Pacific

Fiji spend-up on prayer week

17:06 pm on 9 September 2004

The Fiji government will spend more than 400,000 US dollars on a national week of prayer week next month.

The prime minister, Laisenia Qarase, who is also the minister for national reconciliation, says the occasion will be used to promote national healing, reconciliation and unity.

Mr Qarase says his cabinet has agreed to dedicate seven days from October 4th to the 11th as a week of prayer and forgiveness.

He says the week should be used through prayer and fasting to ask for divine intervention to help racially-torn Fiji achieve unity.

Mr Qarase says for those who have been wronged and hurt, it is the government's hope that they will find through prayer and meditation the inner strength to forgive those who have wronged.

He says the aim is to seek a process of mutual confession, repentance and forgiveness so Fiji can make a new beginning.