Migration with Dignity: The Only Path for our Nation

 

Migration with Dignity: The Only Path for our Nation

15th July 2022

Anote Tong

Oftentimes, in politics, leaders are unable to make the choices that are the most ideal. This may be due to political gridlock or lack of resources, like we have seen in our manaeba regarding the reaction to the Tinakula Eruption. But good, strong leaders are often forced to make the unbearable decisions that are at the middle, perhaps even end, of their list from the ideal solutions that makes everyone happy. Because you can never please everyone. But these are choices we know to be necessary and required to benefit our people, to bring them through tumultuous time to a brighter future. The biggest crisis our nation, and indeed the entire world, is facing is that of climate change and rising sea levels. Projections from international organizations and our own have only solidified this concern, as we can see in the following graph:

Beyond the numerous reports written about the tsunamis that have reached the shores of our nation, the personal experiences of our people should be sufficient to show the lack of care and efforts the current government have given in preparation for rising sea level. The TKB and President Maamau, instead, have focused on their dealings with China or protecting the profits in their plot of land and buried their heads in the sands to ignore the critical developments surrounding climate change. Unfortunately, it may be too late for anyone, even the combined efforts of our great nation, to change the course of this great disaster. 

The only path towards that brighter future that we promised our people, our next generation lies in the “migration with dignity” strategy that my government proposed years ago. The strategy is an investment in the education of our people and the upskilling of our young population to equip them with educational qualifications and employable

skills that would enable them to migrate with dignity to other countries voluntarily and, in the worst case scenario, when our islands can no longer sustain human life. It may not be an ideal decision, some may even see it as unbearable, but it is necessary and it is required. This is not to say current efforts in building warning systems and infrastructures should be halted, but that this strategy should be kept in mind for the long-term.

However, more than the TKB, it seems that my own party, the BKM has failed to push forwards with this sole solution either. Tessie Lambourne, whom I have worked with during my time as a politician and remember fondly as a passionate voice for our people, must step up as the Chairman of the BKM to take action to convince our people that they need to be saved. What is the BKM central executive committee doing? Why aren’t they taking action as a party? A wake-up call is required, and if my re-entry into politics can secure this, then I might just come out of retirement for the sake of our people.