Fijian Insights
On this page you can expect to gain valuable insights into topics central to modern Fijian life: peculiarities of culture, the problems Fijians may encounter today and insights into particular case studies. Scroll through this page to watch interviews and content aimed to give you a real sense of Fiji without even being there.
Urban Youth Interviews
Rural Youth Interviews
Farming
Traditional Skills and Content
Academics
Listen to these interviews with young Fijian adults who currently live in urban communities in Fiji. They discuss contextual difficulties associated with being a young adult in urban Fiji…
“One of the big challenges of today is the difficulty to access higher education, it is difficult to grow in confidence and independance due to lack of employment”
“I would like to see youths being encouraged, supported and nurtured as leaders because they will be the leaders of tomorrow”
Listen to these interviews with young Fijian adults who currently live in rural communities in Fiji. They discuss their lives and contextual difficulties associated with being a young adult in rural Fiji…
“If you are to strive for success… you need parental support”
“Unemployment remains the most significant issue faced by Fijian youths in Fiji”
“They have high desire and ambitions for their dreams, with proper support from family and government, they will reach their goals”
Farming is one of the largest industries in Fiji, offering a steady income for rural communities and sustenance for families. Listen to these interviews on the reality of farming in Fiji…
“Most of the challenges we face are lack of machinery, lack of roads”
“When the sun was hot, you would till work for 8 hours, 9 hours a day”
“The markets need more yield and we are still using old tools”
The next best thing to being in Fiji is pretending that you are! Here are some videos that give you the best shot of doing that including some cultural snippets of traditional skills and everyday life to help immerse yourself in Fiji.
Have a tour of the flower section of Suva market showing an array of Fijian flora as well as giving you an on the ground experience of a bustling market. These markets serve as a venue for communities to sell their produce and function as a hub for local food shopping.
Learn some traditional basket weaving… these versatile baskets made from pandanus leaves are used day-to-day in Fiji for transporting crops and for round the house storage. Here’s a video of Lulu demonstrating the handicraft skills necessary to make these Fijian masterpieces.
Fancy a lie-down… your carpet just not cutting it today? Watch Laisa’s Auntie show off her traditional mat weaving skills in this short lesson. Fijian mats are intricately woven from dried pandanus leaves to create cool, comfortable and homely flooring. Valued as gifts for ceremonies, this age-old tradition is a staple in Fijian culture and marries both value and tradition with serious practicality.
A bilo is a coconut shell appropriately prepared to be used to serve the traditional ceremonial drink kava. Here’s Danny giving a short tutorial about how to get a husky coconut transformed into a smooth and dark kava bowl. A bilo will last a long time and will be repeatedly used in many sessions with ceremony participants using the same selection of bilos to drink the sacred drink. Who knows, maybe the one you create will be used in Fiji one day too?
Here are some short videos from the staff at the University of the South Pacific providing their bottomless knowledge on topics of Fijian history, society and culture. This is a very cool opportunity to hear from experts in the field and to understand issues affecting Fiji in much more depth…
Dr Halter talks through the migration of the first people to Fiji and the key issues and debates within pacific history. He touches on the modern recall to connect youths in rural areas with their heritage.
Dr Crookes gives us an overview of the current climate of Psychology in Fiji. She touches on both Fiji’s health situation and the medical side of mental health too. She brings up the fascinating idea of adapting elements of Fijian culture to help combat poor mental health in Fiji.
Dr Waqa walks us through the NCD crisis in Fiji and how Fijian lifestyle and diet can be a key part of that. Other current areas of focus for the FNU pacific research centre for the prevention of obesity and NCDs are also discussed.
Professor Tarte illuminates the topics of government development and international affairs. Given her expertise, she discusses Fiji’s economics and some of the political issues Fiji has endured in its troubled past.
Here’s a fascinating interview with Dr Paul Geraghty of the University of the South Pacific, the world leader of Fijian language and cultural studies explaining the history of the Fijian language and the significance of its study. He also shares his insights on the broader concepts of culture and assures us that it is vital to understand language if you are to fully understand a culture.