Wesley's Legacy

The editorial in Monday's (24/5/10) Fiji Times on the founder of Methodism, John Wesley commemorated Reverend Wesley's spiritual conversion and challenged Methodists of Fiji to recommit themselves not only to Wesley's spiritual teachings but also to putting them through, "caring for the poor and helping the downtrodden in society".

In 1772 John Wesley addressed a letter to the editor of Lloyd's Evening Post regarding the causes of and cures for high unemployment, food shortages and dismal economic conditions.

Wesley, who was 69 at the time, began the letter by asking, "Why are thousands of people starving-perishing for want, in every part of England?"

In describing the situation in London at the time Wesley wrote, "I have known those who could only afford to eat a little coarse food every other day. I have known one picking up stinking sprats from a dunghill, and carrying them home for herself and her children. I have known another gathering the bones, which the dogs had left in the streets, and making broth of them, to prolong a wretched life."

The founder of the Methodist Movement then went on to frankly point out the impact of poor land use and farming practices by landowners, the use of wheat and grain for alcohol rather than food production, high taxation and the increasing national debt as the root causes of the economic and social problems facing 18th Century England.

John Wesley believed that most of the economic problems of the day were caused by a growing disparity between the rich and the poor.

Wesley felt the cure was to repress "luxury, either by example, by laws, or both."

He asked legislators to establish laws that would prohibit the distillation of alcohol.

While he lamented high taxes upon the poor and middle class, he called for additional taxes on luxury items such as horses and carriages.

He suggested people be taxed on what they purchased rather than upon what they earned. Basically this was a call for higher taxes upon the wealthy and laws that would prohibit the wasting of natural products.

While he attempted to prick the consciences of the readers of Lloyd's Evening Post, Wesley did not publicise his personal actions, he organised groups of Methodists to visit the London workhouses where poor people were housed and employed. The groups also provided worship services for the inmates, most of whom were children and elderly persons.

Leading by example, Wesley also pushed for less reliance upon pharmaceuticals, experimented with alternative health practices (herbal and traditional medicines), he rose each morning at 4 o'clock and relied heavily on an active lifestyle. He lived to age 88.

Methodists under Wesley's direction became leaders in many social justice issues of the day including prison reform and abolitionism movements.

In his seminal work in support of the abolition of slavery, Thoughts Upon Slavery, Wesley wrote,

"If, therefore, you have any regard to justice, (to say nothing of mercy, nor the revealed law of God,) render unto all their due. Give liberty to whom liberty is due, that is, to every child of man, to every partaker of human nature. Let none serve you but by his own act and deed, by his own voluntary choice. Away with all whips, all chains, all compulsion! Be gentle toward all men; and see that you invariably do unto every one as you would he should do unto you."

His concluding prayer in Thoughts Upon Slavery can also be read in light of the many oppressive structures in the world today. It is a cry for justice:

"O thou God of love, thou who art loving to every man, and whose mercy is over all thy works; thou who art the Father of the spirits of all flesh, and who art rich in mercy unto all; thou who hast mingled of one blood all the nations upon earth; have compassion upon these outcasts of men, who are trodden down as dung upon the earth! Arise, and help these that have no helper, whose blood is spilt upon the ground like water! Are not these also the work of thine own hands, the purchase of thy Son's blood? Stir them up to cry unto thee in the land of their captivity; and let their complaint come up before thee; let it enter into thy ears! Make even those that lead them away captive to pity them, and turn their captivity as the rivers in the south. O burst thou all their chains in sunder; more especially the chains of their sins! Thou Saviour of all, make them free, that they may be free indeed!"

The legacy of John Wesley is spiritual piety, practical Christian love, typified by mission to the poor and marginalised through education, health services, and other social welfare programmes including building houses for the homeless. It is a legacy of speaking truth to power, of calling for justice, mercy and compassion.

Some months ago I was sent an email which read: Leave a legacy that says you Loved God; you took good care of your family; you were kind and generous; you were a true friend; you kept your word; you encouraged others; you had a great attitude; you helped those in need; and that you lived true to your faith.

What will our legacies for future generations be? May the rest of you week be blessed with light, love, peace and the courage to speak the truth in love.

