Rt€@lll

-t6
small islands the carvers come mainly from the Jiafau clan within them and although many
chanqes have mcurred in Fiji the best carvers are still produced to this day from the Jiafau
glel. Such examples can be found all over the Pacifie. Changes and development in the
Pacific have not phased out these skills and in some cases they have remained very strong.
These are the strengths in Pacific communities that we ought to be aware of if we are
to utilize the potentials and undersband the constraints in a socio-cultural context, es such
Patterns can have a major bearing on Paeific Islander developmenL. The dynamics of the
social systems such as the aiqa, the matai, the mataqali and the unimane !o name a few, and
the occupational continuities in some of the arts and crafts that have continued for the past
f0 to 500 years are porentials that could be fully utilized for the development of the
Pacific people.
Possible Guidelines
The recognition and ulilization of people potential in the Pacific brings me to discuss
two main themes. One theme concerns the rnatural' development of Pacific lilander potential
and the other theme deals with defining bodies of laws and administrative regulations
especially for the people to open up the opportunities and the responsibilities for pacific
islanders in all aspects of their own development.
There is no question about the importance of the role that Pacific Islanders and their
.
institutions play in the development of their own countries. The important guestion appeans
to be rrwhat kind of Pacific Islander are we trying to develop ?"
The theme of "nalural" development for Pacific Islanders involves in the first instance
giving the people the opportunity to define their own needs and wants for themselves, their
families and their environment. The "natural" developrnent concept will allow the people Lo
satisfy tlreir needs based m cultural patterns and needs that are attainable and satisfying so
that they are not made to cope with development processes ihat are far beyond theii stills,
eapabilities and environment. Tle t'ngtural'r devetopment process enables Pacifie Islanders to
identify their own problems and participale fully in the development of their own programmes
to npet their needs.
The other theme of the development process is to define the peoples' role through
directions, regulations, and legislation, in order to utilize fully thelr poten[ial and the
potential of their traditional institutions. Specif ieally def ining their role and their
participation and involvernent in development programmes could briig about greaLer equality
and betLer aceess to education, training and employment. However, thls in effect would result
in Pacific Islanders not defining for themselves their own reeds and development in a fluid
and innovative way where their own development goals and strategies could be adjusted to
their changing circumsLanceg. Pacific Islander development would be institutionalized in
bodies of laws and administrative directions and this could perhaps have negative effects on
the utilization and the development of people poiential in the pacific.
REFERENCES
crccombe, R. G. (mss.) culture and development in the south pacific.
Fairbairn, I. (mss.) Pryulation (unpublished paper, f9g2).
Kiribati National Development plan l9j9-tgAZ, p. 45.
Lasaqa, l. 197t. Geography and geographers in the changing Pacific: an islanderrs view. In l,l
Brookfield [ed.] The Pacific in Transition. Edward nmota. p.3o6-3o7,
Marajr I 1977. Human resounces development and regional co-cperation. University of the
South Pacific, Suva, Fiji. p. 3