Shalom Club - Vanuatu
Support for Israel in the Pacific
by Mark Schulman
Godwin Ligo is a busy man these days. When he's not managing the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, he's running the Pacific island nation's Shalom Club, always finding new ways to expose his fellow islanders to the Israel experience.
Shortly after the two countries signed diplomatic relations in December 1993, Ligo made local history by being one of the first "Ni-Vanuatu" (of Vanuatu) to come to Israel to attend a MASHAV course (the International Course on Workers' Participation in Decision Making, Management and Ownership of Enterprises, held at the Histadrut's International Institute in Kfar Saba between September-October, 1994).
"It was a privilege and honor to participate in this workshop," Ligo told Shalom Magazine's reporter, while he was on a working visit to Canberra in Australia. "I came to realize how important this workshop was, that it was to lead me from my life in the government and public sector to the private sector."
At the time of the course, Ligo was working as the general-manager of radio and television at the government-controlled Vanuatu National Broadcasting and Television Corporation. Using some of the ideas and lessons he picked up during his time in Israel, as well as from his many years in public service, he decided to run for Parliament in 1996 as an independent.
"I stood on an independent ticket because I felt that it was important for the government to have an alternative voice to help bring unity and get the country moving economically. I wanted to find ways to lead our government to come to understand and appreciate the fact that we have to privatize and have a strong private-sector lead growth," he added.
The archipelago of Vanuatu, made up of some 80 islands and covering 860,000 sq. km. of the South Pacific, has an economy based primarily on small-scale agriculture. Fishing, offshore financial services, and tourism are the other mainstays of the economy.
Despite losing the election by only 10 votes, Ligo's efforts were rewarded as he was nominated to be his country's Permanent Representative to the United Nations in New York.
"Every time I hear about Vanuatu abstaining at the UN, it really hurts me inside," he said in reference to many resolutions concerning Israel. "One has to decide as to where one stands in terms of a nation. I would directly vote for Israel, I wouldn't want to abstain," he said if he had received the top diplomatic posting. Unfortunately, Ligo never got to New York to voice his strong support for Israel as the government at the time collapsed and his nomination was withdrawn as a new government came into power.
He has since left government work and politics, and now acts as the Chief Executive Officer of the Vanuatu Red Cross Society, a non-governmental organization dedicated to disaster relief in a country that is often hit by natural disasters. It was this organization that was at the forefront of rescue and medical operations, following the powerful earthquake (registering 7.4 on the Richter scale), which rocked the Vanuatu capital of Port Vila in the early morning hours of January 3, 2002.
"We supervised and organized the evacuation of 500 people who had to move out of their homes," Ligo said. Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but many homes were destroyed.
"We still need, however, to strengthen our capacity in dealing with natural disasters, especially in the areas of ground transport logistics, communications, and more highly trained people," he added.
Another thing he would like to see during his tenure at the Red Cross Society is that the Star of David, the Magen David Adom, be added to the International Federation of the Red Cross - a step that has in the past been the center of much political controversy. Although the meeting to discuss this agenda issue is not to take place until the later part of this year, Ligo has already started lobbying other Pacific countries to support Israel in attaining full membership.
"Looking into the future I would also like to see Israel establish a mission in Vanuatu," Ligo said. "That in itself would further strengthen our relationship between Port Vila and Jerusalem."
As a founding member and President of a very active Shalom Club in Vanuatu, Ligo is doing just that. With seven MASHAV alumni and several hundred members, the club meets once a month to discuss political, religious and biblical issues in Israel.
Israeli Ambassador to Australia, Gabby Levy, addressed the club when he presented his credentials to Vanuatu President Father John Bennett Bani in November 2001. And in January 2002, Israeli doctor Amnon Tsvieli, who was on a 3-month MASHAV medical assignment to Micronesia, stopped in Port Vila on his way back home and also addressed the club about life in Israel.
"People are so interested in everything we talk about, from the biblical history to the history of modern Israel," Ligo said. "I would really like everyone in Vanuatu to be able to say that they know Israel, that they know the nation, the people and what Israel stands for."
Shalom Club - Côte d'Ivoire
A meeting of the Shalom Club Côte d'Ivoire took place in March 2002, with the participation of 40 club members and the Israeli Embassy staff. The guest of honor was the Minister of Sport and Leisure, Ms. Genevieve Bro Grebe, who participated last year in the International Symposium on the Impact of Women's Training on Socio-Economic Development, held at Golda Meir Mount Carmel International Training Center. The Minister praised the Shalom Club's work and shared with those present her memories from her visit to Israel. Shalom Club president Ms. Colette Youmin and the Israeli Ambassador to Côte d'Ivoire, Daniel Kedem, stressed the importance of the cooperation between the Shalom Club and the Israeli Embassy.