ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Fijian honours system

Imagine you are in a big group of friends who all help each other and do good things for each other. Sometimes, one of your friends does something extra special that helps everyone even more. When that happens, you might want to say "thank you" or let them know they did a really great job.

The Fijian Honours System is kind of like that. The people of Fiji have a special way of saying "thank you" to their friends and community members who do really amazing things. They have a big list of awards called "honours" that they give out to people who have done something special.

Some of these honours are things like medals, certificates or special ribbons that the person can wear on their clothes. They also get fancy titles like "Sir" or "Lady" or "Dame" as a way of showing that they are very special and deserving of respect.

But how do you earn one of these honours? Well, it's not easy. You have to do something really amazing, something that goes above and beyond what people normally do. It could be something like helping your community after a disaster or creating a new invention that helps people in your country.

Once someone does something amazing, other people can nominate them for an honour. This means they send a letter to the people who give out the honours (called "the Queen's representatives") and tell them all about the amazing thing this person did.

The Queen's representatives then read all the nominations and decide who they think should get an honour. If they agree, the person will be invited to a special ceremony where they receive their award and can feel proud for all the amazing things they have done.

So, the Fijian Honours System is a way of showing appreciation for the people who help their communities and make Fiji a better place to live. It's like saying "thank you" to those who have made a real difference in the lives of others.