UNE academic Dr Prashneel Goundar recently spoke to the Country Women’s Association Guyra branch about his home country, Fiji. 

The Country Women’s Association of NSW (CWA) is an organisation that is more than just tea and scones! All the branches that are a part of the CWA study a different country/flora/fauna each year to educate and encourage members to know more about the world around them. CWA actively fundraise for a variety of charities and local organisations, and respond in times of crisis like bush fires, drought, homelessness, floods and more. CWA also lobby governments about issues that are concerning to members and their communities.

This year, the country of study is Fiji, and the CWA Guyra Evening Branch invited Dr Prash Goundar, Graduate Research Academic based at UNE’s Graduate Research School to give a talk on his home country. Prash moved from Fiji to Armidale in 2022 after he was awarded the UNE PhD Scholarship under the Australian Government RPT program.

Attended by the CWA members, his talk titled Fiji—Discussion Beyond the Bule Waters and White Sandy Beaches received excellent feedback. One of the organiser’s Marni Hietbrink, said “Dr Prash Goundar delivered an engaging and insightful presentation on Fiji that captivated the audience — everyone commented that they could listen to him for hours. His generosity, depth of knowledge and engaging delivery made the session truly memorable.”

In his talk, Goundar digressed from the scenic beauty of Fiji and focused on the country’s diversity. He highlighted Fiji’s history, its major languages, the economy, education sector and discussed about the three coups that happened in 1987, 2000, and 2006. He provided a detailed analysis of the country’s political situation leading to a massive brain drain. Prash explained about the ban on media freedom that lasted 16 years before the 2022 general elections, a fact that shocked many of the listeners! The participants appreciated the lived experience that Goundar brought to keep the audience enthralled.

At the end of the event, Prash was given a CWA signature tag apron as a gift, which felt especially meaningful given they learnt he loves to cook! 

“I am thankful to the CWA Guyra for inviting me to speak on a subject that is so close to my heart. Being born and lived in Fiji for over three decades allowed me to share insights that were new for people to reflect on. To represent UNE in the community is a much rewarding feeling.”