People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress
Building a Better Fiji for All

What is the Charter?
The People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, when ready, will be a foundation document that will bring about new ways of doing things. This means that we change our attitude, our thinking and the way we are governed.
Through the People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress, we will seek to change Fiji for the better. The Peoples Charter will be a set of commitments for change and reform that we, the people of Fiji, will make to each other about change, peace and progress to rebuild our nation..

Why Do We Need it?

Fiji attained its independence on 10 October 1970. Beginning that day, all of Fiji’s people set out, with high hopes, on a journey to build a new nation that would be peaceful, tolerant, culturally vibrant, and provide a prosperous future for each of its citizens; a country that would not only be an integral part of the international family of nations but also demonstrate, “the way the world should be”.

“ We shall have problems and difficulties to face and there will be differences of views as to the best way to overcome them. But they will be overcome if we all put Fiji first and, when we differ, do so without rancour…”
Fiji’s first Prime Minister, late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara.10th, October 1970 ".

Today, however, thirty-seven years later, many of these hopes have been shattered. Fiji’s people are, by and large, disappointed and disenchanted. The dream of a tolerant, united and prosperous nation has been replaced by a different reality: a reality characterized by political instability, repeated coups, economic stagnation, increasing religious and racial intolerance, a rising tide of serious crime and violence, widespread poverty, the emigration of many talented citizens and, for many, hopelessness and despair. Despite the hard work, the prayers and the good will of many, a higher proportion of our people live in poverty today than did at the time of independence.

Some factors contributing to this situation of national hopelessness and despair are:
- rising unemployment and social inequalities;

increasing corruption and gross abuses of power;
declining standards in public service and the community;
impending loss of our major markets for sugar and garments;
decline in our ability to save and invest in new businesses to create enough jobs;
decline as a result of emigration in our pool of skilled labour, management and professional expertise to run enterprises that create income and wealth;
low level of trust between our elite communities;
lack of access to land for commercial development or housing;
expiring leases not renewed and leading to increase in urban squatters without water, electricity, good roads and jobs;
increasing government debt and interest payments meaning less funds for roads, water, electricity, housing and poverty relief; and
the ongoing cycle of coups leading to overthrow of governments.

Fiji is now at a crossroads: either the country continues to stagnate, and decline or we, the people of Fiji, rise and respond to the challenges facing our nation, to move the country forward to the better future that we all desire.

We the people of Fiji, in the richness of our diversity, do have the capacity to tackle our problems and to lift this country out of its current depressed and depressing situation. We need the self belief that we can change our future for the better, for ourselves and for our descendants.

We want a new Fiji that is able to face up to the challenges of solving our most fundamental and deep-rooted problems. The most fundamental problem of all in Fiji is the lack of unity. We need to forge a consensus based upon our common interests, as citizens of these islands. We need to agree, as citizens of one nation, on how to deal with our problems. We need to chart the way to a prosperous, progressive, stable and peaceful future.

Won’t it be better if we thought less of our race and more of our nationality?
A.D. Patel, 1964

How will the People’s Charter be put together?
The draft of the People’s Charter will be put together by seeking the views of everyone in Fiji, through an extensive consultative process, to reach broad consensus on Fiji’s major problems and new ways of addressing these. This will be put together to an independent National Council for Building a Better Fiji (NCBBF) which is tasked to supervise the process.

Who is in the National Council?
The NCBBF consists of proposed 45 representatives from all sectors of our community - religious groups, civil society, private sector, provincial councils and political parties. NCBBF is headed by two co-chairs: Interim Prime Minister, Commodore Voreqe Bainimarama and His Grace, Archbishop Petero Mataca.

While some organizations have not joined the NCBBF at this time (February, 08), the door remains open for them to join later because this is a national undertaking that aims to include everyone.

At its first meeting on January 16, 2008, the National Council decided on a programme of work to formulate the Peoples Charter by October 2008; in order for Parliamentary elections to be held by March 2009, as earlier announced by the Interim Government.

W hat is the Process?
The NCBBF is to undertake its mandated task of formulating the draft People’s Charter through two key steps: first, to prepare a comprehensive, facts-based analytical and diagnostic, independent forward-looking Report on the State of the Nation and the Economy, the SNE Report. This SNE Report, in its forward-looking part, will provide a list of recommendations for changes to our system of government, our constitution, laws, economic and resources development policies, leadership values, community relations and institutional reforms, and second, on the basis of the findings and recommendations contained in the SNE Report, a draft Peoples Charter will be prepared.

The People’s Charter for Change, Peace and Progress (PCCPP) that will emerge from the SNE Report will be consistent, broad as well as specific. It will call upon the commitment of all of Fiji’s people, to work together for the long term, to achieve the aim of making Fiji a better country for all. It will include a number of key principles, priorities and commitments.

Once formulated, the draft PCCPP will be distributed widely, for you, as a citizen of Fiji, to know what is in it, and for you to be able to submit your candid views and constructive suggestions on it. It is anticipated that a national referendum will be held on the contents of the draft PCCPP, so that you, as a citizen and key stakeholder, may vote for or against the People’s Charter.

How is the NCBBF Organised?
The 45-member NCBBF is divided into three National Task Teams that focus on:

Good Governance,
Growing the Economy; and
Social Cultural Identity and Nation Building.

The National Task Teams have decided to establish a total of 9 Working Groups, covering a number of priority topics (see chart).

The Working Groups will undertake detailed analysis and submit their findings and forward-looking recommendations for inclusion in the SNE Report, and eventually, in the draft People’s Charter.

The Technical Secretariat (TASS) and NCBBF will ensure that everyone has the opportunity to participate and contribute to the work now being undertaken to address our nation’s problems. To facilitate this, a Consultation Document for the Preparation of the SNE Report will be widely circulated, in the three main languages.

To accomplish the mandate given to it by the President, the NCBBF is working independently of the Interim Government. NCBBF strongly believes, and is committed to being open to all who want to know more about its work or want to contribute their views to be taken into consideration.

How can I contribute to the People’s Charter?
The Consultation Document (CD) on the Preparation of the SNE Report to be released soon should be read carefully by you. You can get a copy from TASS. The CD is a brief and easy to read analysis that outlines the issues for the people to consider. You are invited to respond to this CD and thus contribute to the preparation of the SNE Report, from which the draft People’s Charter will be formulated.

To make your views known – write to us: The People’s Charter, P O Box 2645, Government Buildings, Suva or you can call us on 3305811 or 3310973; fax: 3316819 or email us: tass@govnet.gov.fj.

View the Music Video Of the People's Charter