenpeace, Suva, 10 July 2005.
“Remember that the actions of a few, with commitment, can alter the course of world history.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to Greenpeace, Suva, 10 July 2005.
“To say that power should have been returned to the Fijian chiefs is to ignore what occurred between 1874 and 1970.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Address to an educational workshop, Suva, 13 July 2005.
“Indigenous rights are those, which relate to indigenous people, their way of life, their land and their resources. They are connected in nature and the birthrights of indigenous people.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Closing address to the Roundtable on Human Rights, Indigenous Rights, and Nationalism, Suva, 23 July 2005.
“The (racial and cultural) difference is to be celebrated, not fried or criticised, and we are so much richer for it.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Message to cadets at Xavier College in Ba, Fiji, 27 July 2005.
“Cadet corps instill discipline in its members, where you are taught basic skills such as survival in the wilderness, unarmed combat, tracking and learning how to strategise.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Message to cadets at Xavier College in Ba, Fiji, 27 July 2005.
“The critical element in this equation is developing inclusiveness that envelopes all these competing priorities (of the different ethnic groups) in a manner that is fair to all. Without it we risk remaining a divided society all the more tragic for having unfulfilled our potential.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“Inclusiveness is disguised by the ability to offer a sometimes disturbed community a vision of themselves and the means to achieve it together.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“It is easy to decry the nature of ethnic politics in this country. We are hostages to history and the ethnic compartmentalisation that began in the colonial era.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“All our communities have to make the effort to reach out to each other rather than waiting passively for gestures that may never be made. We need to write our stories and sing our songs together not necessarily in unison or in tune but in a way that makes space for all of us.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“However social integration cannot be forced and not proceed at the pace that the community considers uncomfortable.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“Relationships between our ethnic communities are generally good but we need to continue weaving connections to the point where they are interwoven and unbreakable.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“The strength of Commonwealth lies in its diversity and it to be mindful of bearing economic, social, political and cultural systems which comprise its membership … Its commonality lies in its connection to humanity, in the main it has provided an invariable forum whose members to open and continue meaningful issues of concern.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address to the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association conference in Nadi, 6 September 2005.
“We all belong to this country, what are we going to call ourselves? Recognizing the sensibilities of most indigenous people here about the term 'Fijian', let us find some other name. But let us not leave it unresolved because it is an important symbol of belonging here.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“Should we retain our national flag that conveys historical continuity from the days of the Cakobau government to the period of British Colonial rule, or is it time for a new one?”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“We celebrate who we are although we come from different communities. We are one nation, one people. We have differences and these cause problems and tension at times but we are not on the brink of inter ethnic strife.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“There is some suggestion that the Fijian model ought to be adopted as being the first people, the host culture, the landowners and the majority of the population. I have no issue with that proposition, so long as it is acceptable to all other communities as well.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“The critical element is inclusiveness. It is only when the model we adopt and implement is one all can accept, can the prospect of genuine and lasting reconciliation be real.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“Reconciliation and forgiveness is inextricably linked to the identity and unity we develop as a nation.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Opening address, Fiji Week celebrations, 7 October 2005.
“They (Indo-Fijians) came as indentured laborers to this land and were treated harshly. They had little reason to be grateful to their colonial masters and like the indigenous Fijians. The British crown colony of Fiji was funded in part from their toil, yet they were treated like second-class citizens.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poppy Drive speech, 21 October 2005.
“Who would have planted the cane, run the mills and funded the colony if they had gone to battle?”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poppy Drive speech, 21 October 2005.
“This was to no doubt reaffirm Indo-Fijian bravery, they suffered greatly under indenture and were often unfairly and needlessly provoked. They bore it with fortitude and grace.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poppy Drive speech, 21 October 2005.
“When you (Military personnel) serve in uniform, you serve your country, not your mataqali, yavusa or particular vanua. You serve the larger vanua that encompasses all of us.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poppy Drive speech, 21 October 2005.
“Those of us born after that era (of World War II), or with little or no knowledge of those experiences, take freedom for granted. In fact, we give little thought because we are preoccupied with the here and now and yet we owe a debt of gratitude that can never be repaid because you (returned servicemen) paid the price in blood.”
Joni Madraiwiwi (1957–2016) first seen 2005 wikiquote, CC BY-SA 4.0 source
Recorded in: Poppy Drive speech, 21 October 2005.