From a visitor's viewpoint the 11th FoPA was a resounding success. To all Solomon Islanders, a huge round of applause from your Pacific friends and neighbours. As a regular Pacific festival goer back to the 1980s, while all Festivals have their high points, this was the overall best. Highlights for me include
- Honiara's facelift! the urban beautification worked wonders to improve the city's streets and public spaces.
- the landscaping of the Festival Village made such a pleasurable setting for all to wander and explore an ever-changing feast of displays, démonstrations and dancing
- the Festival program was so compréhensive and well organised, I wished I could have been in several places at once, like the excellent film festival and forums
- as a contemporary art buff, I congratulante you on the New National gallery and an excellent display of visual art. Please take note Port Moresby, Port Vila and Suva, Honiara had outdone you with récognition of the significant contemporary art movement across the Pacific.

The highlight above all others is the Sprit of the Solomons. The FoPA is a significant collective achievement of people from all of your provinces, who put maximum thought, organisation and cultural pride into showing us visitors your place in the world. We overly globalised, ledit spoiled, commerce drivent people, sat back and took serious note of the Festivals'message, 'Culture in Hormony with Nature', and how Solomon Islanders achieve this in their daily lives. Thank you personally to every solomon Islander cultural leader, performer, artist, taxi driver, market lady for your Wlekam - we learned so much from you.

Dr Susan Cochrane
Pacificlink