Building ‘Shared Societies’ in Pacific Island States: Prospects and challenges

This article examines some of the challenges to building Shared Societies in Pacific Island states in relation to the four essential features: meaningful democratic participation; respect for diversity and the dignity of the individual; equality of opportunity, including access to resources; and protection from discrimination. It discusses the particular challenges of managing ethnic diversity and reducing economic disparities. Building Shared Societies in Pacific Island states is a desirable but long-term project that will involve many changes to be made, inter alia, in law and policy, the educational curriculum, political leadership and citizen understanding.