Allen Lockington is a self-employed customs agent and business consultant who has regular articles published in Connect. I thank Allen and Connect for permission to reprint some of them in this political blog. They remind us that life goes on, whatever the political situation. And it's good to know that.
Do it for Fiji*
All the coups affected me and my family. But I have learned to move on, tighten my belt a little more and take the challenges head on. I’m not going to stay angry or brood forever.Those who have wronged me have to live with their sins and the devils that haunt them.
I got a bad deal while I was in government. I was angry for a while but I’ve moved on. I’m a better person now, a little gray but better. The hurt I experienced from that bad deal will be with me for ever, but I try not to let it bother me.
To my friend Mr Zinck, let us move on together, brother. Stretch out your hand and say, “OK what the heck, let’s rebuild our nation.” And Mr Zinck, do it even if it is your enemy who you have to work with. The spilt milk has gone sour. Let’s clean it up.
You know, the biggest achievement a man can do is to make his enemy become his best friend. That will be a heck of an achievement. Do it for Fiji, brother. We need your talent.
* Written in January 2008 and no less relevant today.
6 comments:
Good for you, Allen, in letting bygones be bygones and advocating reconciliation and forgiveness. If only more people could take this attitude. Fiji will only prosper when its citizens finally put aside their racial and political rivalries and start working together as one people building one nation. Vinaka for your own leadership on this.
Some advice for Square - wise man never play leapfrog with unicorn.
What, anon at 1600? It's a great quote but I fail to see the relevance here. Have you been doing business with Hydroponic a couple of posts back?
Thank you for your article Mr Lockington,
I respect your opinion in suggesting that we rebuild the nation but the question is how can we rebuild fiji within? How can we rebuild fiji when we don't even have a basic say of how we want it to be rebuit.
What is the scope of opportunites for work to help rebuild Fiji? Where is the dream to be able to afford a house? How can we freely express our opinions on topic matter in Fiji through the media without fear of retribution?
I love Fiji very much but the problem is that all these coups have wrecked the opportunities of my generation. Rabuka, Speight and Bainimarama they are all the same and had visions that reached as far as the tip of their noses.
I had the opportunity to complete a degree in Fiji for physics and chemisty with a FAB scholarship but what was the point of completing it when there no jobs at the end. Graduates from USP at the time were applying for sales assistants.
Can you blame myself and others for leaving Fiji for a better future and pursuing opportunities to succeed abroad?
I like many loathed the Qarase government for being pro "taukei" but that didn't give Bainimarama the right to stage another coup.
Trying to rebuild Fiji from within Fiji is near impossible. I'd like to think of myself contributing to rebuilding Fiji in a small way by sending money to the village.
Like many im not crying over spilt milk, im crying over the fact they keep spilling it on purpose without care. Now that is why like many are angry with this current millitary junta.
I've constructively criticised the Bainimaram government through several letters in the Fiji times before the censorship but looks like the younger generation of Fiji no longer has a say in the way they want Fiji to head.
Anonymous 24 Jan has to be corrected. Indo Fijians do not complain if Fijian governments are pro-taukei. Ratu Mara's has been like that where we all prospered.It was appreciated and accepted that Fijians needed speacial assistance
However, after 1987, successive Fijian governments were not only pro-taukei, but extremely ANTI-INDO -FIJIANS. THAT IS THE CAUSE OF RESENTMENTS AND THE 2006 COUP.
Actually, Liu muri, after 1987 successive Fijian governments were anti everyone else in Fiji, not just Indo-Fijians. What about us Europeans and Kai Loma? Frankly, it doesn't matter whether we've had Fijian dominated Governments or Indian dominated governments. Fiji Europeans and part Europeans have been given the pineapple by both. As a white person, I'm tired of being told by both Fijians and Indians that I belong back in the colonial era. Can you imagine the furore if whites in NZ and Australia told immigrant Indo-Fijians or indigenous Fijians that they really didn't belong? An incredible double standard. The best things I've seen for years is Frank picking Peter Thomson to go to the UN. Yes, we've had white people brought in for top jobs like the DPP etc. But this is the first time for years that a Fiji-born European has been given anything of substance in government. Let's hope there's other such appointments. Then we can really start talking about a multiracial Fiji.
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