Fiji’s Truth and Reconciliation Commission (TRC) has called for a shift from passive coexistence to active connection, saying true national unity depends on dialogue, empathy and mutual respect between communities. Speaking on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, TRC Commissioner Sekove Naqiolevu warned that merely living side by side is not enough to secure long-term social cohesion.
Naqiolevu told listeners that the commission’s work aims to move communities beyond surface-level tolerance by creating opportunities for genuine bridge‑building. “Social cohesion means everyone working together, using dialogue and empathy to keep Fiji united,” he said, adding that the TRC has been providing safe spaces for survivors of past political conflicts to share their experiences. Those testimonies, he said, help build understanding, healing and “real reconciliation.”
Highlighting the continuing relevance of the TRC’s work, Naqiolevu pointed to Fiji’s history of racial tensions as a factor that has at times shaped national discourse, influenced government decisions and left marks on collective memory. “Our history reflects periods where racial tensions have shaped national discourse, influenced governments, and our collective memory. These have strained the fabric of our national unity,” he said, noting that such episodes may not be dramatic in scale but nevertheless demonstrate the fragility of unity even in otherwise peaceful societies.
Civil society leaders echoed the commission’s concern that empathy and dialogue must be turned into concrete action. Dialogue Fiji Executive Director Nilesh Lal said social cohesion must be reflected in institutions, daily governance and public policies — not only in speeches. “It erodes trust, undermines fairness, and threatens the very foundation upon which inclusive development must stand,” Lal said, warning that deteriorating trust between communities and institutions jeopardises efforts to build a fair and prosperous Fiji.
Lal welcomed reconciliation initiatives but urged that their impacts be measurable in how communities experience services, participation and rights. “Social cohesion is not just about living in the same country — it is about connecting across differences and working together to create a society where everyone belongs,” he added, framing inclusion as an outcome that requires policy, accountability and sustained community engagement.
The TRC’s emphasis on testimony and listening follows its mandate to document harms and promote healing by centring survivors’ voices. By providing confidential and supported settings for people affected by past conflicts to speak, the commission says it aims to create shared understanding that can inform future policies and community relations. For advocates such as Lal, the next test will be whether institutional actors — government, local authorities and service providers — translate that understanding into reforms that restore trust and promote fairness.
As Fiji marks the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination, the TRC and civil society are urging a renewed national focus on turning reconciliation rhetoric into everyday practice. The commission’s latest statements place dialogue and empathy at the centre of that effort, while cautioning that achieving meaningful unity will require more than words: it will require sustained action across governance, institutions and communities.
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