ECREA seeks that the Ministry of Lands and the Government of the day keep to their promise that no families, communities will be evicted when they assumed governance in December 2006. The squatters and those living in informal settlements are human beings just like the ordinary citizen of this country and contribute to this country in every possible means in regards to development of this nation.

Recalling one of the pillars of the Charter is to reduce poverty by 2015, ECREA seeks that the Government does do all that is humanely possible for alternative dispute resolutions in regards to informal settlements rather than evicting them unreasonably. The Office of the Prime Minister in supporting the Peoples Community Network (PCN) with the Lagilagi Project is a fine example of resolving the housing and land issues in Fiji. This is a model than can be perfected for the rest of Fiji.

Civil Society members, such as ECREA, SEEP and PCN intends to work within and empower these communities and Informal Settlements become enlightened with financial literacy and sustained economic development programmes to enrich them build and sustain better lives for themselves.

Therefore ECREA seeks that the Committee for the Better Utilisation of Land (CBUL), Ministry of Lands, any local authority or public office intending to evict families and communities to reconsider their options and dialogue with Civil Society for a way forward for this country. There are alternatives and ECREA is willing to assist.

 Joseph Camillo
Executive Director