When thousands of Solomon Islanders flooded into the annual National Trade Show and Independence Day celebrations last week, many took the time to visit the Community Outreach Stall of the Regional Assistance Mission to Solomon Islands or RAMSI as it is locally known.

Many of the visitors were first attracted to the stall by a life-size cardboard cut-out of the head of Tonga's military contingent to RAMSI, the ever-smiling Lieutenant Brisbane Lokotui of the Tongan Navy.

Lieutenant Lokotui who works tirelessly on behalf of RAMSI' Community Outreach program is held in high regard by his colleagues in the mission; in the military, those in RAMSI's Participating Police Force (PPF) and its civilian programs. Community Outreach sends teams of RAMSI personnel out into the communities to talk about RAMSI's work and to answer any questions communities, may have.

Solomon Islands annual National Trade and Cultural Show is one of the biggest events for the Community Outreach program and the presence of RAMSI personnel like Lt Lokotui at the stall were as much of an attraction for Solomon Islanders at the show as the activities offered in the stall.

This year unlike previous years the Trade & Cultural show was hosted by Malaita Province, at the provincial capital Auki.

RAMSI personnel from all over the region and all three areas of the mission - soldiers, police and civilians - joined together to make sure the stall always had enough personnel to answer questions, provide information and generally get to know the people of Malaita through out the week-long trade show.

In return the people of Malaita opened their hearts to the local and overseas RAMSI personnel in Auki for the Outreach Stall interacting with them with jokes, stories and many questions back and forth between the visitors and the people of Solomons' most populous province.

"It was a great experience for everyone to have the chance to interact face-to-face. This really is the cutting-edge of any partnership, how you communicate," RAMSI's acting special coordinator, Jonathan Austin said.

"The outreach in Malaita proved a great chance for RAMSI personnel to spend time with ordinary Solomon Islanders, to hear their concerns and ideas and to be able to provide them with information about the work RAMSI is doing in partnership with the government and people of Solomon Islands."

Indeed one of the Outreach stall's most popular activities was the Talem RAMSI table. Decorated with a giant funny face, encouraging people to put their views, ideas, suggestions and comments, the Talem RAMSI table was almost always full of people earnestly writing their thoughts, concerns and pouring out their hearts to the Regional Assistance Mission.

RAMSI personnel manning this table couldn't believe how much time and effort people were putting into their feedback.

"Some people even asked if they could take their papers home and complete their contributions overnight," said Moses Tongare one of the Solomon Islands RAMSI law and justice staff who worked long hard hours helping out at the stall.

"I really enjoyed working on the Talem RAMSI stall, because I could tell our people really appreciated the chance to put their views across to RAMSI."

These views ranged from advice on the best way for RAMSI to work with the people of Malaita province to national issues such as economic development and the rebuilding of the police force.

"To the good RAMSI officers who come to Solomon Islands, as a young citizen of this country I really value your kindness in coming to assist us, because you came, we are no longer afraid to walk freely, especially as girls," wrote one young high-school student.

"RAMSI, Thanks for your nice job in our country," said one simple message written in a child...’s handwriting inside a drawing of a teddy bear.

Many of the feedbacks contained thoughtful suggestions for how RAMSI could do its job better and understand better the cultures of Solomon Islands.

People's most heartfelt concerns were about rearmament and when RAMSI might go.

"I highly acknowledge the excellent work you have done in our nation," one such feedback letter says, "but I suggest you have not completed your work here until we fully have confidence in our police officers, without you perhaps we will drift further into darkness and difficulties."

According to RAMSI's Community Outreach Officer, Chris Tarohimae, these were the two issues that most people came to the stall to ask about.

"People are always concerned about when or if RAMSI might go and then the other big issue recently is the question of bringing back guns, people speak very strongly against this every time we have an outreach."

One of the highlights for the RAMSI personnel was the visit to the stall by several of the young men from West Kwarae'e who had fashioned traditional Kiki Fi Garo or shade hats out of ferns and cobwebs.

Hubert Fafale Maedola who had one of the finest of these hats, said that he was very happy to be able to visit the RAMSI Outreach Stall with his brothers and cousins.

"I know RAMSI very well, they are very good in helping Solomon Islands, criminal acts are going down and there are many other things they are doing that are helping not only Malaitans but all of Solomon Islands." RAMSI, 13/07/07.