* Reverend J.S. Bhagwan is a member of the Faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the Associate Minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Mr J.S. Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with. Email: padrejamesgmail.com

Stigma Kills

Published in The Fiji Times on Wednesday May 19th, 2010

"Stigma is unacceptable, because stigma kills." These were the words of the Governor General of Papua New Guinea, Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane, two weeks ago, as he launched the Papua New Guinea Christian Leader's Alliance on HIV and AIDS. In his keynote address, Sir Paulias said the launch and the signing of the statement of commitment was a historic event of great magnitude. Sir Paul commended the church leaders for taking the "bold, strong and courageous steps needed against a formidable adversary such as HIV and AIDS." He called on the churches to be the voice of the voiceless and mirrors of God's mercy, saying that the Christian Leaders Alliance was, "a powerful change agent" in removing the stigma and discrimination surrounding HIV and AIDS.

I was fortunate to be present at the launch of the Alliance and the signing of by Church leaders from 19 Christian denominations in Papua New Guinea of a commitment to fully engaging in the response to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Papua New Guinea. The statement by the Church leaders gives a number of commitments on addressing the stigma and discrimination associated with HIV and AIDS in Papua New Guinea; on providing practical and compassionate pastoral care to people living with HIV and AIDS and on strengthening existing partnerships with both organizations and groups already responding to the HIV and AIDS pandemic in Papua New Guinea including working with religious communities to disseminate accurate information relating to

HIV and AIDS in the areas of prevention, treatment, care and support of people.

The commitment also included, "speaking publicly at every opportunity, particularly from our pulpits, on HIV/AIDS, especially affirming the God-given dignity of all persons, and their right to life, to security, health care and general acceptance, respect, care and love."

A representative of People Living with HIV and AIDS, Peter Momo, shared his story, highlighting the importance of loving care for people living with HIV and AIDS. Mr Momo said more people who were HIV positive would go public with their status if they were encouraged by the care received in their communities. He challenged church leaders to join their congregations in caring for people living with HIV and AIDS.

Head of the Roman Catholic Church in Papua New Guinea, Archbishop John Ribate, who chaired the reference group on the PNG Christian Leaders Alliance on HIV and AIDS said that the churches call to action on HIV and AIDS came from the understanding that no human situation can be considered outside the realm of communities of faith. He added that in Papua New Guinea, Christian communities were the best people to teach people how to prevent the spread of HIV. Speaking on behalf of the members of the Alliance, Archbishop Ribat said, "We pledge to do more. We will spare no effort to break the silence on HIV and AIDS."

There is no doubt that the work that the PNG Christian Leaders' Alliance on HIV and AIDS is a milestone in the Pacific response to the epidemic and an inspirational example as to how churches of different denominations and indeed all religious groups can work together on a life and death issue that affects every community.

However, statement by Grand Chief Sir Paulias Matane, the sharing by Peter Momo and the pledge made on behalf of the Alliance by Archbishop John Ribat, remind us also that stigma and discrimination results in silence, which culminates in ignorance and continues to further stigma and discrimination in a vicious cycle.

Most of us fear rejection. In fact many of us go out of our way to do things or behave in a manner that will prevent our rejection by our friends, family and community. Often this means lying. We lie to others and eventually we lie to ourselves. This can be as simple as lying about our age and our weight, but it also goes far, far deeper as we feel the situation warrants. When we live a life of fear, we do not live at all. When the truth is absent from our lives, it is very difficult for love to be present.

Monday, May 17, was International Day against Homophobia and Transphobia. The UNAIDS executive director Mr Michel SidibÚ, in his statement for this occasion wrote,

"Change is happening: From hate to harmony - From exclusion to inclusion - From stigma to dignity. But not everywhere. Today, nearly 80 countries still have laws prohibiting same-sex behavior. These laws block access to HIV prevention, treatment, care and support. I call on all governments to create social and legal environments that ensure respect for human rights. UNAIDS has made protecting and providing HIV services to men who have sex with men and transgender people as a priority area.

"It is my hope that through our collective efforts, we can make homophobia and transphobia history."

A few weeks ago I received an email in response to this column from a man who has struggled to come to terms with his sexual identity because of fear of stigma and discrimination.

He wrote: "My journey as a gay man has been a long and painful one. For the past three years I have been under treatment for clinical depression, on anti-depressant medication and seeing a psychologist. The underlying reason for my depression was that I was not comfortable with my sexuality and hated myself for being gay. Living in a homophobic, conservative country as Fiji did not help the situation. In mid 2009 I finally came to terms with myself and broke the heavy shackles of depression. I came out to my family and friends and have been accepted with open arms and support. I have been lucky but I know others in Fiji have not been. I realise I'm not alone in the world but I do not want anyone else to go through what I did. No one should go through my pain and the world should embrace us with open arms."

