8 Laisenia Qarase Quotes on Development

Laisenia Qarase quotes on development

2. 'My government's aim for Fiji is not to return to where we once were but to journey forward together to a place we have not yet been, a Fiji of lasting peace and harmony, where nobody is left behind or goes without.'

3. 'The shame is compounded by the failure of developed countries to commit enough of their wealth and resources to helping poor populations from developing countries.'

10. 'We cannot bring our people together, and give all energies to development, when the agony of 2000 lives on and haunts us through prosecutions and sentences. Five years have gone by and ... there is no end in sight. I believe it is time now for fresh thinking and action.'

14. 'We cannot bring the people together and concentrate all our energies on developing the country when the agony of 2000 is continuously haunting us.' (27 May 2005, from a speech to the annual conference of his United Fiji Party).

37. 'We have to ensure that development is inclusive; that no particular group is disadvantaged or discriminated against.'

45. 'This age of globalisation is marked by the adoption of universal principles governing such matters as democracy, human rights, trade and development. Today, I reaffirm here that Fiji accepts these precepts. But we also say that countries like ours should not be held to unrealistic standards, we need time to evolve to adapt and to adhere. Do not judge us by what might be inappropriate at our stage of development.'

47. 'WTO (the World Trade Organization) is trying to impose equality of trade in an unequal world, but for developing countries like Fiji there is no level playing field, just a slippery slope.'

48. 'They forget that although our economy has been doing well, it is still narrow and fragile and it will take a long time before we can compete fully with the developed nations.'