Solomon Islands Proverbs (3)

Traditional proverbs of Solomon Islands in Khmer and English — each with its meaning and source.

“I know I am going to die, but before I die I want to tell you: the Japanese are landing at Aola.”

Spoken after Vouza escaped Japanese torture and crawled through the jungle to warn US Marines of an imminent attack during the 1942 Guadalcanal campaign, refusing to let his wounds stop him from delivering the warning.

Sir Jacob Vouza

Source: Walter Lord, Lonely Vigil: Coastwatchers of the Solomons (Viking Press, 1977); widely documented in accounts of the 1942 Guadalcanal campaign

“Friends to all, enemies to none.”

The Solomon Islands Government's stated foreign policy stance, describing a sovereign right to engage multiple international partners without exclusive alignment.

Manasseh Sogavare

Source: Solomon Islands Government foreign policy statements, widely reported by international press including Reuters and BBC coverage of the 2022 Solomon Islands-China security agreement

“We are all in the same canoe.”

A shared-fate saying emphasizing unity and cooperation, invoked across the Pacific Islands region, especially in discussions of climate change and regional solidarity.

Traditional Solomon Islands Wisdom

Source: Traditional Pacific Islander saying, shared regional oral heritage, frequently cited in Pacific Islands Forum climate-diplomacy statements and Pacific studies literature