May 17, 2010 is the International Day Against Homophobia. This date was chosen because this is the day homosexuality was removed from the International Classification of Diseases from the World Health Organisation on May 17, 1992. The International Day Against Homophobia belongs to no one individual. It's about all people hoping for a prejudice-free world that can provide a place at the table for everyone regardless of their sexual orientation. Inspired by all world theme-days, the day set aside to fight homophobia needs to be appropriated by all of those actively involved in civil society: gay and lesbian community organisations, those organisations focusing on other types of sexual diversity, unions, employers, private businesses, governments, public administration, professional associations, religious groups and all individuals seeking equality.

As I sat in the Raiwai Church on Sunday for the candlelight memorial for those from Fiji, the Pacific and around the world who have died as a result of HIV and AIDS, I thought of the many that died alone because they feared telling someone of their HIV status. So many of us in this world suffer from some sort of stigma and discrimination because of our ethnicity, status, gender, age, upbringing and sexual orientation.

I am reminded that the Christ broke the taboos of His day and reached out in healing and love to those considered unclean and outcast and that we who consider ourselves His Body are called to continue that which he began.

Each human being has the capacity to be an agent of transformation in this world. To transform our fear into love, transform our discrimination, stigmatization and rejection of all people into acceptance, compassion and loving care; to transform our ignorance, our division and our indifference into wisdom, unity and purpose. In doing so, we will turn darkness into light, death into life and despair into hope.

May the rest of your week be blessed with love, light, peace and the strength, courage and wisdom to transform the world, one person at a time.

* Reverend J.S. Bhagwan is a member of the Faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the Associate Minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Mr J.S. Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with. Email:padrejamesgmail.com

Young people encounter Christian Unity

Published in The Fiji Times, Wednesday May 12th, 2010

'Unity' is perhaps the most important, yet often the most elusive, objective in any community. I remember as a young boy on school-holiday visits to Suva from Lautoka riding past the Public Employees Union building on Edinburgh Drive. The image of two shaking hands and the words "United we stand, Divided we fall," were indelibly imprinted in my memory. Yet our self-interest or selfishness often outweighs our recognition that the needs of the many are more important than the wants of the few.

I was in Papua New Guinea recently and was watching the local television news as someone was being interviewed on a submission on human rights. The person was trying to explain to the interviewer the importance of communal rights as understood in the cultures of Papua New Guinea in relation to individual rights as understood in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. To me, the point that came across was that our individual rights are the base minimum, while our communal rights or perhaps responsibilities to each other are the ideal.

Unity in our diverse society is always going to be a difficult task given that many community leaders have their own agendas and that for many, one's identity focuses on that which marks us as different rather than as the same. Even on the divisive issue of religion, we often tend to identify our selves by denomination than faith. In a country like Fiji, with a high percentage of professing Christians, there are many Christian denominations whose relationships with each other range from fellowship and working together through recognised commonalities, to casual or uneasy relationships, ignorance or outright criticism and condemnation. It seems some leaders of faith communities are more interested in the issue of "sheep-stealing" (proselytising) than finding common ground to work together.

It would seem that in the household of God, each family member keeps his or her room locked and tries to entice other members of the household to move into that room.

A few weeks ago, about 24 young men and women from churches and Christian groups from around met in Suva for a weeklong encounter with some of the pioneers of the ecumenical movement in the Pacific: Archbishop Sir Ellison Pogo, of the Anglican Church of Melanesia; former president of the Methodist Church in Fiji and Rotuma, Reverend Dr Ilaitia Sevati Tuwere, past-General Secretary of the Pacific Conference of Churches, Mrs Lorine Tevi; and the Citizen's Constitutional Forum's Reverend Akuila Yabaki.

The initiative of the Pacific Conference of Churches was to bring these young people together to listen, discern, learn from and celebrate with the ecumenical pioneers the foundation and years of progress of the ecumenical movement in Oceania - its history, vision, the calls and actions that were made since its formation in Malua, Western Samoa in 1961 and the challenges it faced over the years. Many of these young people had never heard the word "ecumenism". After those five days together, I doubt they will ever forget it.

At the end of their ecumenical encounter, the young people issued a communiquÚ which will be presented to the Pacific Church Leaders meeting in August in Aotearoa / New Zealand. The communiquÚ expressed, "the pain of division in particular, the pain of not being able to break bread together, fellowship as often as we can and to share the word of God together; as well as the failure to recognise the gift of unity that God has given and to take responsibility of the call to visibly express this unity."

