Promoting Dialogue and Tolerance in Fiji
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Following the most recent coup in 2006, Fiji’s interim military-dominated government has rejected attempts at domestic and international dialogue, while postponing elections until 2014. In response, EWMI sought to build Fiji’s civil society capacity to promote democracy and human rights in the country through the Promoting Dialogue and Tolerance in Fiji (PDTF) project. Under this U.S. Department of State-funded project, EWMI and its international partner, the Dialogue Advisory Group, worked with a coalition of Fijian NGOs to explore ways of initiating and developing an ongoing dialogue between the government of Fiji and the NGO community. PDTF also promoted tolerance between the divided social and political groups in Fiji, in particular the Fijian majority and the Indo-Fijian minority, by bringing representatives from the different communities together to discuss local and national issues of greatest concern. The Promoting Dialogue and Tolerance in Fiji project was an entirely demand-driven initiative, which reflected and respected the goals and perspectives of EWMI partners on the ground in Fiji.