Week 6- Fiji and sustainable entrepreneurship

4 main districts

eastern, northern, central, western

Fijian bure

Most traditional Fijian bure (house) has three main doors, Taari Levu, Taari Sue, Taari ni Sola

Taari Levu

Main door, usually facing village centre, reserved for owners of the home, symbolises respect, authority, and chiefly status within the household

Taari Sue

Kitchen door, used by women when bringing food into the bure at mealtimes, symbolises the central role of women in nurturing and providing for the family

Taari ni Sola

Side door, used for everyday movement, open for everyone, reflects hospitality, accessibility, and the inclusive nature of communal life

When was the first contact with Europeans

1643, permanent European presence grew in early 1800’s

Pre European era

frequent tribal skirmishes, migrations, and resettlements

British hesitation

Successive governments opposed extending empire, despite growing settler trade, missions, and plantations.

Early traders traded…

Sandelwood and beche-de-mer, sea cucumbers

Missionaries

Wesleyans arrived 1835, introduced exclusive land rights; lived separately from villages, gradually extended influence.

Tribal dynamics and Christianity

Bau chief Cakobau converted, 1854, defeated rivals with Tongan support, 1855, power struggles between Cakobau, Tui Cakau, cakaudrove, and Tongan Ma’afu

Conflict in 1851

John Williams house looted after fire, Demanded $45,000 compensation from Cakobau forcing him into agreements

Bristish annexation Debates

French interest sparked, 1855 French activity led a chief to petition Britian for annexation, W.T Pritchard arrived 1858 as a consul, Cakobau offered Fiji to Britain pressured by his debt

Deed of Cession date

10th October 1874

Why was Fiji ceded

A number of factors including, escalating internal conflicts, financial instability, and the desire for stability and protecting from foreign powers

Great council of chiefs

established 1876 to advise governor, suspended 2007, abolished 2012

Who was the governer that arrived in 1875

Sir Arthur Gordon

What happened in 1882

Capital moved from Levuka to Suva

iTaukei social structure

1. Vanua, tride, 2. Yavusa, clan, 3. Mataqali, subclan, 4. Tokatoka, extended family

Fiji ethnicities today

Melanesians, Polynesian, Micronesian, Indo-Fijian

Rotuma

Distinct island with its own culture, language and governance, governed by chiefs and districts, pre 1881 independent identity, requested to be governed by crown

Kioa island

1946 purchased by people from the overcrowded Vaitupu atoll in Tuvalu

Regional hub

Central location for many organisations, missions and international bodies, major transit point for regional commerce and communications, Suva main campus of University of the South Pacific,

Climate change diplomacy

2014 Kiribati purchased a property, Natoavatu estate to enhance its food security and economic resilience

Major contributors to Fiji’s economy

Tourism, remittances, exports of bottled water and sugar

sustainable entrepreneurship

Ability to persue or do something continually

iTaukei

Original settlers of Fiji

Purpose of sustainable entrepreneurship

Generate economic growth by addressing pressing social and environmental issues, embed into business models, can achieve long term success while fostering positive impacts on society and the planet, not all based on profit or expanding capital

Key principles of sustainable entrepreneurship

Social responsibility, environmental stewardship, economic viability

Social responsibility

consideres the impact on business operations on all stakeholders usually people in tha village, prioritises ethical practices and contributed positively to society

Environmental stewardship

The importance of protecting natural resources and reducing footprint, intergenerational responsibility, sustainable practices to minimize waste, conserve energy and promote biodiversity

Intergenerational responsibility

Yavutu: original inhabitants, Teitei: garden, Veikau: forest

Economic viability

Ensures that sustainable practices do not compromise profitability, Find innovative ways to integrate sustainability into their business models while maintaining financial health and competitiveness, Economic cost

Understanding of wealth or wealth creation in the iTaukei worldview

Exsistence of collectivism, Influence of time and space, Wealth of the land, Wealth from the land

Yau ni Tauni

Economic wealth derived from the land through commercial activities such as leasing or resource

Solesolevaki

Using the social system to carryout fundraising for community products

Embracing susatibaility for a thriving future

Not just a trend, a crucial element for ensuring economic growth while protecting the planet, integrating sustainable practices, can contribute to social equity, environmental preservation, sustainable livelihood and economic resilience