Anger and frustration on my mind and great weight on my heart. Today I was forced to send in my resignation as a Trustee of the Fiji Womens Crisis Centre (FWCC), an organisation I have been associated with for many many years. FWCC has made great strides since its inception, to protect Fijis women and children from domestic violence and abuse and from trafficking. However the military regime that rules over us has issued one of its multiple decrees that forbids all of us, working for NGOs, to be associated with political parties and from participating in any form of political campaigns. Recently I had signed on, as the volunteer Director of Communications for the Social Democratic Liberal Party, to fight the regime in the September national elections. As the current Chair of Fijis NGO Coalition on Human Rights, FWCC has raised this issue in letters to the regime and has made several calls asking for an appointment, all to no avail. The punishment for contravening this decree is FJD$50,000 and/or a 10 year prison sentence. Almost in tears as I farewell the other Trustees and the brave women who work there, defending and sheltering the most vulnerable in our poverty stricken islands. You have all taught me so much and changed the way I look at life personally and politically. I am forever indebted to you all. As the military culture in our beloved islands grows more insidious and the violence our women and children have to endure grows exponentially with it, my heart goes out to all of you. I can only pray that my Lord God Jehovah continues to bless and strengthen each and everyone of you.
Posted on: Fri, 02 May 2014 00:24:50 +0000
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