It also expressed concern at the failure of churches, "to speak with one voice and carry out its prophetic witness on the most fundamental issue of our time, namely the declining respect for and valuing of life - both human and natural - in the household of God, which has resulted in the deepening level of poverty and injustice, violence in its various forms, bad governance and corruption, the indignity with regard to how we treat those who are different from us, and the devastating impacts of climate change resulting from our human greed and mistaken view of development."

The young ecumenists shared their view of the household of God from a Christian perspective and affirmed that ecumenism means the "one household or the Oikos of God and it includes the human family and all created things in our seas, lands and skies and affirming that we are impelled, with our variety of gifts and contributions, to continue to build the "household of God." Understanding that Christian unity, "means unity in diversity and that the differences among our Churches in Oceania and the diversity of our Christian faith traditions enhance, enrich and strengthen our Christian unity," the young Christian men and women of the "liquid continent" affirmed that this unity, "deepens our understanding of God, moves us to appreciate the uniqueness of our own church traditions, and help us to embrace our humble state in the vastness of God's creation."

As they agreed that diversity and difference has a real place in our Christian unity, and that these are not tragic but invitations for us to appreciate our uniqueness and to recognise the dignity of those who are different and that of the created world, they also acknowledged the "failure to recognise and deeply appreciate that we all belong to the one household or the "Oikos" of God that includes women and men of other religious faiths and the natural world and all it contains."

The communiquÚ calls the churches of the Pacific to re-engage with each other through the establishment of a commission to articulate and develop a fresh approach to dialogue on the three things that divide churches, namely Baptism, Eucharist and Ministry (BEM). It also called churches to maintain a shared history of the churches and ecumenical movement; develop a mentoring and accompaniment program in ecumenical formation and learning at the national and regional levels so that ecumenism is better understood by church leaders and among the young and the old and develop a network of young ecumenists where ecumenism can be nurtured and celebrated, and where issues of moral concern to the churches are discussed and action taken.

The desire for faith to be expressed in society was also expressed as the young ecumenists called for political leaders to be encouraged to share the belief that, "in the one household of God, no one is excluded;" to take leadership in "redefining our oceanic identity where our diversity and differences are deeply appreciated and where our commonalities are held up in a world that threatens to make us the same" as well as "redefining development and what it means in view of the fact that poverty, economic injustices, violence in its various forms, and incidences of corruption and bad governance are increasing in our island countries".

The key to this lies in helping people understand ecumenism or the concept of the "household of God" from childhood to adulthood, to enhance a deeper appreciation of ecumenism and the re-establishment of chaplaincies for students in tertiary institutions at the national and regional levels with intensive ecumenical learning programs with them. For this to take place, the youth requested that important ecumenical documents be written and translated into local languages.

This communiquÚ is a bold statement by young men and women of the region who, having experienced what is possible through claiming a place in the "household of God," are committed to ensuring that everyone has access to this "household". In non-theological terms they have experienced the practical potential of unity in diversity. Their call is not just for churches but for all to heed. It is a call for inclusion, respect and tolerance. Above all, it is a call for love and understanding of each other.

May the rest of your week be blessed with the recognition that we all have an equal place in the "household of God".

* Reverend J.S. Bhagwan is a member of the Faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the Associate Minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Reverend J.S. Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with.

* Email: padrejamesgmail.com

Get On Your Bike

Published in the Fiji Times on Tuesday 4th May, 2010




When I was growing up in Lautoka, I was fortunate to have a bicycle. In fact I had two, although not at the same time. I remember progressing from training wheels with my father holding on, to riding on my own with two wheels. Then as I got bigger and my older sister complained about my riding around town with her bicycle (which had a basket and was therefore handy for carrying around the things boys in Lautoka like to carry around, especially fireworks at Diwali time), my smaller bicycle was recycled into the extended family and I went with my parents to buy a new red Steelmaster 3-speed (my age is now showing) bicycle.

It wasn’t cheap so my father was determined to make sure that I appreciated the gift. I had to ride it home, and anyone who has ridden a brand new bicycle will understand how hard it was to pedal. This difficulty was compounded by the fact that I did not understand how the gears worked and that even though I was too big for my old bike, I was too short for my new bike and so had to either stand and pedal or sit painfully on the crossbar.

It took me some time to grow into this bicycle, both in terms of height to sit properly and in terms of strength to pedal consistently and use the handbrakes. But eventually once I mastered the Steelmaster, it opened up a new world for me. By Class 5 I was allowed to cycle the short distance from our government quarters opposite Churchill Park, to Drasa Avenue School. That included a roundabout and a very steep (for Class 5) hill, the summit on which was my school. Off course that meant that riding home afterschool was fast and furious. I would cycle to visit my mother at work and hire VHS tapes from the video shop across the road from her workplace, to the post office to check the mailbox, to town to pick up small items from the shop or when I was feeling adventurous and energetic, cycle up to the Lautoka Hospital to visit father. There were many adventures had on two wheels.

