Commissioner of Prisons and Correctional Services Brigadier General Ioane Naivalurua

Address as the Chief Guest at the Preview of the Cadet Passing out Parade at All Saints Secondary School at 10 am July 24, 2009 

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I acknowledge Bishop Qiliho, the Chairman of the School Board Father Rakesh, the Manager of the School Board of Governors and its members, Principal Mr Seru Curuivalu, students, parents and cadets that are passing out this morning.

Bula Re and a very good morning to you all.

First of all, I would like to thank the students on parade this morning, for a fine display of marching and drill.

Not too long ago, you all began training as boys and girls unsure of what lay ahead, but after today, you will be marching out as young disciplined adults ready to face the world with vigor and respect.

This morning, I have the honour and privilege to welcome you, the two hundred (200) young men and women on parade, into the cadet scheme.

I wish to extend a very warm welcome to your parents, guardians, teachers, relatives, invited guests and friends present here to witness with us this occasion with your display of marching.

I would like to congratulate you for having successfully completed the period of training, for which to most of you would have been a challenging and yet a very rewarding lifetime experience.

The cadet scheme is aimed at instilling a disciplined lifestyle whilst identifying and enhancing attributes that will mould participants to be better citizens; 

The scheme allows participants to understand the expectations of their families, their communities and the country as individuals with something to contribute to society; 

I make special mention to the young people assembled there today. 

Often you may hear the old adage that “Youth are the future leaders of the World”. 

“Youths” According to oxford Advanced learners Dictionary, means the time of life when a person is young, especially the time before a child becomes an adult. 

So what does it mean when you hear that Fiji will be calling upon young people like yourselves to take up leadership roles at the family, community and national levels? 

Who is a leader? By definition, a leader is a person who leads a group of people, especially the head of a country. 

So how, one will ask does this connect youth and being a leader? 

Let me tell you that there is a very great connection between leaders, like Bishop Qiliho, Principal Curuivalu, our Prime Minister, our President, our honoured guests presented today and myself; we were once young as you. 

So what happened, did we just grow up and became leaders.
The answer is no, we worked towards our goals with the opportunities that we were given to us and we did this through hard work, vigour, honesty and through living good and moral lives. 

What I am trying to say is as youths you must step up and start thinking about how you as young people can contribute to a peaceful and prosperous Fiji. 

Our youths today are often blamed for losing their cultural identity, being irresponsible and lack good training. 

Some blame, parents for irresponsible youths, saying that parents sometimes overlook their children’s wrong doing. 

Whatever the reasons, I would like to say that we are all equal – we were born the same, and we will all die – it is what we do in between these two events that matters.
You as youths must take control of your destiny and make it want you want it to be.
“Seize the Day” 

That is why in regards to all that I have said, government is very supportive towards youth programmes such as the cadet scheme to enlighten the youths on the consequences of doing the wrong things in life. 

I urge all the youths gathered here today, not just those passing out, to please be mindful of the many pitfalls that are around today – the drugs, alcohol, glue sniffing and promiscuity. 

These things have no place in your young formative life and can only lead to you taking the wrong path and you will be destined to be a guest in one of our many Prison facilities around Fiji. 

Also parents and guardians ensure that you teach good values to our future leaders of tomorrow. 

Their lives are what you mould it to become, make them aware of the dangers that is out there that can influence them, so that they avoid regret in future. 

A note of caution to the young people gathered here today, have a listening ear that listen to your elders in terms of living moral and upright life - do not think that you know every thing. 

As young people you have the responsibility of the next generation, the new Fiji. 

You are the new Dawn of Fiji 

Speaking of a new Dawn, I would like to mention some aspects of the Fiji Prisons and Correctional Service’s core deliverables in particular the much talked about Yellow Ribbon Project.

Like all societies and communities in the world and Fiji is no exception, there are people very much like you and me that break the law and are sentenced to prison.

However, the mindset of the community is that if someone goes to prison they become bad and it serves them right to be locked away and shunned by everyone.

Even after serving their time and being released society still suspect, fear and are reluctant to give them a chance to prove themselves.

The Fiji Prisons and Correctional Services firmly believe that the successful reintegration of offenders is the best guarantee of security to society.

We all must remember that offenders did not fall from out of the sky; they are human beings and deserve a second chance.

The Yellow Ribbon is about hope for ex-offenders and their families.

It is about community support, togetherness and action to assist offenders when they come out of prison to become better people and lead normal lives.

The Yellow Ribbon is a beacon and symbol of hope for Fiji.

It is structured to create awareness in the communities that society plays a vital role in reducing prison population, redirecting offenders away from the vicious cycle of crime and making society safe.

The Yellow Ribbon Project is a celebration of a society willing to give a second chance to those who have wronged them and the effort to make these ex-offenders good productive citizens.

I urge all of you gathered there today to take this message back with to you to your communities, homes, places of work, churches and friends that the successful integration of ex-offenders through the Yellow Ribbon project depends on the participatory and acceptance of the whole community not on the Fiji Prisons and Correctional Service, alone.

With these words on the Yellow Ribbon Project, I once again congratulate the recipients of various awards presented today.

To the hardworking staff the RFMF Force Training Group, thank you for the efforts in training these young men and women.

To the Principal, School Management Board, teachers, family and friends, I would also like to acknowledge your assistance and support for your children and loved ones. I ask for your continued support as they turn a new chapter in their lives today.

Vina’a va’a levu

May our God Almighty bless our nation and the people of Fiji.

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