Staff and students from New Zealand's Canterbury University will visit Tonga in August, to present a handbook for Tongans taking part in the country's first ever democratic elections.

The project, entitled 'Speaking Democracy', involves distribution of up to 5,000 booklets to families living on the main and outer islands of Tonga. The booklet includes Tongan and English explanations of important political concepts, such as 'democracy' and 'the rule of law'.

Project members will travel to Niuatoputapu, Vava'u, Ha'apai, 'Eua and Tongatapu. At each destination, booklets will be distributed at public meetings. Locals will be encouraged to attend these meetings to discuss the new democratic system.

"When a political system is people-driven, it works better than any system imposed from the top-down," explains Dr Malakai Koloamatangi, project leader and well known Tongan scholar. "Therefore it is important that Tongans feel ownership of their new political system."

The overarching aim of the project is to help democracy flourish in Tonga, which will have positive effects on the Pacific community in general. Recent issues in the Pacific region illustrated the difficulties in maintaining democratic principles, Dr Koloamatangi notes. "It is in the interests of all Pacific countries, as well as the international community, to support Tonga in its democratisation process." Canterbury University, 29/07/09.