Abstract
This chapter outlines the interventionist landscape in work with street-frequenting young people in Fiji. Influenced mostly by humanitarian- and salvation-based agendas these approaches pathologise and attempt to reclaim lost childhoods and youth. Instead a critical postmodern position is considered to address the limitations of current approaches and illuminate how neo-liberal environments structure inequalities for young people. This offers practitioners and stakeholders an opportunity to reflect on their current assumptions about and responses to street-frequenting young people and explore creative ways of engagement.
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Notes
- 1.
There have been renewed calls for the re-introduction of the Fijian court system or for a separate court system for indigenous Fijians to deal with customary laws. The Fijian court system was abolished in 1967 because of changes to the Fijian administration and the need to incorporate indigenous Fijians into mainstream society, following the colonial government’s policy of separate development (Fiji Sun 2005).
- 2.
After lying dormant for some time this initiative has again featured in media discourse. A Fiji Times Online (2007) article featured a story about the Apostles Gospel Outreach Fellowship International Church in Suva and their plans for the development of a centre for “street kids, barrow boys, beggars, prostitutes, the homeless and the unwanted” (Fiji Times Online 2007). Similar to the views expressed by those working at the ‘Love Kitchen’ and the ‘Care Ministry’, the Pastor of the Church intends to use the centre as “a sort of half-way house to help lost souls back onto their feet and send them on their way” (Fiji Times Online 2007).
- 3.
The Calcutta Syndrome refers to compassion-based programmes or projects for street children. The children move from programme to programme taking advantage of the services rendered therefore making the streets an attractive place to live in (Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development 2005).
- 4.
See this story http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=282509
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Vakaoti, P. (2018). Reclaiming and Reconsidering Relationships with Street-frequenting Young People. In: Street-Frequenting Young People in Fiji. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-63079-3_7
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