53 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
53 lines
2.3 KiB
Markdown
**Maasina Ruru** or **Rule of Relationship of Siblings Together** was an
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[indigenist](Indigenism "wikilink") movement moving for self-governance,
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social and economic equality, labor rights and preservation of
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indigenous culture in the [Solomon Islands](Solomon_Islands "wikilink")
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between [1943 and 1953](Timeline_of_Libertarian_Socialism "wikilink").
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## Background
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The [indigenous people](Indigenous_People "wikilink") on the Solomon
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Islands had faced the destruction of their land and culture, massacres
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to stop rebellion, exploitation of their labor and [racial
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segregation](Racism "wikilink") for hundreds of years. With the theft of
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[communal lands](Commons "wikilink"), many had been forced to work in
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[factories](Factory "wikilink") during [World War
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II](World_War_II "wikilink") just to get enough of a
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[wage](Wage_Slavery "wikilink") to buy their right to
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[food](Hunger "wikilink"), [water](water "wikilink") and
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[shelter](Housing "wikilink").
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## Events
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Maasina Ruru began in 1943 as
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[anti-colonial](Anti-Colonialism "wikilink"),
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[anti-racist](Anti-Racism "wikilink") and
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[anti-capitalist](Anti-Capitalism "wikilink") sentiment rose among
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factory [workers](Working_Class "wikilink") in the Solomon Islands. They
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developed a manifesto and began spreading it around the islands
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indigenous population, there was a [general
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strike](General_Strike "wikilink") in 1945 demanding the wages of
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plantation workers be increased by 1200%, which led to the arresting of
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protest leaders and thousands of indigenous protesters in 1947 by
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British authorities. As such, villagers declared autonomy and [refused
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to pay taxes](Tax_Refusal "wikilink") and sabotage of workplaces became
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common. Mass arrests became common, but the indigenous people stood
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their ground and began [blocking](Blockade "wikilink") roads and
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villages across the country, leading to eventual negotiations.\[1\]\[2\]
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## Results
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The movement led to the bettering of workers' rights, the creation of
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dozen of autonomous villages, the releasing of all political prisoners
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and an indigenous council to represent their voices in 1953.
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## References
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<references />
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1.
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<!-- end list -->
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1. <http://wikieducator.org/Solomon_Islands_Labour_Movement#1940s_-_50s_Maasina_Ruru_movement>
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2. [Libcom](Libcom "wikilink") -
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<http://libcom.org/history/1944-52-solomon-islanders-establish-autonomus-village-movement> |