In Suva, I did try to cycle to work a few times, but the hours and conditions of work in radio and then television meant that cycling downhill to work for a breakfast show and struggling uphill after a grog session or any other session, especially without a light put an end to this attempt. A few years later I tried again with some success. But time was not on my side in terms of choices of bicycle and car for transport and I have always preferred swimming to cycling for any attempt at fitness.

Then on Saturday, I found myself saying a prayer, not just for myself but for His Excellency the President of Fiji and other amateur cyclists at the starting line for the two-wheeled launch of LifeCycle Fiji. Then following Ratu Epeli’s lead, going for a short ride around central Suva. It’s true what they say about riding a bicycle – you never remember exactly what it’s like until you get on and start pedalling and balancing. His Excellency set a good pace and even wearing a sulu-vakataga, I was able to keep up without embarrassing either myself or any spectators. However, as much as I enjoyed the uniqueness of the event, the launch of LifeCycleFiji marks an important milestone in the areas of health and vitality, energy and quality of life for Fiji Islanders.

According to The Sunday Times, “the Life Cycle Fiji Initiative (LCFI) is a joint initiative of the Department of Energy (DOE) and the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Oceania to promote the use of non-motorised vehicles as a mode of transport and also to reduce Fiji's fuel bill amongst many other positive social, environmental and economical benefits.”

Cyclists live 10-15 years longer than those that do nothing. According to anecdotal evidence from Cuba, when bicycles were promoted as a viable transport option, in the first five years, those who rode an average of 15minutes a day, added 5 years onto their lives.

Apart from the fitness aspect, the bicycle is the bicycle is the most efficient machine known. On a bike you use the same energy as walking but go 5 times faster. On a bicycle you use up less energy than a car consumes just to power its lighting system for the same distance.

Dominic Sansom and other enthusiasts have been working on reintroducing a cycling culture (introducing in most countries) in the Pacific and are working, “towards creating better conditions for those that want to cycle for transport and pleasure. We would like to see more people cycling for their health, for the environments, to work and school and just because it's great fun.”

While safety is always an issue, the Land Transport Authority is a valuable partner in this initiative. The cost of bicycles could be greatly reduced, and a new niche industry created, if the main frame of the bicycle was to be manufactured here.

With no pollution, no impact on the environment and, “No negatives to cycling,” according to Sansom and the advocates of LifeCycleFiji, cycling is not only fun but the use of what has been voted as one inventions of the millennium, can also save time. Two hours spent in the Nausori to Suva corridor could be reduced to 40 minutes for those who “bike it”. It is about 15minutes from Lami to Suva. And these are areas with hills. Imagine the ease of transport in flat areas of Nadi, Ba and my favourite cycling city, Lautoka.

I hope to join in their Saturday 7am easy rides as soon as I find a good pair of shorts. Cycling in a sulu, while brave, may cause some accidents on the road.

For more information send an email to lifecyclepacific@gmail.com or visit http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#!/group.php?gid=112726728739464&v=wall&ref=ss

Cycle for fun. Cycle to work and school. Cycle as transport. Cycle for the environment. Cycle for your life.

May the rest of your week be blessed with life, love, peace and the realisation that the revolution starts with one turn of the pedal.

Rev. J.S. Bhagwan is a member of the Faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the Associate Minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Rev. J.S. Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with. Email: padrejames@gmail.com

Loving 'the other' in the shadow of HIV/AIDS

Off The Wall With Padre James Bhagwan - Published in The Fiji Times - Wednesday, April 28, 2010

How do I as a father, a husband, a Christian, a human being engage with the issue of HIV/AIDS?

This was the question with which I ended this column last week.

This week I would like to continue this reflection, especially in the light of the launch, earlier this week, of the Report of the Commission on AIDS in the Pacific, "Turning the Tide: an OPEN strategy for a response to AIDS in the Pacific.

The OPEN strategy recommended in the report calls for ownership, partnerships, empowering and enabling and networking so that there is an inclusive response to HIV/AIDS.

This means that all levels of the society need to take ownership of the HIV epidemic.

One of the strongest pleas made by the President of Fiji, the Deputy Prime Minister of Samoa (chair of the Commission on AIDS in the Pacific), United Nations representatives, HIV positive people and a host of others actively working to stop the spread of HIV was for churches and other faith-based organisations to fully commit and become involved in the HIV/AIDS issue.

