How To Understand

The ‘Pacific Way’

At the Young Nations Conference held recently in Sydney one of the first moments of dissension came when some of the Islanders present took exception to the academic formality of the meetings. They objected to being seated on chairs in ordered rows; they objected to the fixation upon rules of procedure and they fell that those present were missing a great deal by not being able to see each other face to face. The cry which was uttered was for an adoption of the “Pacific way" of doing things. However, to define the “Pacific way” is, indeed, a formidable task and 1 am sure that there would have been a multitude of definitions given by those attending this conference.

The “Pacific way" is now an ex pression which is widely used throughout the Islands and has even involved the vocabularies ol Australians and New Zealanders, Professor Ron Crocombe, of the University of the South Pacific, in his The Pacific Way: an emerging identi ty, has made a first attempt to put into a written statement some of the facets which are contained in the “way . But here again there is a problem of definition j Crocombe writes as a European and provides his interpretation of the term. He does it with perception and with a great sympathy for the social structure, the life-styles, the view of the cosmos and the aspirations ol the

many diverse groups who inhabit the Islands.

Credit must be given to the author for making a statement of this significance. I only hope that the appearance of the book will spur some Islander to begin, themselves, to ex press in written form what they feel is the essence of their “Pacific way”. It may well be that across the spectrum of the Islands community there may be large areas of commonalty, or there may be very marked areas of divergence.

This book does put into print some of the things which need to be said about the Pacific. It is the sort of book the visitor, the businessman and the outside politician should read in order to grasp some of the essential features which make the Pacific Islands people what they are. It would make for an easier understanding of the Islander’s attitude towards work and his notions of the importance of adhering to European concepts of time. Just as Ron Crocombe says, that it is characteristic of the “Pacific way” that “many people don’t do their homework properly, whether they be students, officials or cabinet ministers” so it is equally true that many of those going into the Pacific take with them their ignorance of the area they are encountering.

The author also is prepared to be critical of some of the things which are happening in the Pacific today, as is instanced by his criticism of the dis proportionate staffing of the Univer sity of the South Pacific in terms of the countries of origin of the staff. He brings to the fore the question of Fiji’s restricting the employment of staff from other countries by the use of short-term work permits. He also sounds a number of warnings concer ning the dangers of being carried away in the false euphoria which may all too easily become associated with the “Pacific way”, and also points out that “there is sometimes an awkward ambivalence”.

This little book was published in Suva by Lotu Pasifika Productions, who are to be commended for carry ing out a workmanlike task most ef ficiently and producing a well presented book, which is marketed at a price within the reach of all its potential readers.

W. G. Coppell

(THE PACIFIC WAY: AN EMERGING IDENTITY. By R. 6. Crocombe. Published by Lotu Pasifika Productions, Suva, 1976. Pacific Islands 5F1.20; Australia 5A1.20 New Zealand 5NZ1.50.)