Tuvalu PM Teo: Peace must begin at home'

Feleti Teo

(PacNews)--Tuvalu Prime Minister, Feleti Teo says peace in the Pacific cannot be achieved while women live in fear and children experience abuse, urging leaders to embed gender equality and social inclusion into the heart of the region’s new Ocean of Peace Declaration.

Speaking at the Ocean of Peace Talanoa in Suva, Prime Minister Teo said, “Peace must begin at home. And peace must be lived every day, in the choices we make, and in the policies we craft, and in the relationships we build.”

The event gathered Pacific ministers, senior officials, and civil society to discuss how gender equality and social inclusion can strengthen the region’s push for peace under the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent.

“I thank the organisers of the Talanoa for according to me the honour to offer some brief remarks at the start of this Ocean of Peace Talanoa,” Teo said.

He confirmed that the Ocean of Peace Declaration is still a work in progress, with plans for it to be submitted to Pacific Islands Forum leaders when they meet in September in Honiara.

The declaration builds on the Ocean of Peace Initiative, originally championed by Fiji Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka and later endorsed by Forum Leaders as a regional effort.

“So, I view this Talanoa as a continuation of the regional conversation on framing the regional Ocean of Peace Initiative,” Teo said.

He argued that peace in the Pacific must be understood beyond geopolitical stability.

“My basic proposition is that peace is not simply the absence of conflicts. Instead, I would argue that peace occurs where there is the presence of justice, where there is social inclusion, and where there is respect for relationships grounded in mutual care and responsibility,” Teo said.

“From a gender equality and social inclusion perspective, peace is when women and men, boys and girls, walk through life in safety, with dignity, and enjoy equal opportunities.

“And so, when we speak of an Ocean of Peace, we are not only simply referring to geopolitical security dynamics. We are in fact talking about the deeper fabrics and structures of our societies, about how we treat each other in our homes, how we treat each other in our villages, and in our institutions,” said Teo.

He warned that Pacific leaders cannot claim the title of an “Ocean of Peace” while violence persists in homes and half the population is excluded from decision-making.

“We cannot expect peace in our region while there is violence in our homes and villages. We cannot claim for the Pacific the trophy of Ocean of Peace, while our women live in fear, while our children witness or experience abuse behind closed doors, while half of our people are excluded from decisions that shape their future,” Teo said.

“As representatives of various governments and communities in the Blue Pacific Continent, we are bound by a shared vision that peace must not only be preserved, but it must be nurtured, deepened, and made truly meaningful to all citizens of the Blue Pacific Continent.”

Teo said Tuvalu’s experience shows that gender equality and social inclusion are vital components of a truly peaceful society and must be central to the regional framework being developed.

“And peace must be lived every day, in the choices we make, and in the policies we craft, and in the relationships we build,” said PM Teo.

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