Tuvalu’s ‘Pushbike Forum’ - an event

event of happy memory

Former RIM Editor STUART INDER describes the atmosphere of the South Pacific Forum meeting, and makes some comparisons with others he has attended over the years.

In Canberra last year it was the Spooks Forum. In Funafuti, Tuvalu, in August it was the Pushbike Forum, and much the better for that.

Since the first one in Welling ton in 1971, South Pacific Forums have all had their own flavor, but there is now no doubt at all that the less agree able have been those held in the cities of what used to be called the metropolitan powers, dogged by formality, and with security police beating the bushes, manning the hotel lifts, and riding convoys of fast moving limousines timed to ar rive and depart precisely.

There was nothing of the Pacific Islands in last year’s Canberra Forum, or the Rotor ua Forum the year before. Or the Canberra Forum in 1972.

It is a relief to know that the “metropolitan run” is over for another stretch of years, and that with the Funafuti Forum we have returned to the islands.

It will be Rarotonga’s turn next year, and Cook Islands Prime Minister Sir Thomas Davis left Funafuti with a fistful of ideas for making “his” meet ing as memorable as Dr Tomasi Puapua’s was.

Looked at from any point of view, Funafuti was a notable

success. The meeting itself went smoothly, and the content of the talks was of significance.

The locale on a mid-Pacific atoll was a constant yet gentle reminder that much of the Pacific community has little more in resources than coconut palms, an expanse of ocean, and an independent spirit.

The physical arrangements reflected true island hospitality, grafted to an Australian and New Zealand support package designed to relieve Tuvalu’s natural dearth of accommoda tion, transport and food for such a large number of visitors.

The RNZAF organised air

Tuvalu Prime Minister Dr Tomasi Puapua ... as conference host and chairman, presided over a relaxed, smoothly-run conference.

traffic control as Hercules, Andovers and 748’s shuttled between Fiji and Funafuti’s 5000 m coral and grass airstrip which takes up most of the main island. The RNZN survey ship HMNZS Monowai and RAN assault landing craft HMAS Tobruk , anchored in the lagoon, provided accommoda tion and logistical support, NZ Army caterers provided food for VIPs, Australia brought a small fleet of cars and mini buses and built three houses, other aid came in the form of communications and hotel im provements, hospital support, food airlifts, and cash.

The bicycles, 30 of them, were a practical gift from New Zealand, brought aboard the Monowai and distributed among the big media corps in the first instance, but remaining behind for Public Works De

partment use. On Funafuti’s flat, dirt, palm-fringed roads, they got the press around in great style, despite the lack of lamps which made night pedal ling a danger to life and limb, and, since it is illegal to ride without a light at night, a special trial to Tuvalu’s good-natured if long-suffering police.

It is doubtful if any of the bicycles issued got returned to the PWD by the people they were issued to, because bike napping became a fact of life on Funafuti that week,with the boys from Tobruk suspected as being among the more en thusiastic “nappers” for late night dashes back to the ship after drinking or “twisting” ses sions (as the local dances are called).

NZ Prime Minister David Lange was seen early one mor ning pedalling along the airstrip

road at a fairly snappy rate, although there is no PWD record that he was actually issued with one of his own gifts.

Those pushbikes set the style for the Forum. The white Australian Fairlanes merely managed to look out of place on an atoll designed for walking, for before the Forum, Funafuti s total vehicular population was Forum pace was never in the fast lane. It was pedestrian, relaxed, friendly, with time to meet and talk, even time to fish (PNG Prime Minister Somare and a member of his delegation, John Kaputin, MP, reported some good catches in the lagoon off their quarters). 3 M 7 Two island feasts on successive nights at the Seimeana maneapa, with magnificent traditional dancing, were the

culmination of weeks of work and planning by the Tuvalu community, All 'p uva j u h ac i to wor k f or months to make the visitors feel welcome, with Government Secretary lonatana (John) lonatana appearing to be everywhere at once during Forum week as he juggled with thousands of details; and Depu ty Prime Minister Henry Naisali beaming goodwill and enthu siasm as lieutenant to Forum chairman and host, Prime Minister Puapua, as they both worked to make the conference itself run as smoothly as the SPEC staff under director Mahe Tupouniua had planned.

Tlll i. > c luvalus Forum was a memorable example of what that first, small, group of inde pendent leaders were aiming for back in 1971.