Vanuatu urged to embrace indigenous wisdom for sustainable development
April 24, 2025 10:16 pm | Posted in Business News | Share now TwitterFacebook
By Ezra Toara.
Caribbean economist and advocate for inclusive, resilient economies Marla Dukharan addressed participants at the YumiStanap Vanuatu dialogue yesterday, offering powerful insights drawn from her Caribbean background and praising Vanuatu for preserving its indigenous heritage in ways many other post-colonial nations have not.
“Your greatest asset is your ancient wisdom”
Dukharan drew attention to the contrast between Vanuatu and many Caribbean nations, where indigenous populations were “decimated or assimilated by colonisers long ago.”
“The fact that your indigenous population still dominates and remains largely intact after colonisation — that alone gives you an incredible advantage over many of us in the Caribbean,” she said.
“Your people have lived in harmony with the land and sea for thousands of years. That is your biggest asset.”
She said this connection to ancient knowledge and sustainable living should guide the country’s development path.
A different kind of development
Dukharan said Western development models often miss key parts of human well-being.
“The Human Development Index (HDI) ranks countries on things like income, literacy, and life expectancy — but it misses the point of what makes life meaningful,” she said.
“When you consider indices like the ‘Happy Planet Index’, Vanuatu ranks among the happiest countries on Earth — because you live in communities, you share, you care, and your way of life is rooted in something deeper than GDP.”
She pointed to Bhutan’s Gross National Happiness model as an example, and said Vanuatu should shape its development around values like cultural identity, environmental care, and community support.
Warnings about unsustainable debt
Dukharan also issued a warning about growing debt and heavy dependence on foreign aid.
“In the Caribbean, we’ve seen what happens when countries borrow beyond their means. Debt becomes a burden passed down to future generations,” she said.
“Between 2008 and 2022, Vanuatu took on loans totalling nearly one billion vatu — a third of that from a single lender. Be careful. This can become a trap.”
She encouraged local investment in agriculture, renewable energy, and economic systems that rely less on imported goods and outside funding.
Economic freedom and food security
“Your land is still owned by your people. Your culture is still practiced. Most of you farm or fish in some way — and that makes you economically powerful,” Dukharan said.
“You have food security, community support, and an economy based on real value. By our standards, you already are a developed country.”
She supported investment in agriculture and tourism — but with care to protect traditional knowledge and the environment.
Tourism done the right way
Dukharan advised against copying the mass tourism model common in the Caribbean, which she described as harmful and unsustainable.
“The tourism that works is community-based, family-run, and rooted in local culture — not big resorts with bureaucracy and zero cultural immersion,” she said.
“Vanuatu’s strength is in its authenticity. Let that guide your tourism development.”
A final message: Don’t imitate, lead
“The modern Western world is suffering from loneliness, overwork, and anxiety,” Dukharan said.
“We’ve solved infant mortality and extended lifespans — but we’re not living well. Don’t follow us. Lead us. Show the world a better way.”
She ended by urging Vanuatu’s leaders not to copy Western systems, but instead build on ancestral knowledge.
“The world has much to learn from Indigenous peoples — from their understanding of balance, their relationship with nature, and their social values. Vanuatu has a chance to be a global leader in sustainable development. The world is watching.”
