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A. Sualauvi: Address to Asia Pacific Summit
Written by H. E. Afioga Tuimaleaiifano Vaaletoa Sualauvi II, Head of State, Samoa
Saturday, December 1, 2018
Address to Asia Pacific Summit 2018, Kathmandu, Nepal, Nov. 30–Dec. 3, 2018
Although Mother Moon is not here, I would still pay tribute to her. Beloved True Mother, Dr. Hak Ja Han Moon. Also Prime Minister of Nepal, Hon. Sharma Oli, Heads of States, Distinguished World Leaders, Ambassadors for Peace, Ladies and Gentlemen, I bring you greetings, “Talofa” from Samoa.
Hon. Prime Minister, Sharma Oli, thank you for inviting Samoa to this auspicious Asia Pacific Summit 2018. We were moved by your government’s warm reception at the airport and the hospitality of the beautiful people at this grand venue. It’s an honor and privilege for my wife and me tonight to be here representing the people of Samoa. I also acknowledge the tremendous investment of the Universal Peace Federation’s Summit organizers and supporters, the government of Nepal, the Family Federation for World Peace and Unification, the International Conference of Asian Political Parties (ICAPP), the Women’s Federation for World Peace (WFWP), the South Asian Peace Initiative (SAPI), Youth and Students for Peace (YSP) and the Professors World Peace Academy (PWPA).
We are gathered here in Kathmandu, the multicultural capital of Nepal, home of the mighty conqueror of Mt. Everest, together with a fellow one of a Pacific Islander from New Zealand. We are here in the home of Buddha to meditate on this holy mountain in the spirit of interdependence, mutual prosperity and universal values. Together, we will address and find peaceful sustainable solutions to the critical challenges that we face today. Our country, Samoa, in my eye is the most beautiful island nation in the most peaceful region in the world, the Pacific. In 1962, we, conquered our own Everest in the spirit of nonviolence. Our country, Samoa, became the first Pacific Island nation to attain independence after our traditional high chiefs, in the spirit of unity with our people, successfully consulted and deliberated with the United Nations and the government of New Zealand.
The word samoa in our language means “sacred center” or the “sacred heart. I understand that it sounds like a Korean word that means “longing for mother.” I believe that the heart and center of a family is the mother. In our culture, respect for parents and old people, especially our leaders, is paramount. Peace and respect govern the relationship, which is what I want to emphasize as a solution to reconcile and heal social problems arising from various conflicts and divisions in our communities and societies. We have a special term, Olivatu Puwiya, meaning “sacred relationship”: however you define it. the sacred relationship with the divine, the Heavenly Father, Parent, God. Relationship is when people are in a family including its expansion to extended family, national family, and our traditional religions and political leaders. Respect for one’s parents defines the way of filial devotion. Between a child and the parents. This relationship extends other parents because once uncles, aunties, teachers and other elders as well as our government, religious and traditional leaders.
In Samoa, we value the respectful care between brother and sister. The pupil of the brother’s eye is the sister. The sister is the pride of the family. This is only one of the sacred relationships that we honor. A sacred relationship mechanism thereby guides our traditional interactions within our extended families and communities and promotes peaceful living, love and respect. In this rapidly changing world, we need to hold on to our special sacred relationships; we need to see our relationships as sacred despite challenges from opposing values.
In 1930, Christianity reached the shores of Samoa and has become entrenched in the Samoan way of life. When you visit Samoa, temples of worship are the most prominent and beautiful buildings in any of our 350 and more villages. Our sacred relationship mechanism facilitated the peaceful merging of Christianity and our traditional way of life. The peace element of Christ and the peace of our culture hereby enlarged and shaped the peaceful nation that is today’s Samoa.
We have no army and our police force carries no guns. We are blessed, however, that the maintenance of peace rests on the practice of our sacred relationship mechanism, and traditional and religious leaders play a major role.
Since our independence in 1962, we have recognized the value of this sacred relationship mechanism in our national governance that is seen in the enactment of laws by parliaments, interpretation of laws by the judiciary, and their subsequent execution. Like every nation, we have our share of family and social problems, but I believe that observance of our sacred relationship with God and with our people will bring peace into our lives.
Ambassadors of Peace from around the world, let us practice a sacred relationship with our God, with our spouses, with our children, with our siblings and even with our enemies. I conclude with a word from our sacred scripture, from the Holy Bible, the Book of Matthew, Chapter 5, verse 9, where our Lord Jesus Christ said, “Blessed are the peacemakers for they shall be called the true children of God.” God bless you all!
To go to the 2018 Asia Pacific Summit Schedule page, click here.