The Nadi Declaration on HIV/ AIDS by Pacific Churches in 2004 was not only a call to face the facts on HIV in the Pacific but a call to repentance for the way Christians have dealt with the issue, especially in our response to people living with HIV/AIDS.

For far too long we who call ourselves Christian have been blind to the suffering of other members of the body of Christ.

We are deaf to their cries.

We forget that, "if one part of the body suffers, every part suffers with it," (1 Corinthians 12:26).

The scales of prejudice, ignorance and fear prevent us from recognising God's presence in every person.

Our attitudes toward sexuality prevent us from looking at HIV/AIDS as an issue of life and death and caring and being concerned with the needs of our biblical neighbours - the other, the stranger.

Our love for each other has become so conditional that many of us have lost the ability to have compassion for those who are different from us.

The OPEN Strategy highlights the need to link up so that we can work together on this issue rather than just "doing our own thing" and working in isolation.

Our actions must not just be one-off or ad hoc but need to be consistent and build on the work or add support to the work of others.

It also calls for our support for people who are either involved in combating this epidemic or who are its casualties must be more than lip service or pity.

Encouragement, caring for the needs of people living with HIV/AIDS, enabling them to continue to have a meaningful life empowers them to not only hold on to life and hope but to be symbols of hope and life for others.

In the Gospel of Matthew (25:34-40), the Christ says in a parable,

"Then the King will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father; take your inheritance, the kingdom prepared for you since the creation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave me something to drink, I was a stranger and you invited me in, I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me.'

"Then the righteous will answer him, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink?

When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you? When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?'

"The King will reply, 'I tell you the truth, whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did for me'.

As a traditional force of positive influence in the community, the churches of the Pacific need to be agents of God's transforming grace by helping our people find the courage to face the truth about HIV/AIDS and Sexually Transmitted Infections in the Pacific, speaking out against discrimination and stigmatisation of people at most risk to HIV and STIs, people living with HIV and by talking about these issues and others such as violence against women and children with words that are characterised by respect, love, forgiveness and intimacy.

Churches and other faith-based organisations need to actively educate their communities of faith- theologically and pastorally on HIV and STIs, support and counsel them for testing and advocate holistic care and treatment for those living with HIV.

All human beings are called, by whatever spiritual path they follow, to transform fear into love.

This transformation is key to transforming the darkness of despair associated with HIV/AIDS into the light of hope.

For more on the Nadi Declaration on HIV/AIDS by Pacific Churches visit - http://www.oikoumene.org/fileadmin/documents/nadideclaration2006.pdf

May the rest of your week be blessed with God's transforming grace.

* Rev. J.S. Bhagwan is a member of the Faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the Associate Minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Rev. J.S. Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with. Email: padrejames@gmail.com

Mai Word: Of Tsunamis and Tsunamus

Published in Mai Life Magazine - April, 2010
On Friday, the cyclone formed and school was cancelled. On Saturday,the cyclone winked and the women’s fellowship meeting was cancelled. On Sunday, despite prayers by some members of the congregation, church was not cancelled. By Monday the cyclone was officially a hurricane, everything else was cancelled. As I debated how to follow DISMAC’s instructions to secure our property (tying up thechildren?) and move my car to a secure place without breaking the curfew, I noticed people making mad dashes to the corner shop to get essential rations such as the newspapers, bread for breakfast,soft drinks and snacks to go with hastily procured DVDs. It was like watching the Great Escape in reverse.

My family battened down the hatches to our rabbit warren, while I wondered around like a handyman on steroids,taking hammer and nail or gaffer tape to anything that flapped, shook, rattled and hummed. I did pause to ponder on what my boss who art in heaven might think of the ease with which I took to pounding nail into wood.

As the wind began to pick up the emergency meeting of the Mission-Hill Disasterwatch board began with radio and torch in hand – in one hand so that the other could hold the sacred coconut cup. I realised that too much information can be a dangerous thing as we debated what was the true strength and speed of the hurricane, the correct path and what sort of storm determined a male or female name – each of us quoting newspaper, radio and internet sources,including a NASA satellite image of the Pacific. We argued as if we had taught Rajendra Prasad of the Meteorological Centre himself. The meeting was adjourned to collect more evidence as well as more kava.

