BY LORETTA B MANELE
Solomon Islands National University (SINU) Vice Chancellor, Dr Transform Aqorau says Solomon Islands must work with all nations, east and west, north and south, that respect our dignity and aspirations.
He made the statement when he delivered the “New Academic Year Opening Address” at SINU’s Panatina Campus last week.
“We must be a friend to all and enemy to none, but we will not hesitate to assert our rights and speak the truth,” he said.
Aqorau said Solomon Islands may not be might in military or economic terms, but we have the moral power of truth and unity.
Quoting Canadian Prime Minister, Mark Carney, he said intermediate and smaller powers are not helpless, but can and must help build a new order rooted in values like human rights, sustainable development, and solidarity.
Aqorau said countries in the Pacific share these values deeply and know that peace, cooperation and respect must remain in all of the regions.
“We will continue to champion a cooperative, rule-based regional order through the Pacific Islands Forum and other bodies because it protects the rights of all large and small.
“And as we will invest in our own resilience, strengthening food security, energy security, and disaster relief so that we can all withstand global shocks,” he said.
Aqorau said the above also challenges us to define our character.
Hence, he said it is how we respond with fear or with courage with passivity or with proactivity, that our future will be written.
The Vice Chancellor said we are also reminded in a very immediate way that the shocks of distant conquests are never truly distant from small islands such as ours.
Pointing out an example, he said the ongoing war involving Iran and the disruption of one of the world’s most critical energy corridors has sent tremors through the global economy, driving up oil prices and unsettling supply chains on which we depend.
Aqorau highlighted that for small islands, where fuels underpin almost every aspect of daily life, from electricity generation to transport to the cost of fuel, food, these global disruptions quickly become local realities.
“We are already seeing the sign and the signs, rising prices, pressure on household incomes, and increased costs for businesses.
“Projections suggest that inflation could climb sharply and economic growth could slow as these pressures work their way through our economy,” he said.
Aqorau pointed out that the crisis also exposes a deeper structural truth; our heavy reliance on imported fuel and on supply chains that pass through distant hubs like Singapore which leave us vulnerable, not only to price shocks, but to potential disruptions in supply itself.
In further remarks, he said this moment is not only a warning but a call to leadership.
“And I appeal to our leaders in Solomon Islands to rise up to their challenge now more than ever. It challenges us to confront honestly the risks we face and to act with foresight and resolve,” he said.
Aqorau said if we are to be masters of our own destiny then we must accelerate our journey towards energy security, investing in resilience, and reintroducing our dependence on forces beyond our control.
“In doing so, we transform vulnerability into purpose, and uncertainty into an opportunity to shape a stronger, more self-reliant Solomon Islands”, he said.
Photo: Loretta B Manele
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