Program Overview
The tropical island setting of Fiji is a remarkable place in which to examine the
contrasts between traditional versus modern society. On the more remote islands
and in the western highlands of the main island, indigenous Fijians continue to
produce practically all that they need to live. From the brilliant blue sea
come walu and crab; from the forest mangos, bananas and papaya; from the
fields taro, edible greens and cucumber. In and around the largest cities the
imprint of British colonial labor recruitment is visible: sugar cane growers
whose ancestors came from India, Hindu temples and mosques, curry houses. And
along the white-sandy beaches that face world-famous coral reefs are the
back-packer diving hostels and high-rise tourist resorts that attract people
from around the globe.
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Fiji: A Geographical Expedition is not your typical study abroad session. Only
12 students will be selected for this rigorous program of field-study mixed
with touch of service-learning. In the fall semester students will take a one-
credit course to prepare themselves for the experience. Our readings about Fiji as a
developing country, discussions about how to facilitate interactions with our
various local hosts, and practical experience in learning how to videotape oral
histories will serve our hosts and us well. For, if all works out, our
service-learning project will be documenting the personal stories of people in
three different Fijian communities--communities rapidly undergoing change due
to modernization. The video documents we make will be given to the communities
as a way of helping them preserve a bit of their own heritage.
The day after our arrival in Fiji, we will hop into a 20-passenger plane
to fly to the relatively remote island of Kadavu. There we will learn about
traditional village life and culture from our host families as well as from UD
graduate and native Fijian Lusi Browning, whose father grew up in this village. Students will
engage in some of the daily activities of the village and enjoy the meke and kava
ceremonies put on for us by the village children and chief. Before we leave
Kadavu, for the remainder of that first week, you will also have a chance to
swim, snorkel, kayak, and walk on the beach.
Next we will head to the capital city of Suva (pop. 100,000), where we will
spend several nights in a comfortable apartment-hotel within walking distance from
shops, restaurants, clubs, movie theaters, and the fascinating open-air market.
Guest speakers from the University of the South Pacific and government agencies
will discuss the social, economic and environmental impacts of colonialism,
resource exploitation, development schemes, and Fiji's place in the global
economy. Local excursions include the Fiji Museum and Indian Cultural Center,
Coli-i-Suva Forest Park, an urban squatter settlement, and a short flight and
2-3 day trip to Levuka, the former capital of Fiji under British rule,
For the second half of the program we will head west in vans along the Queens
Highway to take in the spectacular coastal views and do a bit of R&R (one day
of rafting, several days for you to plan your own adventures).
Then we will immerse ourselves in the lives of the Indo-Fijian population that
settled in the western region of the main island to labor in the sugar
plantations, start up many small business in the cities of Nadi, Latouka, and
Ba, and work in the gold mine. We will likely stay in small hotels or hostels
as we do our oral history interviews of this population. While in this area we
will take an excursion into the highlands to visit a couple of traditional
indigenous villages, stopping to see Navala and staying in Bulou Lodge. Before heading home, students will have 1-2 days in Nadi to finish up course assignments, shop, swim, and sight-see.
In exchange for the amazing opportunity to immerse ourselves into the ordinary landscapes and lives of these Fijian communities, we will appreciate first-hand some of the challenges of modernization for millions of people around the world, as well as some of the resources and creature comforts that we expect and take for granted.
UD students pay all program fee deposits by direct bank transfer via this website: http://www.udel.edu/studyabroadpayments. Non-UD students should send a check, payable to the University of Delaware, to CFIS, Elliott Hall, 26 East Main Street, Newark, DE 19716. Credit card payments are not accepted.