Just as darkness began to fall the water was cut off, followed within minutes, by the electricity. There was momentary panic, as the realisation that there might not be enough water to mix kava, drink,bathe, wash or even mix...
er...kava (priorities!) hit,and the confusion of why,when the cyclone had not reached, the electricity was off. Was it about to hit? Had there been an accident? Did we pay the bill? Was it a conspiracy? Thankfully,it was none of the above,merely the Fiji Electricity Authority trimming branches before the night and winds came. Within 20 minutes we were assured of a night of television and DVDs for some and a basin or five of water for our powered courage for others.

The curfew started, heralding the Mission-Hill Hurricane Action Team to meet for another emergency session as one important fact seemed to have been overlooked – where to procure kava from in case our current supply ran out and it was still too wet and windy to pound more. For the next there were serious deliberations of whether the police would recognise kava shops as providing an essential service. The discussions were shelved when the media arrived.We prepared ourselves to give an update of the effect of the cyclone on Furnival Park but were disappointed when neither of the journalists appeared to be holding a pen, pad, camera or tape recorder. The frown of disappointment turned upside down when we realised that they had laid aside the tools of their trade in order to bring, hermetically sealed and attached to floats with GPRS tracking, the source of the earlier discussion on essential services – brown powdered stuff.

I feel I must, in the light of the devastation caused by Hurricane Tomas,clarify that none of us took the potential threat of the impending storm...well...lightly. We shared with each other what precautions we had taken, for the hurricane outside as well as the storm that might rage inside the house should we be gone for too long. Each of us proudly held up our torches and radios.I did think it odd that we each had our own and whetherleaving it for those in the house to use would have been a better idea. We shared stories from previous natural disasters. Eager to get involved, as one of the youngest of the MHHAT (sadly we had now begun to use acronyms), I shared my experience during the tsunami alert of 2006.

I was a final year student at the Pacific Theological College and my family was the first in the college to learn of the tsunami alert. According to my calculations the tsunami was going to hit in either 15minutes, one hour and 15 minutes, or had in fact already hit. As student body president, I informed the college principal of the situation and said that I would help in the evacuation. My family began preparations. I dashed around and woke up my fellow students and lecturers asking them to come to the community hall for an emergency meeting. By this stage the first 15 minutes were up so we were either dead or had another hour. I popped my head into my flat to find my wife trying to fit five packs of diapers, baby formula,clothes, toys and essentials into two bags, while my mother was tidying the house and putting things out of reach of the water. After a brief (in Pacific/Fiji Time) meeting we began to evacuate. I went to move my family so that I could concentrate on evacuating the rest of my family to find my mother making a cup of tea, in case she couldn’t get a decent “cuppa” for a few days. The first family to hear the news of the impending disaster were one of the last to leave the college,lightly packed with two suitcases and a duffle bag full of only baby things.

So that was the tsunami story. As for “tsunamu,” I find it just the right description for those giant two-legged mosquitoes (namu) that appear late into the evening’s session, drink your kava or (fit appropriate beverage here), choke your chaser, your cigarettes and then ask you to drop them home after. I find a sermon and a long prayer helps get rid of all but the most determined of them.Happy Easter and have a safe month!

A sunbaked, self-confessed Jesus-freak, Padre James Bhagwan spends his time between doing laps in the pool, lecturing at Davuilevu Theological College, preaching at Dudley Methodist Church, playing with his children and driving his

A new lens on HIV/STDs

Published in The Fiji Times, Wednesday 21st April, 2010

I was happy to read of the HIV Prevention and Treatment Decree (FT 20/4/2010) which is expected out in the next few months.

That this decree will make it illegal to stigmatise a person on the ground that the person is living with HIV is an important step to address not only the discrimination that people living with HIV face but also the stigma associated with HIV as well as other Sexually Transmitted Infections.

It has taken some very brave women and men to step forward to tell their stories and put a human face to this epidemic.

Their struggle for acceptance within their families and communities, and to face an uncertain future while retaining hope and embracing the present is a lesson for all of us on our own prejudices and misconceptions about who can contract HIV and under what circumstances.

But there are many more who find themselves unable to disclose their status for fear of rejection and reprisal, or denial about their condition.

With the amount of literature available and agencies, community groups and individuals providing HIV/AIDS awareness and education, it is only our own attitude towards HIV that prevents us from understanding the true nature of this pandemic instead of believing the myths.

The article was of particular interest to me because this week I am in Nadi for a UNICEF-organised Pacific Sub-regional consultation on the Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission (PPTCT) of HIV.

