Solomons reconciliation celebrated

SOLOMON ISLANDS – Organisers of a week of reconciliation ceremonies held in Solomon Islands say the programme is a first step towards national healing.

Coinciding with the celebration of the country’s 38th anniversary of independence on Thursday, the program marked 13 years of peace in the country after a bloody ethnic conflict at the turn of the century. Spanning five years from 1998 to 2003 the period known locally as the “ethnic tensions’”almost destroyed the country.

More than 200 people were killed, many of whom are still unaccounted for and tens of thousands of lives were adversely affected.

The National Peace Advisor to the Ministry of National Unity Reconciliation and Peace said the US$4.3 million programme was an important first step to healing a damaged nation.

Father John Patteson Ngalihesi said addressing past grievances would better enable Solomon Islanders to deal with other important issues facing the country’s economy, politics and governance

“You have to begin somewhere, all these are issues that need to be addressed but you have to begin somewhere.

“And if we continue to address these issues when there is no reconciliation you cannot actually address these issues properly.

“So we believe that laying the foundation of peace will help us to properly address the issues of our time.” - RNZI