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Violence and the Family
Some further reflections from the Pacific
As we turn towards Christmas, children, family, friends and reunions, celebration and toys take central place in our preparation. What kind of toys do people give as Christmas gifts to their children? In the context of the Pacific, military toys and all the associated items that go with them have become prevalent. Many people in different parts of the world associate the Pacific with peace, serenity, coconut palms, grass skirts and friendly people, and the list goes on. Military toys are symbols of violence. Most of the people in the Pacific are Christians. Christmas is associated with peace and good-will. To what extent are people aware of the impact of military toys in relation to the message of Christmas? The exploitation of the poor by the commercial sector is also an issue. In a militarised context as I identify below, the availability of military toys on a big scale, and affordability, are interconnected. Military toys symbolise violence and these toys which are given by parents and friends to children for Christmas perpetuate a violent culture. When children who are already in a war-torn tribal context are given gifts symbolising violence, their early formation and development are deeply affected. The silence of the Church concerning this new culture does not help to address the morality of this issue.
Guns are a new phenomenon in the Pacific. As an integral part of globalisation, this new culture has manifested itself in different forms. Let me illustrate this point by providing three brief examples.
In the second part of the 1980s, Fiji became the first nation in the Pacific to be torn apart by coups, the first coup taking place in 1987. This was followed soon by a second coup. Like any war-torn nation, shops, schools and transport closed, and families were disrupted. The rate of migration continued to impoverish the nation; poverty increased, crime rocketed, corruption thrived. Electricity and water supply, as well as people�s movements, were restricted. From that time onward, Fiji was no longer the same. In 1990 another coup was staged and there was bloodshed and murders.
Around the same time, the Bougainville conflict in Papua New Guinea erupted. There was no political solution, the crisis crippled and paralysed Bougainville and activities of the country came to a stop. Schools closed down, and health care disappeared. Children became the most affected victims.
In the mid-1990s, French colonial imperialism imposed nuclear tests in Moruroa, French Polynesia despite fierce opposition from the Maohi people and the surrounding Island States. During the testing period, military uniforms, transport, and nuclear tests paved and established a new culture of militarism. A part of the world which was renowned for its friendship and welcome was transformed into a militaristic culture. Children who were born from that time onwards live in the uncertainty of the environment.
In the mid-1990s, militarism paralysed the Solomon Islands. The tribal war lords closed down the major activities of the nation. Corruption was rife. As major investors moved out, the Solomon Islands were increasingly isolated. Tribal wars between the major rivalries dominated the affairs of the nation. The Parliament was still in place but dysfunctional in reality. Some of the major work places were closed down. Unemployment increased. Crime festered. Lawlessness became uncontrollable. Murders included the killing of seven Anglican Melanesian Brothers.
The costs of living rose and continues to rise. Children were sent home from school because of the inability of the parents to meet the fees and other costs, although schools continue to persevere in an unstable situation. Recently, Australia and New Zealand, with the assistance of some neighbouring Island states, have moved in to stand alongside the Government of the Solomon Islands. The world of the children who were born in the Solomon Islands since the 1990s has been dominated by tribal wars, guns, crime, poverty and unrest.
The situation in the Pacific challenges the Church for a new approach to mission to transform the unjust structure which victimises innocent children.
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