PIF commends Leadership initiative
PRESS STATEMENT 07/09
17th March 2009
PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT COMMENDS INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS IN THE REGION
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has commended an initiative to develop a new generation of leaders in the region describing it as very timely.
“Leadership has and continues to be an area of focus for Forum Leaders and their governments. This is perhaps best demonstrated not only by its inclusion in the Pacific Plan endorsed by Leaders in 2005 but also the attention it has received through the broader processes to determine priorities agreed to at the regional level,” says Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat.
Mr Slade made the comments when receiving copies of the book titled: “Living and Leaving a Legacy of Hope: Stories by New Generation Pacific Leaders” written by members of the Pacific Leadership Cluster at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Copies of the book are to be distributed to Pacific Island Forum Leaders.
“Leadership Pacific” is a movement which grew out of the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative which was initiated in 2001 by key Pacific educators. The movement or network is made up of Pacific peoples who practice, study and teach leadership to enhance leadership capacity in Pacific communities.
Leadership Pacific aims to grow 1,000 New Generation Pacific leaders by 2015 through leadership cluster groups, mentoring relationships, internship programmes, leadership development workshops and conferences as well as research and scholarship on leadership.
The book “Living and Leaving a Legacy of Hope: Stories by New Generation Pacific Leaders” is written as personal stories of leaders by members of the Victoria University in Wellington Pacific students leadership cluster.
“The Leadership Pacific initiative provides the essential link between what the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organizations do at the regional level to what happens on the ground with our people and communities. Solid grounding in Pacific leadership qualities and skills must underpin current focus on economic growth and development in the region,” says Mr Slade.
When presenting the books, Dr Kabini Sanga, the convener and mentor of the Leadership Pacific movement said: “The gift of books for the Forum Leaders symbolizes a perspective of leadership which brings balance to leadership practice in the Pacific region.”
“Contained in our leadership stories, this perspective emphasizes leadership as the realm of ordinary people; as students, children, mothers and siblings. This view advocates leadership as service, as hard work, as being true to one’s ideals,” says Dr Sanga.
About 500 young Pacific Islands students have undertaken leadership development programmes under the Leadership Pacific initiative. There are Pacific Leadership clusters at the Victoria University in Wellington and at the University of South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.
(Ends)
17th March 2009
PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM SECRETARIAT COMMENDS INITIATIVE TO DEVELOP NEW GENERATION OF LEADERS IN THE REGION
The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat has commended an initiative to develop a new generation of leaders in the region describing it as very timely.
“Leadership has and continues to be an area of focus for Forum Leaders and their governments. This is perhaps best demonstrated not only by its inclusion in the Pacific Plan endorsed by Leaders in 2005 but also the attention it has received through the broader processes to determine priorities agreed to at the regional level,” says Tuiloma Neroni Slade, Secretary General of the Forum Secretariat.
Mr Slade made the comments when receiving copies of the book titled: “Living and Leaving a Legacy of Hope: Stories by New Generation Pacific Leaders” written by members of the Pacific Leadership Cluster at Victoria University in Wellington, New Zealand. Copies of the book are to be distributed to Pacific Island Forum Leaders.
“Leadership Pacific” is a movement which grew out of the Rethinking Pacific Education Initiative which was initiated in 2001 by key Pacific educators. The movement or network is made up of Pacific peoples who practice, study and teach leadership to enhance leadership capacity in Pacific communities.
Leadership Pacific aims to grow 1,000 New Generation Pacific leaders by 2015 through leadership cluster groups, mentoring relationships, internship programmes, leadership development workshops and conferences as well as research and scholarship on leadership.
The book “Living and Leaving a Legacy of Hope: Stories by New Generation Pacific Leaders” is written as personal stories of leaders by members of the Victoria University in Wellington Pacific students leadership cluster.
“The Leadership Pacific initiative provides the essential link between what the Pacific Islands Forum and other regional organizations do at the regional level to what happens on the ground with our people and communities. Solid grounding in Pacific leadership qualities and skills must underpin current focus on economic growth and development in the region,” says Mr Slade.
When presenting the books, Dr Kabini Sanga, the convener and mentor of the Leadership Pacific movement said: “The gift of books for the Forum Leaders symbolizes a perspective of leadership which brings balance to leadership practice in the Pacific region.”
“Contained in our leadership stories, this perspective emphasizes leadership as the realm of ordinary people; as students, children, mothers and siblings. This view advocates leadership as service, as hard work, as being true to one’s ideals,” says Dr Sanga.
About 500 young Pacific Islands students have undertaken leadership development programmes under the Leadership Pacific initiative. There are Pacific Leadership clusters at the Victoria University in Wellington and at the University of South Pacific in Suva, Fiji.
(Ends)
