By Loretta B Manele

Peacebuilders in Solomon Islands have been encouraged to bring forth their message to the upcoming Pacific Islands Forum (PIF) Leader’s meeting.

Adi Litia Nailatikau, Pacific programme manager for Fiji and Solomon Islands, Conciliation Resources spoke to participants of a recent “Peacebuilding and Security Dialogue” about this.

She said there will be a PIF meeting in September in Honiara of which PIF leaders will come to sign a notion of peace and by the trend, it will likely be called the “Honiara Agreement”.

Nailatikau stressed that this can be the opportunity for peacebuilders to put forward what they would like to be included in the Honiara agreement.

“Maybe the first thing can be a message towards PIFs leaders, on what you advise, from your backgrounds of which should be within that Honiara agreement.”

Nailatikau emphasized that looking at traditional peace building methods, they are the experts in the room and not the military or the police.

She raised that at the moment, the sway is starting to go back towards traditional security and defence.

“If you’re going to call it a notion of peace, you don’t want that.

You essentially want the traditional peace building methods, the ones that you’ve been practicing, the ones that you’ve experienced.”

Nailatikau said what they can do now as peacebuilders is to collectively come up with a message they would like to put forth to the upcoming meeting.

“One thing you can start doing together is talk story and put a message forward as a collective.”

Nailatikau urged the peacebuilders to also utilize media platforms and their network.

“You have media in the room, utilize that, utilize your network. And then even if the formalities come later, your message can get there first.”

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