“The fight must not stop, for lack of leaders or for lack of fighters.”
A call to keep the Kanak independence struggle going regardless of the loss of any single leader.
— Éloi Machoro, New Caledonia
Source: Attributed to Éloi Machoro, in a letter dated 17 November 1984, cited in retrospectives on the 1984-85 Kanak independence uprising
More Proverbs from New Caledonia
Do not reject the words of the elders.
The counsel of elders carries hard-won experience and should never be dismissed by the young.
The future is before you — do not turn back.
Face forward and keep moving toward what is ahead rather than dwelling on what is behind.
The bourao leaf is carried off by the current, not knowing where it goes.
A person without direction or purpose drifts through life at the mercy of circumstance, just like a leaf swept along by water.
The best defense against an enemy is to attack first.
Waiting passively for trouble to arrive is weaker than meeting a threat with decisive action.
Rid yourself of shame and timidity, and accomplish your will.
Excessive shyness or self-doubt holds people back; real progress requires the courage to act.
Think before you act.
Careful reflection before a decision prevents the regret that follows a hasty one.