Bring Back Tuvalu
Tuvalu is a tiny country that consisted of nine islands. It is located 1000km north west of the Fiji Islands just below the equator. It has a population of 12,000 with a very low birth rate of 23.11 births/1000 population (est. 2009).
The islands have settled by Polynesians ancestors who believed to be Tongans and Samoans immigrants 3000 years ago. These mixtures of ancestors constituted a new language which is a mix of the Samoan and Tongan language. With the new creation of a language, they also created a popular dance called "fatele." "Fatele" is a form of a slow dance that composed base on our survival principles (how to find fish for food, fight in battles, defeat the enemies, teach our children to maintain our ways of life), to work, live and build our communities, but above all is to understand what love is. Love is what really Tuvalu is known for by many foreigners who interacted with them.
Tuvalu is a nation with few people that understand the meaning of love between a man and a women, a man and its neighbor, and especially the love for nature. When I grew up I have not heard any separated or divorce families, or a fought between neighbors, or wanders of how nature and man made designs (rising sea levels the most controversial issue of all time, yet people of Tuvaluans are exposed to the effects in reality). I never seen and heard any war in my early childhood, although I heard many war stories from my grandparents that were passed on from centuries ago. Tuvalu was in peace. How can we find this peace again? Is it possible to restore this back?
Looking into Tuvalu today, there are dangers everywhere. You can find it between families, neighbors, each other, and in the surrounding communities. There is no longer a sense of team work. Everyman for him/her self. Tuvalu has changed. In the world today, we can even locked up our bikes when we go to school or to the supermarket because there is no self respect and love. Please join with me to search for possibilities and solutions to bring back my Tuvalu.
Hey nice Katoa, good work. It's always good to have a blog etc. to talk about your stuff. Are you still working towards a film on Tuvalu? I think I saw something on it a while back on PBS or something. anyways, cool man, I'll talk to you soon!. I've almost got my little site going too for the car rentals, I'm using blogger too just cuz it's free. why not? ha. k Aloha!
ReplyDeleteThis is Derek by the way from Soul Surfer.
ReplyDeleteDerek, thanks for the post. I still working on it. I have another friend that also interested in Tuvalu's issues and the film. I am heading back to Tuvalu on May 17 and I am looking at opportunities to do that in the near future.
ReplyDeleteI will keep in touch with you when I get back in July. Look forward seeing you here in Hawaii as you launch your product in the market. Can't wait to see the Soul Surfer.
Much Aloha!
Dear Toa,
ReplyDeleteThis is awesome. I will fly to Tuvalu and work for you and your people.... gladly!!!!! See you there President!! :)