With the launch this week of the newfijiflag.com site, I thought it timely to review the process underway in Fiji to change their flag. If you’re unfamiliar with their current design, Wikipedia has an overview about the “Flag of Fiji”.
Alongside the activity occurring in New Zealand, Fiji are racing ahead and are on track to change the design later this year. There’s been lots of great coverage with Radio New Zealand documenting the process and the Fiji Sun providing a local view on proceedings. Most recently the focus in the media has been on the short-listed designs.
Submissions & Short-listed Designs
So far 47 entries have been short-listed and then a further 23 presented to the public for consideration. The newfijiflag.com site features these 23 designs after more than 2000 were submitted. The flags are presented with an overview of the symbolism identified within the designs. Below is a portion covering the use of colour:
- “Fiji Blue” provides continuity from the 1970–2015 flag, remaining the “banner blue” of the national anthem. It represents peace, serenity, and freedom, as well as the Pacific Ocean. It shows solidarity with all island nations.
- Yellow represents radiance, life, sustenance, and a new beginning. It recalls the sun and Fiji’s place as “the land of the first rising sun” and its tropical location.
- Dark Blue stands for peace, prosperity, trust, dignity, and intelligence. The colour of the deep ocean, it represents the depth of Fiji’s culture.
- Red represents passion, strength and energy of the Fijian people.
Each flag is presented above a form where you can respond (regardless of whether you are a Fijian citizen) by selecting that you strongly agree through to ‘strongly disagreeing’ with the design / symbolism as well as providing any additional comments.
The 23 designs are variations on particular themes using a similar aesthetic and colour palette. Whilst in most cases the ideas and symbolism seem sound, there’s some overly detailed flags and interesting arrangements that don’t appear that conducive to being replicated at small sizes. I don’t want to appear overly critical, however many of the final 23 are not well drawn. The two designs that stood out were Number 47 and Number 49. NB: Weirdly those numbers do not match the URLS.
UPDATE 1: Since writing this Radio New Zealand reported that a committee member overseeing the Fijian flag redesign has anonymously confirmed the 23 designs were “amalgamated”:
The National Flag Committee member says the group reports directly to the Attorney General, Aiyaz Sayed Khaiyum, and was told to go back to choose more after it selected five final designs.
This isn’t unique to Fiji, with a similar approach taken with the South African Flag. A public competition failed to find an appropriate solution, then several design studios were asked to consider submissions and present alternatives, also failing, before Frederick Brownell designed the flag we recognise today. As a reminder the process in New Zealand allows for this as my article about the terms and conditions outlined.
The inability to decide from public submissions does have an impact on the perception of the process and members of the public in Fiji had evidently been raising their concerns:
Given the designs that have popped up thus far, a lot of people have shared their opinions that they don’t think that they were part of the process in designing the new flag. After 1000-plus entries that went in it seems like the committee decided to come up with their own design.
— http://www.radionz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/275868/fiji’s-flag-council-confirms-designs-are-amalgamated
Earlier in the process the Fiji Sun published details about how the submissions would be accepted by mail, online (email) and in person over the course of several months. Interestingly they also stressed “you do not need to be a professional designer to make a submission”:
You do not need a computer design program and you do not need to be a professional designer to make a submission. Sketches and drawings will be considered the same as electronic designs. All you need is pen, pencil and paper to participate.
— http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/03/05/how-to-submit-designs-for-fijis-national-flag-competition/
UPDATE 2: Radio New Zealand have reported that the final 23 designs are now no longer being considered as “locked in stone” or “final” after a public backlash.
Announcement & Background
Following the initial announcement the media coverage about the change in Fiji was a mixture of concern and opposition with the “Fiji flag process slammed as ‘nonsense’” and “Opponents of Fiji’s future flag ‘ready for jail’” a sample of the articles online.
Radio New Zealand documented the “Concerns in Fiji over process for new flag” (Audio), highlighting the lack of a “mandate to change the flag without a referendum” and that the Prime Minister has stated he wants to retain the colour blue as part of the redesign:
As Prime Minister, I have an open mind about the final outcome. My preference at this stage is to retain the existing “Fiji blue” background – but without the Union Flag and Shield. But I’m excited to see whatever ideas the Fijian people come up with.
