fijipensioners Grey Power today launched its Silver Ribbon Campaign in support of the right of FNPF pensioners to receive their full pensions from the FNPF.

In support of our claims to our contracted pensions, our dignity, our self-respect, and our self-reliance, grey-power has initiated a ‘ribbon campaign’ such as those for breast cancer (pink) and HIV/AIDS (red). The majority of pensioners polled have chosen silver-grey. Grey ribbon is not so easy to find, but silver is – and it sparkles and shines just the way we pensioners do!
Silver is appropriate for silver-surfer-grey-power people. All you need is a few metres of silver ribbon and a few safety pins to make yourself, your family and friends this symbol of what grey-power stands for – respect for our many years of contribution to society, our nurturing of the next generation, and our accumulated knowledge and wisdom.
We should wear our ribbons as we go about our business, especially over the coming weekends; on Saturday mornings when we shop, Saturday afternoons when taking part in leisure activities, and Saturday evenings when out for dinner or visiting friends. On Sundays when church-going, playing golf, boating or any of the many other recreational pursuits we silver-surfers enjoy – and hope to be able to enjoy in the future. Whatever we are doing at weekends, we can wear our silver ribbons with pride.
And when we are asked what the ribbon signifies, we can say that during our working years, we looked forward to our two days, or one and a half days, or one day off – and we worked hard, and saved, secure in the knowledge that eventually we would be rewarded with a pension that would enable us to enjoy a permanent weekend of leisure for the rest of our lives. A pension we earned, and to which our employers contributed.
We can explain that our compulsory security contract is now threatened, and that whatever they are told or promised, their pensions too are under threat. That in Fiji, a legally binding contractual agreement is at risk of being negated. And that if one contract can be decreed null and void, then all contracts are in jeopardy.
This is all about ‘going grey’. If you don’t have anything grey to wear to court, go shopping. There are plenty of tops covered in silver ‘bling’ these days – and if you can’t find something you like there is always the fun of an ‘op shop’ treasure hunt. So go-go-go for it silver-surfers – get out there sporting your ribbons in support of the cause! 

A young lady confidently walked around the room while explaining stress management to an elderly audience. With a raised glass of water, and everyone knew she was going to ask the ultimate question, ‘half empty or half full?‘… She fooled them all … “How heavy is this glass of water?”, she inquired with a smile.

Answers called out ranged from 8 oz. to 20 oz.
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CEO Aisake Taito remains ‘firm’ on a lot of things- ‘firm’ on GPH decision as reported in the media on 10^th August, ‘firm’ on cuts to pensioners’ last source of income and livelihood, ‘firm’ on the stand of FNPF Trust, as a trustee with absolute powers to do things without consultations with the beneficiaries; and ‘firm’ on the message he sends out regularly to the pensioners- ‘you are nothing; the Board is everything’.
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