Fiji Youths: unleashing creative approaches to serious issues

 This blog piece was originally published in the Transparency International website .International Youth Day global snapshot: young… - Transparency.org 

From Fiji to Lithuania to Bangladesh, meet some of the young people making a difference around the world by taking matters INTO THEIR OWN HANDS!

Youths4IntegrityFiji members at a workshop on Anti-Corruption

Lati Shalom and Grace Konrote joined Youths4IntegrityFiji at just 14 years old. Drawn in by their fun and creative approach to learning about corruption, she quickly began volunteering to run activities herself. “Rather than just saying ‘corruption is bad’, we’re trying to approach it differently by encouraging an integrity mindset in people. We go on tours of parliament to encourage more democracy, and make films and TikToks to educate the public.”

Although some of their actions are lighthearted, the group has also recorded videos on fraud, spoken out against a draconian new police bill and taken to Twitter to demand that the prime minister protect a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the university education system. Working with Transparency International’s national contact in Fiji, they even helped the national university to develop a short online course on ethics and anti-corruption.

Although some of their actions are lighthearted, the group has also recorded videos on fraud, spoken out against a draconian new police bill and taken to Twitter to demand that the prime minister protect a whistleblower who exposed corruption in the university education system. Working with Transparency International’s national contact in Fiji, they even helped the national university to develop a short, free online course on ethics and anti-corruption.

Excited YFIs with @JosaFiji (who sang 2 anti corruption songs&Amania!❤️at the Launch of the Ethics&Anticorruption Course-joint venture between Fiji Nat Univ&Integrity Fiji/Transparency International.We were inspired by FICAC Commissioner Rashmi Aslam's speech.Thanks also to FNU https://t.co/GgG1bbCUoe

— youths4Integrity FIJI (@youths4integri7) 15 July 2022

Youths4IntegrityFiji even organised workshops with the Fijian elections office to encourage young people to vote in the December 2022 National Elections and do their part to hold public officials accountable. As part of the workshop, participants held mock elections to learn how supervisors will tally and calculate election day results.

“I have this sense that young people feel their vote doesn’t matter,” another member of the youth group Selenia says. “We’re trying to change that.”

Watch Selenia and her fellow youth members speak about steps towards more ethical procurement processes in government.

Both women, only 23 years old, are now part-time staff with Transparency International’s national contact in Fiji, working to create space for even younger people to become active members of the community.

Anti-Corruption Advocacy in Fiji

The people of Fiji voted for change in December and elected a new government, ending the 16-year rule of previous coup leader Frank Bainimarama.  Positively the new government’s 100-day plan, which it has already started to fulfil, includes commitments to repeal laws and decrees which undermine human rights, media freedom, freedom of association. But, as one of the few countries in the region with a national anti-corruption agency, its elimination would be a serious step backward for the new administration. Let’s hope that the Fijian government reconsiders its views on FICAC – so Fiji can retain its leadership in the Pacific and the fight against corruption continues.

 In another example of a government toying with the idea of removing key safeguards, the newly elected government of Fiji in its 100 day plan announced plans to phase out Fiji Independent Commission against Corruption (FICAC).

FICAC is in place to investigate and prosecute public sector corruption, as well as encourage the public to report suspected corrupt activity. Yet it is being reported that the new government considers FICAC redundant and plans to relegate anti-corruption efforts to the police and other law enforcement agencies who reactively investigate and prosecute. Without an independent and central coordinating body to assess corruption’s root causes and try to implement policies to stop it before it happens, this strategy would only accomplish part of what’s needed.

The people of Fiji voted for change in December and elected a new government and prime minister, ending the 16-year rule of previous coup leader Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama.  Positively the new government’s 100-day plan, which it has already started to fulfil, includes commitments to repeal laws and decrees which undermine human rights, media freedom, freedom of association. But, as one of the few countries in the region with a national anti-corruption agency, its elimination would be a serious step backward for the new administration.

Let’s hope that the Fijian government reconsiders its views on FICAC – so Fiji can retain its leadership in the Pacific and the fight against corruption continues.