Tribewanted: Vorovoro

Why would you like to be Chief?

I joined because I was excited by the tribewanted vision. I want to be chief because, having been to the island and spent time with those who live there, I believe I can make a positive, practical and perhaps even valuable contribution to that vision.

What relevant skills would you bring to this role?

Living in different countries has taught me sensitivity to different cultures even as it’s taught me human beings are the same all over the world. I have good communication skills most of the time – early mornings are an exception. I am organised and attentive to detail. I am good at designing and building things and at coming up with solutions to problems. I enjoy brainstorming but I know sometimes the best answers come after taking some time out.

What, other than your skills, makes YOU the right person for this role?

I like people. I don’t drink much so while other tribe members are having fun around the fireplace drinking that awful Bounty rum there’ll be someone half-sober around…unless I’m sitting at the tanoa (kava bowl). If anyone’s got a problem I’m happy to sit down and listen to what they want to say and see if we can work something out.

What would you like to achieve as Chief?

If elected I intend to consult with those who know best what needs to be done. As chief my role would be primarily facilitative: looking after tribe members, the island family and the tribewanted team. I would also like to:

1. Do an appraisal of the island’s resource management and infrastructure design and recommend any changes or improvements that could be useful or may be required in the future.
2. Work with Aaron, tribewanted’s webmaster, to set up a page on the website with a shopping list of things that the island needs and that would be of help to the school on Mali, the neighbouring island. Vorovoro recently benefited from the arrival of a 12V pump and the children of Mali would love interesting general knowledge books suitable to their ages.
3. Plan for the next turtle egg-laying season and discuss with WWF whether we could help the local turtle population in some way, perhaps by setting up a covered run from the hatching site to the sea, or by keeping the baby turtles for a short time before releasing them so as to maximise their survival rates. In the long term I think it would be great if Vorovoro became a destination for marine biology students, etc. as part of their studies.
4. Discuss with Marau, Mali’s fisherman, the various ways we could get more of our food from the sea (crab traps, nets, spear-fishing, line-fishing from the south side of the island) and try those that offer promise and work with Save, the island’s man for all seasons, to make a practice spear and another good spear for island use.
5. Learn more about Fijian culture from our ‘minister of culture’, Tavite, who is a chief from Viti Levu, and also from the island family on Vorovoro and Mali.
6. Try and get some sponsorship from Philips, NZ. JW says we could do with some more phosphor LEDs and I reckon there are some good reasons why they should provide us with some!

One of the things I noticed on Vorovoro is that projects always happen more slowly than you might want and the regular business of the island can take up a lot of time so it can be difficult getting things done but the above would all be on my ‘to do’ list.

As Chief you will be given a small pot of money with which to leave your legacy. How will you spend it?

It would have to be on something useful though some of it may have to go on a nice Christmas dinner. I would not want to make a decision on a legacy project before discussing it with the tribewanted team and the island family. Extending the rainwater collection area seems like a good idea and I’m a fan of Alice’s idea about mattresses.

Tell us something interesting about yourself.

I save the really interesting stuff for face-to-face conversations but in the meantime…I’m a New Zealander (with British citizenship, for any of the many Brits whom I know are members and might be swayed by such information) who’s living and working in Sydney, Australia as an English teacher and actor. I have long had an interest in ecological issues – it seems to run in the family. I’ve travelled extensively and have lived in France, England, Greece, Italy, the U.S. and down under.

In one sentence, why should the tribe elect you Chief?

I have much to offer in this position and if I’m given the chance I intend to serve responsibly and intelligently and have a good time while I’m at it.

For more information see my forum entries under ‘J Stewart’, my profile page at www.tribewanted.com/users/372 or have a peek at my vid-cast (I should warn you – it’s 9MB and only 26 seconds long so you may want to skip it):