Right-to-Reply results

From Shaun Kennedy, ILO Project Officer, Vanuatu
November 2007

I have lived in Vanuatu (south Pacific) for one year now and I can identify with many of the issues discussed in this edition of id21 insights. For some of the issues raised I thought I would take a few minutes to make some comments from a ‘foreigner in Vanuatu’ perspective.

On page 1 Ilan Kelman referred to island characteristics such as “tight kinship networks” producing “tightly knit communities with sustainable livelihoods”. Here in Vanuatu, that may have been the case in the past, but there is much evidence that those kinship networks and tightly knit communities are becoming steadily and ever more under pressure from the increasing dominance of the cash economy over the traditional economy. Pressures of the cash economy have led to a rapid increase in urban migration to the two commercial centres in Vanuatu – Port Vila and Luganville. A narrow economic base, a poor quality and elitist formal education system and a generally unskilled labour force with a lack of economic opportunity has led to an escalation of social problems including domestic violence, drug abuse, crime and sexual health. Traditional governance structures such as the chiefly system in Vanuatu are being undermined by the cash economy and other ‘western’ cultural influences, and the overall impact on social development in Vanuatu is negative.

A lot of work is being done to preserve the traditional economy in Vanuatu. The government formally declared both 2006 and 2007 ‘the years of traditional (kastom) economy’ in an effort to protect and promote the cultural heritage of Vanutau. Much of the work is being led by the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. A sub-group called ‘The Young Peoples Project’ with support from Oxfam Australia is undertaking an educational programme about traditional culture and economy with various youth groups in urban areas, many of whom have become disengaged from the land and their island traditions.

For more information, please see http://www.vanuatuculture.org/trm/20070207_kastom_ekonomi.shtml

Which regards to sustainable tourism, the tourism industry is also massive in Vanuatu. Recent reports claim it accounts for approximately 40% of GDP. However, the vast majority of tourist businesses are foreign (Australian) owned and managed, and most of the profits do not seem to remain in the local economy. Local staff fill the menial roles, the cost of local labour is very cheap and the hotel, resort and tour business owners grow fat on the profit margins.

Despite this, thankfully, in my observations at least, Vanuatu is not experiencing any of the negative impacts highlighted by McElroy and Dodds on page 3. I’m guessing that the high position in terms of per capita income of most of those seven small islands they refer to might be due more to their role as centres for off-shore financial services rather than tourist destinations. Vanuatu used to have a thriving off-shore financial services industry too, but that collapsed when new post 9/11 regulations were enforced. And of course per capita income statistics do not give an indication of equitable distribution.

Finally, turning to Wei Choong’s section on page 4, here in Vanuatu the Chinese also dominate small, medium and large scale enterprises, usually in retail services but also in natural resources to a lesser degree. The Chinese community in Vanuatu may be important for local economy statistics but I personally would doubt that they have a positive social impact. In general they are reviled by the local people, not because of some inherent racist tendencies on the part of Vanuatu people, but because of the way Chinese business people exploit and disrespect the local people who work for them. Long working hours, seven days a week, no holidays, sacked if they are a member of the Vanuatu workers trade union, appalling rates of pay, etc etc etc. Chinese businesses flood the market with low quality plastic products and they are notorious for selling out of date tinned foods, flour, rice and cereals. Recent Chinese economic investments in Vanuatu are highly controversial, for example the oil palm plantation in Santo and the fish processing plant in Port Vila. Their businesses usually employ Chinese people and any local employees are treated as of a lower status than a stray dog with rabies. Many of the local politicians are in the back pocket of the Chinese business community, and the Chinese business community’s impact on social development in Vanuatu is negative. I fully support Wei Choong’s four recommendations on page 5, but the chances of seeing them practically implemented in Vanuatu in the medium term future? Less than zero, in my opinion.

I thought that one omission from this edition of Insights was the situation faced by youth in small island nations. Pacific Islander youth face a number of significant challenges – in terms of low educational attainment, unemployment, substance abuse, exposure to STI’s and involvement in crime. I’m sure these issues are similar to those faced by youth in developing countries in general, but I think the challenges for youth living in small islands are unique. Youth unemployment and lack of job creation is an urgent issue faced by very many Pacific Island governments. Such issues were one of the root causes of civil unrest in the Solomons and Tonga, and tackling it is a high priority for all Pacific Island countries.

Thanks again for producing an excellent edition of Insights. I really liked the way the edition strived to take positive view by presenting the opportunities as well as the challenges faced by small islands nations. I really enjoyed reading it and I will circulate this edition to a variety of policy makers and practitioners in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Hopefully some of them will feedback to id21 as well and go on to use this kind of research communication to positively influence policy.

Shaun Kennedy
ILO Project Officer
Department of Labour
PO Box 9022, Port Vila
Vanuatu
Mobile    42457
Fax         22946

From Nancy Pollock, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand

An issue on islands is most welcome. There are many perspectives to this issue as has been discussed at several "Islands" meetings (note Graeme Robertson convened a successful such meeting on Skye in 2002 that incorporated Pacific island participants' perspectives). A much cited Pacific view expressed in Epeli Hau'ofa's Our Sea of Islands in Contemporary Pacific expresses the counter view to the one expressed here of 'isolation, restricted land area, limited domestic land-based resources'. The strength of Pacific islands is their policies adopted to ensure their security in a world bombarded by globalising agencies.

I have written many articles on Food Security as Pacific island communities have developed and espoused the concept. Local Foods comprise a strength that Pacific communities have developed over some 3000 years that stands them in good stead in the face of MacDonalds and other imported foodstuffs that undercut the taros, yams and bananas that grow readily on their lands because the Pacific people have selected varieties that they like the taste of and varieties that are suited to their island environments. Local foods are now accepted as more healthy than an imported diet by agencies such as Fiji Food and Nutrition Committee, and Pohnpei's Local Foods campaign (Engelberger). The statement that "Quality of island life is generally seen as less than the quality of mainland life" is highly questionable. More significant is the links that Pacific island communities maintain between their home islands and their metropolitan communities - the subject of several recent publications (e.g. Helen Lee's edited volume on Transnationalism, Cluny Macpherson's Macmillan Brown lectures (2007). These and many other authors discuss policy issues that support communities' efforts to maintain key issues facing their homelands as a result of the global onslaught. Their views provide another take on The Island Advantage.

Nancy Pollock
Depts. of Anthropology and Development Studies
Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand
Email: nancy_pollock@paradise.net.nz

Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. Copyright remains with the original authors but (unless stated otherwise) any article may be copied or quoted without restriction, provided both source (id21, insights) and authors are properly acknowledged and informed. Copyright © 2006 id21. All rights reserved.