One of the great failures of Fiji’s climate action campaign has been the missed opportunity of not linking up with arguably the world’s foremost climate crusader and inarguably the biggest star at COP26 – the young Swedish activist, Greta Thunberg. And the blame for that rests squarely with Fiji’s Permanent Representative at the United Nations, Dr Satyendra Prasad.
As part of the communications team at the UN Climate Summit in New York in September 2019, we put a lot of effort into developing close ties with Greta Thunberg and her team to try to link her with Fiji’s overall campaign and benefit from her immense appeal with young people the world over, including Fiji.
One of our team members spent several weeks getting close to the Thunberg camp with a view to setting up a meeting and photo call between her and Prime Minister Frank Bainimarama – the former COP23 President – and Thunberg’s people were keen for this to happen. A time and place were set – in the forecourt of the UN headquarters building by the East River – and everything was set to proceed. But then on the eve of the meeting, Satyendra Prasad used his influence with the Prime Minister to shut it down. We sat there stunned as he dismissively said: “We don’t need Greta Thunberg. We have our own youth climate champions”.
While that was true, Thunberg was already a global star whose celebrity could have added lustre to our young Fijian campaigners and Fiji’s overall campaign. But Dr Prasad ( the “Dr” is a PhD in sociology) had other ideas and we were forced to go back to Thunberg’s people with an apology and the excuse that Frank Bainimarama didn’t have time in his busy schedule to meet her. He did but she wasn’t important enough for the PM or Dr Prasad.
A lost opportunity that ought to niggle both of them at COP26 now that Greta Thunberg is an even bigger star and bigger than either of them will ever be. But as strangers to shame – and with barely a passing acquaintance with self awareness – don’t bet on it.
She has been totally manipulated and nobody should be associated with her.
Good on Satyendra
What a pity. How can they miss an opportunity to connect our own young people with their counterparts on the other side of the planet. Sat Satyanend Prasad.
Both Bainimarama and Thunberg are clueless here. What would they discuss about anyway? Blah blah blah…
Bainimarama wants to increase the number of tourists coming over by plane–generally for a few days only– and at the same time he is begging for more money to address the negative impacts of one of the worst industries… A relatively short trip by plane generates more CO2 than what people in poorer countries produce over a few years, perhaps a lifetime in some cases… Where is the logic? Go figure. And only a third of the tourist dollar stays in Fiji… so much is imported.
To be taken seriously, Fiji and other similar sun destinations need to come together and agree to impose a minimum 10-day stay for every 1000 km travelled to reach the country. Less tourists, longer stays? Why not. That would make some sense. How come Bainimarama doesn’t come with any such courageous initiative? Less planes, less debt… but more revenue from longer stays in hotels? Don’t expect Khaiyum to think about it.
With Bainimarama, Fiji is invisible because Fiji has nothing serious to propose. Nothing.
Europeans have interests, and Fiji remains in a sort of “colonial” position. Bainimarama’s blah blah blah is most likely written in order to please the UK, Australia, etc. Sad but true.
Bainimarama won’t be there for too long, but while he is still with us, the fat man is happy flying the WHITE FLAG and enjoying his fat salary. Holding Cop-23 in Bonn was a powerful symbol… Fiji is NOT a leader. Not at all. Thunberg would have lost her time discussing with our “busy” intellectual…
I’m sorry Graham but for once I have to disagree with you.
This screaming, scruffy, foul-mouthed little activist is not a good role model for young climate change warriors. She has not been invited to speak at COP26, so instead is shouting her head off, swearing outside the conference.
She has successfully whipped up a frenzy of teenagers who typically find her radical and disrespectful manner and behaviour appealing. I watched as some of them were interviewed by an outside broadcast BBC reporter. I had to laugh because all they could do was scream and shout in fake anger while being unable to explain what they were really shouting about!
She is an extremist who supports other extremists like Insulate Britain who believe that the only way to get a message over is through destructive, irresponsible and dangerous protests that put people at harm and distract public support for the message.
She does not believe that thoughtful, respectful communication is more powerful in gaining support for change, especially when it depends on Politicians taking the right action instead of just playing politics. She thinks that screaming and swearing is the smart way to go.
In total contrast is the articulate, gracious and respectful climate activist Brianna Fruean from Samoa who presented herself beautifully in island-style, radiated peace and total commitment and captured the attention of Joe Biden who was seen furiously taking notes while she spoke and Prince Charles who maintained eye contact with her and nodded his throughout her 2 minutes speech.
