This week, the Manu Folau (Vice Chancellor), Rev Prof. Upolu Luma Vaai was invited to deliver the main keynote address to the FIRST ORDINARY GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE PACIFIC INTER-PARLIAMENTARY ASSEMBLY (PIPA/AIP), held in Papeete, Tahiti, with the theme: “A Pacific Voice in a Divided World: Parliamentary Diplomacy, Regional Unity and Global Peace”. The Assembly is hosted by the Assembly of French Polynesia.
Delegations attending the Assembly are led by Speakers of Parliaments and representatives from different Legislative Assemblies throughout the Pacific, including Hawaii and Australia. Key to the Manu Folau’s invitation is to assist the newly regional established Assembly in developing Pacific centred foundations and model in its early years of existence, especially from a ‘whole of life’ philosophical and theological perspective.
In the Manu Folau’s address, he said, “Parliaments are not just law-making institutions made up of elected representatives. They are houses embodying a sacred trust. They hold the highest model of ethical integrity. I don’t have to remind you honourable members and distinguished delegates of the instabilities within our own parliaments that are increasingly posing risk to peace and security, to national and regional stability, and to leadership growth in the region.”
He continued, “One of the factors is that most of these parliamentary models are not ours. We all know that most, if not all of our development systems and constitutional democracies in Pasifika, whether its Westminster, French Parliament, and so forth, are underpinned and guided by Eurocentric philosophies and their related logics. Such as the ‘logic of competition,’ and the ‘logic of growth.’ Therefore we have to decolonise our own parliamentary models. Perhaps the biggest mistake made by these philosophies is the removal or sidelining of ‘spirituality’ central to Pacific identity and wellbeing.”
“Most of us here are trained in the institutional model of Western tailor-made leadership and diplomacy programmes, political sciences, and international relations. While these models elevate the importance of ‘institutional integrity’, but because of the removal of spirituality ‘ethical integrity’ became the victim. From a ‘whole of life’ perspective, we need both.”
The Manu Folau thanked the leaders for the invitation in which he is humbled by the gesture. The Assembly finishes on Thursday and will release a statement on its direction and future design and development.
