Tuvalu? It's a speck on the world map, consisting of eight tiny islands in the Pacific, has only been independent since 1974 and was earlier known as Britain's Gilbert and Alice Islands. Tuvalu is the indigenous name and means "a group of eight islands."

Conference News Daily learned all of this information from Iftikhar Ayaz, Tuvalu's sole representative at the WCAR, who is a recipient of the prestigious Order of the British Empire (OBE) from the Queen of England. Ayaz also said that the 10,000 Tuvalese, mostly Polynesians, are rolling in money, with probably one of the highest per capita incomes in the world.

>From tourism? From oil? From mineral wealth? From none of these. The surprising answer is, from the internet, from the revolution in information technology. Years back, Tuvalu was smart enough to register ".tv" as a domain name in cyberspace. As a result, Tuvalu has been paid millions of dollars in royalty for the use of that name. "And the millions continue to pour in," says Ayaz, with a happy smile.

What about tourism?

"We have very restricted tourism, because we are particular in wanting to retain our way of life," comes the quick answer. "We do not want modern commercial tourism." Makes sense, especially if you don't need the money.

But Ayaz's concerns go beyond the internet windfall and the dangers of modern tourism. He is the author of a special program, "Education for Life," the objective of which is to "inculcate fundamental values to promote communal integration and provide skills for the development of all communities, especially the mainstream community."

He stresses the importance of being "good listeners." "Thousands of people have come here for the conference from all over the world, to express their concerns and their suffering. They must be listened to. Unless problems are recognized and accepted, they cannot be resolved."

They should go back with the motto "love for all, hatred for none," adds Ayaz. He has a suggestion for the South African authorities. "A lot of people lost their lives in the struggle against Apartheid. A monument should be built for them."

He is also concerned about the rise of racism in recent years and the sprouting of organizations that openly admit they are racists. "In the name of democracy and freedom of expression, they should not be allowed to disintegrate our societies. Member states of the UN should have suitable legislation to de-register such societies. It is surprising that, on the one hand, governments want to stop racism, while on the other, some of them have legislation to protect these racist bodies."