Brianna received a lot of good publicity, she was interviewed on ITV’s Good Morning Britain and did a grand job in illustrating the dire situation we are now facing in our region. How proud I was to see someone from the South Pacific put the message over in such a poignant, passionate and peaceful way.
I’m looking forward to hearing the young Yorkshire school girl, Emily Brown age 13, speak at COP26. She is thoughtful, intelligent and respectful. There are alternatives to the overcooked Greta (Miss blah blah blah) Thunberg who is losing popularity
fast here in the UK.
It’s no wonder she was not invited to speak at COP26.
I believe we do have our own young eco warriors in Fiji. They just need to be heard, congratulated and rewarded for taking a hands-on approach in saving the planet. They don’t need Greta, the miserable-faced screamer showing them what to do.
Mona Midnight, much as I respect your views and always look forward to your gracious presence in these columns, Greta Thunberg is a globally recognised figure and the individuals you mention are bit players who, incidentally, I had never heard of, though I caught the Samoan girl in some media coverage and was similarly impressed.
Even a cursory Internet search turns up Greta Thunberg with a host of global figures of the stature of the UN Secretary General, the Prince of Wales, Justin Trudeau, David Attenborough and more. My point is that Frank Bainimarama could have been one of them. And from the perspective of giving Fiji’s own climate campaign more global reach, it was undeniably a missed opportunity.
You depict Greta Thunberg as some sort of ogre yet she is merely insisting on the same thing as Bainimarama himself – more aggressive climate action to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. We are a long way from being able to achieve that and what you depict as Greta Thunberg’s militancy reflects the desperation of the younger generation that their future is being threatened by a lack of resolve on the part of world leaders who won’t be around to suffer the ill effects of climate change in 2050.
It is indisputable that what we have again seen in Glasgow is a great deal of what Greta Thunberg describes as “blah, blah,blah”. So I think she is reflecting the concerns of a great many young people the world over that time is running out, including young people in the Pacific, who would have welcomed the Fijian Prime Minister standing in solidarity with the world’s most famous climate advocate and the publicity that would have brought our own cause.
As I say, a missed opportunity born of arrogance and a basic lack of understanding of the most effective way to engage with others who are more prominent to get your message across.
Your last paragraph had me choking on my babakau and lemon tea (drau ni moli) – that’s the most we can afford in Fiji nowadays. But back to the issue:
The other day our ‘young eco warriors’ in Suva did try to be ‘heard, congratulated and rewarded for taking a hands on approach. They did that in the form of a peaceful demonstration along the Nasese sea wall.
What happened next? In the true Fiji style that we have come to expect since December 2006, the Fiji Police turned up and declared the peaceful demo illegal. Apparently the marchers did not have a permit to stage a demo on the footpath! Strewth!
The hypocrisy – especially from the Climate Change champions from Fiji in Glasgow, including the Acting PM in Suva who moonlights as a Pentecostal pastor and professional cake cutter in his free time – is astounding.
Yes, Ajax, the only country in the world where people are dispersed for demonstrating in SUPPORT of the government and its climate campaign. Kaila!
The Police are so conditioned into believing that any form of public protest is anti government and therefore must be put down, that they missed the fact that the demo was in fact pro-government! A script straight out of Keystone Cops ! Lol
Ironic isn’t it when those “young eco warriors” were all for climate change and not about anything against the government, but can’t say much when the police have turned into gestapos so incompetent that they can’t even deal with crime and neighborhood brawls more often that random “protests.”
Graham, people at COP26 cannot meet Greta who was never invited to the conference. She’s not at the conference but she’s outside the conference venue shouting and declaring COP26 a failure and it’s not even finished!
Yes the youth movement is playing a pivotal role in climate change and our generation must listen and take decisive action.
Barak Obama spoke yesterday. He praised and congratulated our youth for the action they are taking. He didn’t mention Greta who might be known globally but then so are Harry & Meghan.
Not surprised at the “missed opportunity” as with other missed opportunities that the mediocre FFP delegation are fond of overlooking just to suite their tiny little egos.
They are there to watch the Fiji vs Wales game at Cardiff on 15 Nov. Attendance at COPOUT 26 in Glasgow was just a cover