29 March 2010

Successful Fiji Community Forum for Celebrating Race Relations Day


March 29, 2010 




















Just a short note to thank all those that took time out from their very busy schedules to grace us with your presence at the Fiji Community Forum held on Friday, 26 March, at the Johnsonville Community Centre, Wellington.

A SPECIAL big ‘Vinaka’ to Sai Lealea & Lawrence Nair for facilitating the roundtable forum as well as the Friends of Fiji networking. You both brought ‘great leadership , talents & skills’ to the forum. We are indebted to both of you for steering the dialogue in a way that it maintain a momentum of honesty, integrity and respect for all groups present.

There are a few others we would like to thank here and we will list their names below:


Chief Guest John Hayes – National MP for Wairarapa & Chair of Foreign Affairs, Defence and Trade Select Committee for a heads up on NZ & Fiji’s relationship

Peter Dunne MP – for donating a ’signed bottle of wine’ to be auctioned.

Charles Chauvel MP - also for donating a ’signed bottle of wine’ for auction

Rose Sinclair & Ieti Tiatia – Statistics NZ for giving us such an indepth knowledge of where Fiji people sit in the wider Pasifika Community

Ms Sonja Gulliver – Te Papa for talking to us about ‘Tapa Skin Project’

Mrs Delta Doyle for sharing your family’s journey when your husband worked in Fiji as a lecturer at Nasinu Teachers’ College
Peter & Glenys Wood for your assistance leading up to the forum & sharing the remarkable story about ‘Imam & the Pastor’.
Christine Teiannang & the Fiji Banaban Community for being there and sharing your stories.

Those leaders from various Fiji Community groups who came with such enthusiasm and participated fully.
Sister Sarto from the Fiji Catholic Community. Sister Josefa Tikomaisolomone for the Wairarapa Fiji Community for giving us an insight in what’s happening in the Wairarapa amongst the Fiji people there. 
Rachael Leafe from Massey University and also Dr Teresia Teaiwa from Victoria University for some great feedback on Pacific students progress.
The Task Team for working tirelessly over the last two months to plan the event at zero budget.
Last but not the least, the two bottles of wine donated by our favourite MPs were auctioned at the Friends of Fiji networking social. We were able to raise approx $100 which we used to pay for the hall hire. Thank you Mike Kilioni for beginning the bid with $15.00. Much appreciated.
A report is being drafted and will be tabled after being vetted by the two facilitators, Sai Lealea & Lawrence Nair. Please feel free to email us if you wish to get a copy of the report.
Vinaka


Task Team for Combine ‘Wellington Fiji Community Groups’
  • Our facilitators Sai Lealea, Lawrence Nair
  • Semiti & Sera Leqakowailutu, Peter & Glenys Wood, Valencia Mar-Melesia, Adi Elisapeci Samanunu Waqanivalu