“Peace Is a Political Choice” – Government Commits to Social Cohesion Strategy: Tikoduadua

In a landmark address at the UNDP Social Cohesion Architecture Dialogue held at the Holiday Inn in Suva, Minister for Defence and Veteran Affairs, Hon. Pio Tikoduadua, delivered a powerful message calling for a people-centred approach to peace and national security in Fiji.

Speaking during the session on the Political and Social Context of Fiji and Government Peace and Security Strategy, Tikoduadua thanked the United Nations Development Programme, UN Women, OHCHR, and civil society partners for convening the dialogue, which he described as “essential and forward-looking.”

“We are living in a moment of profound national transition—socially, economically, and politically,” Tikoduadua said, noting that while Fiji is healing from past political upheavals, new threats continue to test the nation’s unity and resilience.

Reflecting on Fiji’s post-independence history, the Minister acknowledged the enduring scars of the 1987, 2000, and 2006 coups, stating they revealed “the fragility of our nation-building project” and the persistent challenges of identity politics. He noted that race, religion, and geographic divides still shape opportunity and belonging in Fiji.

“Our national narrative has excluded too many, for too long,” he said.

While recent initiatives such as the declaration of Girmit Day, the return of Ratu Sukuna Day, and the creation of the Fiji Truth and Reconciliation Commission were recognised as critical steps, Tikoduadua stressed that symbolic acts alone were not enough to achieve social cohesion.

Addressing the Government’s strategic response, he highlighted the launch of Fiji’s first-ever National Security Strategy (NSS), which redefines security as a people-focused and preventative concept. The NSS, he explained, treats social cohesion as central to national security and emphasises a “Whole-of-Society Security Framework” involving not only security forces, but also social workers, educators, and faith and community leaders.

“The NSS is more than a policy—it is a national commitment to safeguard the human dignity of every Fijian,” he said.

Tikoduadua further underlined the importance of developing a Social Cohesion Architecture and establishing an Insider Mediators Network, calling for trusted individuals embedded in communities who can help prevent conflict at its earliest stages.

“We need social infrastructure—complementing the legal and physical infrastructure—that is capable of holding our nation together during times of division,” he said.

Concluding his remarks, the Minister declared that “peace is not a passive condition. It is a political choice. A civic commitment. A cultural discipline.”

He reaffirmed the government’s commitment to walk the path of national unity with humility and resolve: “Let us build a Fiji where our differences are not suppressed, but celebrated… and where our children grow up in a society that values not only their security, but their dignity.”