Decolonization – Self Determination

Decolonization is an interesting  concept as it requires an understanding of the next generation transformational thinking to be engaged personally in the process of decolonizing one’s mind, realizing that most of what we now have as our values, traditions and cultures were actually imposed on us by our Colonizers. The ability to and the process of decolonization is one that is very interesting and when not done with the proper care and responsibilities can be become a lost cause or damaging. This is so when after realizing the right to determine by one’s self what is best, is decolonizing a process of emptying one’s self from values, practices and traditions or otherwise. Is it a process of not necessarily empting one’s self and then re-filling or re-colonizing one’s self with something new?

Some of the interesting issues in decolonization for PIANGO that has a spirituality, religion and cultural identity is to interrogate a claim which labels the popular Christianity as the Pacific religion a tool of colonization.  The late Pacific Studies[1] Professor Ron Crocombe stated in this regard that: “Colonization was so effective that most of what Pacific Islanders are holding onto as they cultures and tradition were actually showed down their throats by their colonizers.

Transformational Leadership contributes to the thinking by always going back to the ‘being’ and in a radical responsibility manner, assure the being that the answer lies within. In addition, the thinking that will be pursued is that ‘the question determines the answer’ and “when one asks the correct questions.  . one gets the correct answer“. The thinking provides that as and when the time comes o ask these questions, the answers will, through the process of critical thinking unveil itself. However, as “all there is; Is interpretation”, decolonization is mindful that if the questioning is wrong or suspended prematurely, the possibility of being stuck in interpretations based on the past is highly likely. When this happens, the thinking will miss ‘the fact in the matter‘ and the choices will be addressing interpretations of the fact and not the fact itself.

The Decolonization project also has a strong political and realistic component where along these decolonization of the mind is the desire to fulfill national self determination by the indigenous people of West Papua where they are seeking the realization of their human rights to self determination in their country against the occupation of the Indonesian Government. This requires high level diplomacy and lobbying coupled with negotiating from the grassroots to National and the global UN level. Together with the people of West Papua are the concerns from the Kanaky and for the life of this project  Bougainville

The target groups includes NGL target groups and people living in countries and situation requiring the recognition of their right to self determination.

[1] From the University of the South Pacific