The Silver Lining on our Dark Cloud.

Blessing grant, oh God of nations, on the isles of Fiji,
As we stand united under noble banner blue.
And we honour and defend the cause of freedom ever,
Onward march together,
God bless Fiji!

CHORUS

For Fiji, ever Fiji, let our voices ring with pride,
For Fiji, ever Fiji, her name hail far and wide,
A land of freedom, hope and glory to endure whate'er befall
May God bless Fiji, forevermore!


As you can probably guess, nationalistic spirit is high, especially after the way our "boys" won the Adelaide 7s.

While the TV coverage of the final was not to expectation, the way Serevi and his men won was sooo inspiring, especially after a defeat in the pool stages. The dissappointment in Fiji and around the world for supporters of the national team was so tangible, that it ended in the sad demise of a young gentleman in Caubati. I'm sure the grog/beer/ (_INSERT_FAVOURITE_DRINK) tasted so bad after England beat Fiji.

But Fiji came back. Or as the headlines on the back page of today's Fiji Times shouted "Resurrection!!!!" It was the fact that the team prevailed against the odds, against the expections of so many that made the win more inspiring. And that is why this post is dedicated to lessons that we, as a nation, must learn from these young men we now idolise, and especially from their coach, mentor and sensei, Waisale Serevi.

Our national anthem is, in my opinion, a prayer of beauty, that implores the God of Nations to bless us when we stand united. The way the team stood united is a shining example of how we must stand together now, as a nation.

Today we are not united. There are numerous issues that separate us. Religion. Race. Economic status. Gender. you name it, there are countless ways to differentiate between each of us.

The economists are forecating doom. The Interim Government is saying that is is a crime to speak out against them. Why? And when was voicing your opinions a crime? If no one else believes in us, we only need to believe that we can, individually and collectively, make this nation of ours great again. Despite the defeats we have faced, we can rise above them and still be the way the world should be.

The real measure of a leader is how, the leader can unite everyone. This regime is not uniting anyone. For one the Civil Service are not in unity with their employers. The soldiers are not united. A few officers have resigned since the coup, and others before it, most stating that they are not happy with the events unfolding at Delainabua. The Police are also divided, and even this division has spread into the judiciary, the media, the church, the vanua, the workplace and the populace at large.

Why is this important, you ask?

Because since the 5th of December, things like flooding for instance have become a common occurance in Fiji. How about human rights abuses? How about deaths at the hands of the "arms of governance"?

Does that sound like blessings to you? Surely not!!!!

We must unite. We need to unite so that the God of Nations mentioned in our national anthem can bless us. In order to unite we must remove the causes of disunity amongst us. The main cause is the regime that is leading us now. They must go. If you agree, please send me a mail saying so.

Once we unite, God will surely bless Fiji, and we can return to being the way the world should be.

God Bless Fiji
mawdsomething.