Joni Madraiwiwi

"This is a small country with limited resources. Can we afford the time spent on endless debates about ethnicity and identity?"

"It is not a matter of who can give the most but rather the spirit in which one participates in nation- building. And I apply that term to whatever useful exercise one is doing at any given time."

"Those who decry the rule of law as a Western principle or an imported construct, misunderstand the concept. It is about abiding by a set of standards for the well-being of society as a whole."

"It broadens our minds and creates opportunities, equipping us with the skills and the knowledge to participate in the world beyond the classroom."

"Ultimately, the best guarantor of the rule of law is not the state and the branches which comprise it but the recognition by people of its value and their willingness to fight for, and uphold it."

"Cadet corps instill discipline in its members, where you are taught basic skills such as survival in the wilderness, unarmed combat, tracking and learning how to strategise."

"There will necessarily be a tension between the church and tradition on one hand and human rights on the other."

"When we exclude part of the community, we deny ourselves the participation and contribution of those left out. We allow the possibility of conflict in some future time, neither scenario we can afford.…"