— http://fijisun.com.fj/2015/02/03/pm-officially-announces-fiji-flag-will-be-changed/
Initially the Fijian public weren’t involved in the decision to change the current flag, only to be later told a referendum would be required to make changes to the flag in the future. Radio New Zealand reported on this in the article: “Fiji’s new flag laws seen as ‘ironic’”. This means the current change will be confirmed and approved by the Prime Minister, whilst any future changes will require a referendum. A petition gathered 3000 signatures requesting the current change was only approved through a referendum, however it was ignored.
To make matters worse, the current flag designer Tessa Mackenzie has spoken out explaining her disappointment with plans to replace the design.
The process underway in Fiji and New Zealand has often been viewed as a distraction from other important issues both countries face. With increasing water and electricity cuts and a reported 45% of the Fijian population living below the poverty line, there’s clearly work to be done that won’t be solved by a new flag.
Unlike New Zealand, Fiji and their fearless leader Frank Bainimarama plan on changing the flag to coincide with a significant event, the “45th anniversary of Fiji’s independence”. The Guardian provides plenty of background in their opinion piece: “Postcolonial? Yes. But Fiji’s new flag will also be a break with the chiefs’ power”.
Bainimarama has framed the flag change as an effort to break free of the shackles of Fiji’s colonial past. The flag that has existed since 1970 features the Union Jack – a nod to the British monarchy’s role in governing the islands from 1874 to 1970.
The Fiji Sun added further details saying “The final design should represent the theme: Fiji forward, Fiji as one people.”. Whilst the NPR also reported on the process and goals behind the change in flag stating:
The move is intended as unifying. The country has two major groups: ethnic Fijians and ethnic Indians, who were brought over by the British as laborers to work on Fiji’s sugar plantations in the 19th century. Relations between the two communities have sometimes been tense.
— http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/2015/03/02/390164844/fiji-launches-competition-for-new-national-flag
Finally, the process in Fiji has been a fascinating precursor to what might happen in New Zealand. The issues with “amalgamation” and public involvement have been interesting to document. We’re ultimately much more fortunate in New Zealand that the process is democratic, although as the coverage surrounding both processes outlines, change is difficult and polarising.
The renowned vexillologist Ted Kaye, author of “Good Flag, Bad Flag” and part of the flag committee in Fiji was interviewed by Vice Magazine about the process:
It’s a common refrain heard when a flag change is proposed: that people like the old flag, not necessarily because of the inherent characteristic of that old flag, but because that’s the flag they’re familiar with and that’s the flag that’s represented them.
— http://www.vice.com/en_au/read/a-flag-expert-on-how-to-design-a-nations-flag-491
Overcoming that relationship with the familiar has been difficult in Fiji and no doubt will continue to be in New Zealand as well.
Media Coverage
Like the local and international coverage New Zealand received, many media companies have reported on the process in the Pacific. For posterity here’s a selection of articles covering the Fijian flag redesign:
ABC News: Fiji flag designer Tessa Mackenzie disappointed by Frank Bainimarama’s plan to replace it
NPR: Fiji Launches Contest To Design New National Flag
The Guardian: “Postcolonial? Yes. But Fiji’s new flag will also be a break with the chiefs’ power”
Radio New Zealand: “Fiji flag process slammed as ‘nonsense’”
Radio New Zealand: Concerns in Fiji over process for new flag (Audio)
Radio New Zealand: Opponents of Fiji’s future flag ‘ready for jail’
Newsmax: Union Jack No Longer Belongs on Flag; Country Will Redesign It
Fiji Sun: PM Officially Announces Changes To Fiji Flag
Fiji Sun: New Flag For Top Forum?
The Telegraph: Fiji to remove Union Jack from flag, PM says
Portland Flag Association: A New Flag for Fiji—A Work in Progress
Vice: Here’s How to Design a Country’s Flag