Oh God, we confess to you our failure as a nation to protect our children from the sexual predators and pedophiles among us. We have sinned as a people in the most grievous manner imaginable. And we come to you in the utmost shame asking for your assistance to tackle our national epidemic of child abuse.
We humbly request that you use your power and love to persuade the perpetrators of child abuse to stop the grave crimes they are committing in the temporal world and the grave offence they are causing to your Kingdom on Earth. We confess that too many of us don our Sunday, Friday or Saturday best to come and worship you and then return to our homes and communities to sexually abuse our most innocent and vulnerable.
We pray for the many young Fijians over the years who have been victims of child abuse and ask you to bless them and help them come to terms with what has happened to them. And we also pray for you to guide our leaders to set an example for the rest of the nation, to abandon their own selfish ways and pursue genuine lives of service.
Oh God, we ask you to lead us all along the path of righteousness, justice and love.
In your name.
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An explanation: As a luveni talatala growing up in Fiji, I happen to be among the ranks of those sexually abused as a child. In 2014, I also wrote the secular/ non denominational prayer that officially opened each session of parliament, though since the last election, it has evidently become optional for the Speaker to use it.
Above all, I have been so shocked by the following story that I have no words but to beseech the Almighty to intervene and use whatever power he or she has to stop the escalating evil of the sexual exploitation of our young people that demonstrates conclusively to people of faith that the devil has the nation by the throat.
A blessed Sunday to you all.
Incredibly, the youngest child abuse victim this year was six months old. So babies are being sexually abused. And, of course, the officially recorded cases will be just the tip of the iceberg.
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The prayer that GD wrote in 2014 to open each session of the parliament. It seems to be still on the parliamentary website although as a secular prayer, it was always controversial. And since the last election, the Speaker has seen fit to alter it to make it more “Christian”, even though Christians and Muslims worship the same God and Hindus were happy to concur with the prayer even though they have multiple gods.
In the parliament after the 2014 election, it was the practice of the opposition to exclaim “emeni” (amen) after the official prayer, even though the other religions don’t say “amen” after their own prayers.
The luveni talatala in the vanua in the 1950s. GD at the front on the left.
You’re a brave and incredible survivor Graham. I admire everything you do from your heart for Fiji, but this message from the heart is beyond words.
Everything the Coalition government are striving for in sending Fiji back to the dark ages and trapping the itaukei in the inward looking village mentality sadly just escalates family violence and sexual abuse of children. That you dedicate your life to trying to save Fiji and their children and that this is driven in part by your own pain is something few understand, but many are grateful. Thank you!
“Sad Observer”, thank you for your kind words. One really doesn’t know how these experiences shape your life but it was a one-off incident as opposed to sustained abuse and many people have had much worse.
I am not motivated by pain but a life-long desire to see Fiji achieve the promise we all believed was possible at Independence. And of course, along with many others, I subscribe to the notion that this can only happen when Fijians have equal rights irrespective of their ethnicity or religion and work together as one nation with goodwill and mutual respect. Like any child, we all have the right as citizens to feel secure and belong.
In relation to this posting, I could have written the usual blah, blah, blah about how terrible it all is but decided instead to tackle the issue in a manner that hopefully gets people of faith thinking more deeply about it, whether they are Christians, Hindus or Muslims.
The devil has Fiji by the throat in more ways than one, not least the selfish conduct of our politicians. But sexually abusing a six month old baby is right off the charts. God help us. And I mean that in all seriousness.
Sad Observer: đź’Ż agree.
Yet idiots remain idiots no matter how hard GD tries to bring some degree of enlightenment. Common sense is the idiots enemy.
We have several examples of this obstinate idiocy on these pages. For them, inherent idiocy prevents them from learning, that in turn keeps them in perpetual stupidity no better and more helpless than a frog in a well.
I think your post is spot on and I know your motivation is completely honourable. I have experience in the field and have known many who have been abused. Motivated by pain was probably not worded well. These experiences shape our view of the world and our place in it, and subconsciously drive our passions and interests in incredible ways. Some, such as yourself, manage to channel it into worthwhile causes and that always inspires me. There is way too much occurring in Fiji that is way off the charts.
Yes indeed the devil has Fiji by the throat.
What’s happened to the going to church every Sunday syndrome?
The pepertrators, as you allude, are iTaukei and everyone of them invariably reads the Bible..even during work hours when they ought to be working at earning their keep.
Yet it’s unfathomable that the abuse continous unabated.
A special TV channel, Mai TV, is nothing but a Christian evangelical propaganda tool with that ghastly Pastor and his wife baying like hounds about how bad the other faiths are!
How and why, that despite the everyday “God bless” iTaukei Christians, it has come to this.