I find myself among doctors, nurses, midwives, lab technicians and counsellors from around the Pacific, along with representatives of UNICEF, UNAIDS and UNFPA, ambassadors from the Fiji Network for People living with HIV, as well as the Pacific Conference of Churches. The consultation is focused on scaling up the prevention of parent-to-child transmission of HIV. This includes discussing the possibilities of integration of PPTCT services as well as setting standards, guidelines and policies for the region in maternal and child care services, counselling and testing of HIV and reproductive healthcare, including family planning.

Until recently this issue was termed as "Prevention of Mother to Child Transmission" and the change in terminology to "Prevention of Parent to Child Transmission" broadens the issue to address the involvement of men, especially expectant fathers in this important issue.

Our responsibilities to our wives and partners and to our children should include partnership in ante natal care (before birth), including agreeing to be tested if the expectant mother is diagnosed as HIV positive, continuing into post natal (following birth). It is not just an issue about HIV but more importantly about shared responsibility in parenthood.

While some of us have difficulty engaging in the issue of HIV from the point of view of sexuality, this issue is about families, about our children and ensuring that they have the best possible chance of having a healthy life.

As the ambassadors of people living with HIV shared the fear of a HIV-positive mother for her baby each time she took the child for testing after birth, I recalled my fear as I watched my wife give birth to each of my two children.

Would they be alive?

Would they be normal?

What was that fear compared to a mother who asked herself, "Will my baby be diagnosed with HIV?"

Before rushing into condemnation of women who are HIV-positive having children, it is important we understand that a number of women are only diagnosed as being HIV-positive when they are tested during their ante natal clinic visits.

Our climbing onto "the moral high ground" must be tempered with the appreciation that many of these women have been faithful to their husbands or partners and it is from either the unfaithfulness of these husbands/partners who become infected with HIV and the lack of men voluntarily undergoing HIV testing.

Recently Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr Sala Saketa was quoted as saying that the burden of responsibility should not be placed on one part of the community and it was important to have a law which would give a shared responsibility on HIV testing and reporting.

An issue raised during the discussion on HIV testing and pre and post-testing counselling was the role of ministers, pastors or religious and community leaders in the Pacific context when communities are small and in rural and remote islands where professional counsellors are not available and given the cultural context, more approachable than counsellors who are already stigmatised as "AIDS counsellors".

For this to take place, ministers or other religious leaders need to include in their pastoral counselling training, components on HIV/AIDS.

More than that, they need to look at HIV/AIDS not as an issue of morality but as an issue of life and death.

For Christians we look to Christ who came that we may all have life and life in abundance.

On April 8 this year, leaders from the Roman Catholic, mainline Protestant and Pentecostal churches signed a statement of commitment which includes the following words:

"We, Christian Church leaders in Papua New Guinea recognise the HIV epidemic as a very special Cross to be carried in our time. The HIV epidemic affects all aspects of our living our cultural norms and practices socio-economic conditions, economic development, human responsibility, issues of gender, sexuality and morality, marriage and family life. Papua New Guinea is seen as a Christian country. If we are to live according to Christianity and to be seen as genuine, then our response to the HIV epidemic must be similar to that of the "Good Samaritan", a response in the spirit of Christian love and sacrifice that we become true neighbours to one another!"

The statement, which is to be launched on May 5, goes on to say that, "the AIDS crisis is bringing us together because we are living with HIV and AIDS.

We need to share knowledge, understanding and experience from our various religious communities so that our united efforts become more effective and inclusive.

Through this, we will seek to establish a new culture of ecumenical and interfaith co-operation; respecting the uniqueness within our traditions while focusing on our shared values of human dignity and human rights."

In the absence of a functioning national council of churches in Fiji, it would take both the leaders and those on the ground to commit to a meaningful Christian response to the HIV crisis that is in line with declarations statements made and endorsed by the church leaders of the Pacific in the "Nadi Declaration" of 2004 and at the Pacific Conference of Churches General Assembly in Pago Pago in 2007, both of which had representatives of Fiji churches.

Sitting amidst healthcare workers who are passionate about preventing the spread of this epidemic holistically and are examining how to improve their work remembering the human face of the lives involved, I am inspired to recommit to engaging in this issue in a more meaningful way. Not just as a talatala or a lecturer but as a husband, a father, as a human being.

How about you?

May the rest of your week be blessed with simplicity, serenity and spontaneity and the courage to act with compassion.

* Reverend JS Bhagwan is a member of the faculty at Davuilevu Theological College and the associate minister of Dudley Methodist Circuit in Suva. This article is the sole opinion of Mr Bhagwan and not of this newspaper or any organisation that he is affiliated with. padrejamesgmail.com