Speech by the Deputy Prime Minister, Hon. Fonotoe Pierre Lauofo On the Official Opening of the Teuila Festival Monday 2nd September 2013

 

Honourable Dignitaries, Members of the Diplomatic Corp, Distinguished Guests, Teams and Participants of the Teuila Festival Activities.

Our visiting guests, Ladies & Gentlemen, Boys and Girls.

Our Teuila Festival is an annual Celebration of our Samoan Heritage.

It is a time to celebrate our Cultural Arts, Natural Heritage, and the ‘mana’ of our people that uniquely identifies our pride and Samoan spirit, which is iconic of the islands that we have inherited and call, home.

Every event that prides itself on sustainability develops with the times and we are delighted to witness a new progress with the incorporation of new event partners since last year in the Alo Paopao Regatta and Concert, the new Manaia Events with the Miss Samoa and the Festival embarking on a different and exciting development this year with the Ministry of Education, Sports and Culture with the Dream Show, and especially with the introduction of one of the renown sons of Samoa from Hawaii Tauasa Sielu Avea and the Chief’s Fiafia Entertainers, and other Teuila events with the Expressive Arts of Song and Dance, market stalls, as well as the ongoing features of the festival.

This Festival is very important as it is lead event, towards what programmes we shall progress to the Teuila Festival 2014 as Samoa host the United Nations Global Conference for Small Islands Development States. It will be a time to showcase talent and art through traditional expressions of culture regard as the very best of Samoa. we have appeared on many world stages on various occasions, such as our rugby and other sports, in our arts and crafts, through the talents of our people, but this time next year the whole world will be housing on Samoa.

Such are moments of pride that makes this annual Festival most important to our people. To remind us of who we are in all facets of life, whether it is in the speaking of our language, or in the expressing of ourselves through our cultural and artistic performance, or in ways that we have formulated strategies to ensure the sustainability of a natural heritage of quality, or in our own unique sense of humour, or in the way that we mourn together to support our families and community, or even in the way we stand together to provide better opportunities, and quality lifestyles for our people, or our striving to search solutions to cushion the impacts of global economics challenges, and climate change that may affect our small nation.

The Festival Committee has themed this year’s Festival “Beautiful Samoa�? so as to highlight the importance of sustaining our efforts in building a Beautiful Nation that continues to win the admiration of our visiting guests but more so to sustain the importance of the Samoan spirit in the generations to come.

That through practicing our traditional songs and dances we recognize that culture is a living entity. It lives in us and without us, it would not exist.

Tourism in Samoa will continue to be given prominence by government because of its potential to progress Samoa’s economic, social and environment objectives. As we showcase our heritage, we must also look after all or our visiting guests, and thank them for selecting Samoa as the destination of their holiday.

As such treat all our tourists well respect them and be polite and helpful to them.

Spare a moment to translate or interpret the Samoan cultural activities to them so that they may understand their meaning and importance to us.

In closing, welcome you all to the Teuila Festival and may you thoroughly enjoy the festivities.

I now declare the Teuila Festival 2013, Officially Open!

Soifua ma ia Manuia.

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