And their leaders/Chief’s and the elite are dealing with the devil godless communists who are gradually infiltrating in spheres of iTaukei lifestyle!
Their hero, the military madman Rabuka, is off on an official 10 day trip to godless Communist China for God knows why and for what.
It is said that even nations have their karma.l
And God only knows what endemic is going to happen next now that there is child sexual abuse, and drug addiction.
The less said the better about this very sad and sordid situation.
Just like FM96.
A broadcasting agency that should be done by the highest courts for abusing children.
Fiji government on purpose allows violence on children. They don’t care least. All this reporting by Kiran means nothing. Talk fest.
Dear Graham
I am sorry that you faced the harm inflicted on you. It takes courage to speak out about the harm. I hope that you have had time to reflect and heal, and also acknowledge that none of this was your fault.
I recently requested for information under the Official Information Act in NZ on the aid that NZ gives to Fiji and other Pacific Countries and how this aid is used, especially in the area of harm and sexual harm, and gender based violence. The findings are somewhat shocking or may I say disappointing given the onus seemingly falls on aid agencies doing more to champion the work. Let’s be true that both Ausaid and NZaid has invested significantly in this in Fiji but Fiji Government itself has not. Designing a strategy and parading it is not enough without actions and budget considerations. Heavily relying on aid agencies won’t help too and I wonder if this is our biggest mistake yet. We want someone else to solve our problems.
I am usually disappointed at the way our Ministers report about sexual harm. In this case, 3 out of 5 rape cases are against children. Can I reiterate that all rape cases are against any child or other human. It is not 3 out of 5. It is all, whether the perpetrator is found guilty or not.
It is very disturbing to realise that the average age of a child facing sexual violence is 2 years old. Shocking in a country that raises its image as a Christian nation. Shocking in a country that started the Yanuca Declaration to keep our children safe.
We all don’t have a one answer to eradicating this harm but I hope that all government agencies, faith-based organisation’s, schools, villages, and communities come together to own and mobilise efforts. Fiji Police and the judiciary needs to take targeted efforts on prevention of crime against children. There are many ways this can be done. Mobilising targeted education sessions is foremost to understanding how we have normalised harm.
We don’t have enough interconnected social and health services in Fiji. Nor government ministries. The deficit in NGOs is highly present. More emphasis is on women than on men. At other times we have next to no help for male youth. Then there are those running homes and services without government assistance and support. Or support just in verbal sense.
Keen to share many efforts that we are working on in New Zealand. Fiji will benefit from Fijians who understand this work than all the expatriates. And I say this with much respect because there are layers to unpack for harm, prevention, intervention, and healing. We have to remember that as a nation we need to help contributors of harm to understand and accept harm. The statistics here shows that we are in a very difficult situation right now and needs serious attention.
Kind regards
Ireen
What I am about to say won’t be liked or popular. But what concerns me is the pedestal tourists put village life on when they visit. Even the phrase “it takes a village to raise a child” idealises village life where our children are left in the care of many, so long as they are from the village or extended family. The reality is that this increases the risk of sexual abuse of children. The child puts their trust in their parents, and the parents put their trust in others based on blood and village connection and nothing more. Until parents realize that it is their responsibility to only entrust their children to those that are completely trustworthy, and at an age where they can speak up about what is occurring to them, then this sad reality will continue. Children feel unable to speak up when it is an extended family member or close family friend. While this still happens in modern society, it is far more frequent in the village mentality where children are less likely to speak up, when parents are more likely to rely on the village, and where there are far less resources put into education and protection of children.
This is about the same speech that AM Kiran gave last year.
My question is what has the government and her Ministry in particular done to address this crisis.
What has all the UN agencies done apart from having expatriates twiddling their fingers in the country and making money?
I heard from INGOs that the government has done nothing but just talk. Full of talk. Full of speeches. Now if the INGOs are saying this then Fiji is in problem and one that they have made for themselves.
There is also concerns about Fiji relying on Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre and Fiji Women’s Rights to bring change? Many see these organisations as propaganda show NGOs in Fiji. It is time that these NGOs get fully audited by donor agencies. What have they achieved with millions pumped into them over the years. We have all witnessed their selective outrage on issues in Fiji. Example Aseri and Tabuya issue. We don’t hear these NGOs speak up about Aseri, a woman beater, in a leadership position. And we don’t have to say anything more about Tabuya and how embarrassing she is to be in the position of a Ministry that looks after the wellbeing of children. I am nicely saying that it is all f$,?ed big time. Just organisations and UN Agency workers busy making a lavish living while children suffer.
Gone are the days of candle lit vigils and black T shirts on Thursday. What we need from NGOs is accountability for the dollar invested in their activities.
They go to a non-believing country to learn about poverty alleviation and to kerekere, hypocrites! But Fiji is doing very well, just ask any government minister.