[See general information about the Year of the Traditional Economy]
The official awareness team for the Year of Traditional Economy recently completed a 3-week tour of TAFEA Province in the month of March. This is the first provincial tour out of a year's worth of tours of all Provinces of Vanuatu raising awareness about the objectives of the Year of the Traditional Economy and how members of each community can play their part. The tour began on Vanuatu’s southernmost island of Aneityum and moved north through Futuna, Erromango and Tanna holding awareness meetings in a total of 19 community areas.
Schedule of activities (dates, island, areas of island):
12-15 March: Aneityum: Port Patrik, Umej, Analguwat
15-19 March: Futuna: Mission Bay, Herald Bay, Matangi
20-24 March: Erromango: Dillons Bay, South River/Antioch, Happyland/Bogir
24-26 March: Erromango: Ipota, Port Narvin, Cook’s Bay
26 Mar -1 Apr: Tanna: All Areas (Program prepared by Council of Chiefs)
There were 7 members on the official awareness team.
Noe Saksak (Team leader and Coordinator of the Year of Traditional Economy); Joel Simo (Land and language officer, Vanuatu Cultural Centre [VKS]); Takaronga Kuautonga (Curator, National Museum & Ex-fieldworker, Futuna); Jean Tarisese (VKS Women’s Culture Project Officer); Presley Tari (Photographer); Jack Ketadi (Representative of Malvatumauri National Council of Chiefs); Jacob Kapere (Chief & Film-maker).
In addition to the official team were 6 men and women of TAFEA Province who joined in promoting the traditional economy to people on their islands. The extended team consisted of VKS fieldworkers, Chiefs, community leaders and youth.
Nearly 1,000 men, women and young people in TAFEA were able to attend an awareness meeting and hear the team’s message that the traditional economy is the basis for sustainable development in Vanuatu. The team stressed to the people that true national self reliance is possible if the traditional economy, which assures food security, social security and social harmony, continues to be supported.
The overall response to the Traditional Economy Awareness Team from the TAFEA community was positive. At many of the meetings, community leaders expressed their thanks to the awareness team in bringing to light several things that the traditional economy provides for them which are often not appreciated or taken for granted. They also identified the main issues facing their communities as a result of declining support for traditional economy.
These issues, in no order of importance, were:
- Many people who have gone through the formal education system outside of the community have lost respect for Chiefs and traditional governance
- National laws don’t recognize Chiefs as leaders of the community
- The national Government became the father of independence from day one
- The rights of the individual have become more important than what is best for the community as a whole
- Places that have become tourist destinations are creating dependence on cash/vatu and traditional agriculture and other traditional knowledge is being lost/forgotten as a result
- Land disputes have become the main source of division among the people of Vanuatu
- As more and more people accumulate Vatu in community, traditional customs have been degraded and social problems have increased
The awareness team was able to successfully accomplish its mission to deliver their message to the people using a direct approach while bringing to the surface issues facing the rural communities. This was done with the strategy that this knowledge will give the people the power to change what is not working for them and allow them to adopt ways for safeguarding what is working. The team will be able to use their experiences in TAFEA to provide effective awareness to the other 5 provinces of Vanuatu, beginning with SHEFA in the month of April. Each Province of Vanuatu will be visited at least twice this year as part of awareness activities around the Year of the Traditional Economy.
