Dear Editor,
We have seen that behind any relation there are expectations to be met by each party involved. At the start we enjoyed a shared relationship within the warm, comforting environment of our greater family.
As time flew by, I started to create mutual understanding with others outside my family which I call-foreign relations. But eyebrows must have been closed with that question in mind, Are these relations beneficial for all in the long run?
Recently, there were loud noises of help offered to us by China and USA alike.
Traffic officers received certificates to boost their capacity building and our local police will be trained by the FBI.
Stemmed from the two-day Biden-pacific leaders’ summit in Washington there are a number of promises and creations. The USA is promising US$810-million dollars for the implementation of US-Pacific partnership strategy to address key issues facing Solomon Islands and the greater pacific family of countries.
Our leaders came up with the Tailored Memorandum of Commercial Cooperation and other initiatives.
People have been hearing similar promises and have been expecting better outcomes that would impact them profoundly at all levels since the POP was an altar boy.
During World War two, the USA had helped the Solomon Islands to drive away the Japanese before Japan surrendered. The US then left Solomon Islands to break the shell on her own.
Left to the intervening care of the big sister, Australia, people have been expecting the ripening fulfillment of many sweet promises they give.
Thank you, Australia, for seasonal jobs, thank you USA for everything and thank you China for infrastructure developments.
But what would we give in return as a manifestation of our appreciation?
Definitely speaking, we have nothing to offer apart from the richness of our natural resources alongside our strategic position.
Are we not educating ourselves here? Then this is where education comes in. Looking back to promises of both sides there is nothing about education. Who would want to educate other people to be educated than themselves?
Back in my school days, one of my classmates helped another boy with his assignment and he regretted that the boy he had helped scored the highest, even widening the gap between two of them.
Again, no man wants to really help another to be smarter and prosperous than himself.
Before making the next final moves, think wisely Solomon Islands! -think about our people’s rightful expectations ought to be satisfied. Else our noisy moves are empty drums.
“Listen, if you have ears”
Hezekiah Richard Wane
Su’u NSS
West Kwaio
Malaita Province
