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Ted Kaye: The current Fijian flag is one of four national flags that have the Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner. The others are Tuvalu, Australia, and New Zealand. All of those are relics of the British colonial past and most of the other countries that had flags with that design have changed them. The notable one for us in the United States is Canada, which changed its flag that had a Union Jack in the corner 50 years ago this month.
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It's a common refrain heard when a flag change is proposed: that people like the old flag, not necessarily because of the inherent characteristic of that old flag, but because that's the flag they're familiar with and that's the flag that's represented them. That said, the distinctive aspect of Fiji's flag is its color. That's an attribute of the flag that Fiji could retain as it designs a new one 45 years after independence.Keeping Fijian Blue is one thing, but what else should contestants keep in mind when designing a new flag for Fiji?
The five basic principles of flag design outlined in Good Flag, Bad Flag are these:- Keep it simple. The flag should be so simple that a child can draw it from memory.- Use meaningful symbolism. The flag's images or its colors or the patterns on it should refer to what it symbolizes.- Use just two to three basic colors. Limit the number of colors and use colors that come from the standard flag color set.
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Yes, it's not simple because the shield is quite complex. It has more than two-to-three colors. The symbolism is meaningful for Fiji's history, but it's not distinctive in the sense that there are many flags that have the Union Jack in the upper left-hand corner and a shield in the fly. As I said, there are four national flags, but a number of other historic flags and certainly two provinces of Canada and many current colonies of Great Britain have that design as well.And if other South Pacific countries use light blue as well, then Fijian blue isn't enough to make a flag distinctive, is it?
Not just the color [alone].
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I think they're exactly the same principles that the government should use to judge the flags. Simplicity is by far the most important consideration because it not only means that the flag is likely to be more attractive, but it's going to be less expensive to make in all sizes. Only a simple flag is identifiable at a distance and a simple flag works at a small-scale, like a lapel pin.What are the best and worst national flags that Fijians can use for mental reference in sketching new designs? Keep in mind that Fijians have to consider their multi-cultural composition, Pacific roots, history, and the idea of a new Fijian identity going forward.
Yes, Fiji should consider that it is a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic island nation with a lot of history. However it does not need to put all of that onto its flag. In fact it should not try to represent all of that in its flag. The opposite is true. It should simply assure that no single ethnic group is represented to the exclusion of others. In fact, that's a problem with the current flag because [it] represents the British heritage of Fiji to the exclusion of the other ethnic groups.A good example would be Canada. A big debate in the flag design change there in 1964-5 was removing the Union Jack and finding a way to have a flag that would also represent the French minority in Canada. They were looking at blue bars, blue and white and red, and finding ways to have symbols that would represent each of the ethnic groups in Canada. Instead, and very successfully, it chose a single symbol, the maple leaf, that represented all of Canada.
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It gets you points for recognizability and is a poor idea otherwise. The Nepali flag is difficult to manufacture and is therefore more expensive. It is also the odd man out in international flag displays, at the Untied Nations for example. It's very difficult to fly the Nepali flag in a size and proportions that make it consistent with the other flags that are displayed.Any other thoughts on the Fijian flag switch?
I'm delighted that Fiji is revamping its flag and will find a way to have a wonderful design for its country as it celebrates its 45th anniversary. A great country deserves a great flag.Follow Mark Hay on Twitter.