Melbourne, Australia—UPF’s coordinator for the Federation of Island Nations in Oceania and Ambassador for Peace Mr. Lio Ale spoke at the Blue Pacific Islands Communities Consultation held on the Zoom platform on August 10, 2020. Participating in the virtual meeting were Pacific Island leaders representing the islands of Niue and Fiji, multicultural youth, the United Pasifika Council of Victoria (UPCOV) and Pacific Business Networking organizations.
Mr. Ale shared his heartfelt concern that everyone around the world is struggling to cope with the impacts of COVID-19 pandemic. He also spoke about the health of our planet suffering because of human actions and selfish activities. Additionally, ideological and political influences and the abuse of power are carried out at all levels—from the grassroots to international levels—at the expense of people’s wellbeing. These self-centered activities have taken their toll on people, affecting them mentally, spiritually, emotionally and financially.
People need to treat our Mother Nature with true love and respect. Our living planet and the universe has its own spiritual nature as part of God’s creation. Our beautiful Pacific Ocean, which holds an enormous wealth of resources, is a symbol of a living female that reproduces. Our greenish tropical lands symbolize a male with its own wealth of resources. Mr. Ale said: “God has given all these blessings and the wealth in our Pacific region, and it is our joint responsibility and duty as custodians and traditional owners of the Pacific Ocean and these lands to protect and secure their peace and stability for our future generations to live in peace and harmony.”
He went on to explain that the symbolic triangle of love of the father, mother and children is reflected in any democracy through the cabinet, parliament and the judiciary. It also reflected in the three pillars of the Samoan government: culture, government and religion. “Our world is in a mess and we need all world and religious leaders to act responsibly and take ownership. They need to demonstrate a very high level of goodwill and a sense of responsibility. All leaders need to be role models.”