Pacific Peoples' Partnership

Connecting Indigenous and Pacific Peoples

PPP Supports Moratorium on Deep-Sea Mining (DSM)

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The Patania II used to collect polymetallic nodules from the seafloor in the Pacific. Image: DEME Group

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership is committed to protecting our oceans and environment as well as respecting both the economic and cultural resources of all Pacific People. That is why we support our partners at MiningWatch Canada, who are calling for a cautionary pause or moratorium on all deep-sea mining related activities. Until we can guarantee that there will be no adverse impacts, DSM poses a threat to biodiversity, and the cultural resources of many pacific communities.  Given the significant knowledge deficit that exists with regards to DSM, the government of Canada must take a strong stand to ensure the protection of these extremely vulnerable ecosystems.

Click here to read the letter calling on the Canadian Government to pause DSM activities.

For more reading on Deep-sea Mining:

Chin, A and Hari, K (2020), Predicting the impacts of mining of deep sea polymetallic nodules in the Pacific Ocean: A review of Scientific literature, Deep Sea Mining Campaign and MiningWatch Canada.

Mining the Deep Sea: Stories for suckers and corporate capture of the UN, Catherine Coumans. 2019. Arena Magazine.

Why the Rush? Seabed mining in the Pacific Ocean. Deep Sea Mining Campaign, London Mining Network, Mining Watch Canada. 2019.

Deep-Sea Mining in Tonga, Nauru and Kiribati: Not the silver bullet we are searching for. Peter Boldt. 2020. Pacific Peoples’ Partnership.

One Wave Gathering 2020 Meets Pandemic Challenges

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By Jaimie Sumner, PPP Operations Coordinator and One Wave Program Coordinator

Over the last decade, One Wave has grown into a much-anticipated annual event here in Lekwungen and W̱SÁNEĆ territories, with big crowds gathering in downtown Victoria for Indigenous and South Pacific art, music, food, and dialogues.  With the Covid-19 pandemic demanding many changes, we got creative with new ways to gather safely – for instance, planning many smaller events, taking programs online, and holding events outside.  It has been great to work with partners to offer free cultural programs, bring Pacific communities together, and share stories from Indigenous and Pacific perspectives.  This year we held nine public events, with one still to come!

Bradley Dick’s Territorial welcome at the One Wave ceremony, with PPP President, Muavae Va’a.

Our Opening Ceremony took place at Songhees Point on September 3 with a territorial welcome by Bradley Dick and opening words from PPP’s President, Muavae Va’a and Executive Director April Ingham.  We hold up our hands to Bradley for honouring our gathering this year with his welcome, sharing of knowledge, and powerful song and to Mua for his opening words in Samoan and English.  It was a sunny day near the water, and where we stood with Bradley was steps away from a beautiful cedar spindle whorl designed by his father Butch Dick, one of the seven Signs of Lekwungen.  The location, Songhees Point or PAH-lu-tsuss in Lekwungen, is an important site to Songhees and Esquimalt people.  It was meaningful to open our One Wave events on a special Lekwungen site on the shores of the Pacific Ocean that connects us North and South.

Later on that day, we opened our Together / As One exhibit at MediaNet’s FLUX Gallery.  On select days from September 3-18, the gallery came alive with costumes and songs from the youth opera Flight of the Hummingbird based on Michael Nicoll Yahgulanaas’ Haida manga, as well as set-pieces and footage from the theatrical production of Peace Dancer by Roy Henry Vickers. 

Flight of the Hummingbird performers with Pacific Opera Victoria and Opera Vancouver.

This opera is the story of a brave hummingbird taking on a forest fire, while Peace Dancer is the story of a big flood descending on a community after the village’s children mistreat a crow.  These compelling, artfully presented stories that encourage each of us to take action to make a difference, like the little hummingbird, and ensure we treat all living beings with respect.  Flight of the Hummingbird was produced by Pacific Opera Victoria and Opera Vancouver, and Peace Dancer was a collaboration between Theatre Inconnu, Story Theatre, and Puppets for Peace along with Roy Henry Vickers and a community cast.  Complementing these two features were Pacific cultural items from PPP’s collection, along with short films on PPP’s work by youth multimedia makers and a special short on Fijian masi (bark cloth) from UBC Curator Carol Mayer.  Visitors to the gallery were also invited to share their thoughts on the guiding themes of this year’s One Wave:  resilience and allyship.

Our next public offering was the outdoor KAIROS Blanket Exercise.  More than 20 participants braved the weather under tents at Royal Athletic Park to take part in this interactive workshop about Indigenous history.  Facilitating the exercise were Muavae Va’a and his wife Marie Va’a from Tsartlip First Nation, facilitator Linda Flynn, and Tsartlip elder Judy Bartleman.  The facilitators did a great job of adapting the exercise to keep everyone safe and socially distanced and bring Canada’s difficult Indigenous history to life.  In the circle at the end, participants shared that they were deeply moved and eager to help bring this knowledge forward.

WildFlowers Drum Group at Orange Shirt Day Market. Credit: Jesse Holland

Then, on September 30, One Wave hosted the Orange Shirt Day First Nations Market & Mural at Royal Beach in Colwood in partnership with Songhees & Esquimalt Nations and Royal Beach.  This event was part of the Orange Shirt Day movement across Canada to honour all who went through the horror of residential schools and reaffirm that “Every Child Matters.”  It was an amazing, sunny day with art by Indigenous makers, songs from the WildFlowers girls’ drum group, Tongan dance by Ruby Kafalava, and bannock from Songhees Catering. 

To open this Orange Shirt Day event, Florence Dick shared opening words and her grandson Darwyn Seaweed did a territorial welcome.  Local artists Brianna Bear and Margaret August facilitated the mural, inviting community members to add a handprint and messages of love for residential school survivors.  We are grateful to Florence Dick for her guidance in arranging this beautiful day and Sara from Royal Beach for all the event planning support. 

During September, we also held several youth workshops.  Local youths had a chance to learn from Cowichan artist Stella Johnny and help out in the Tsawout Learning Garden with Tiffany Joseph.  Footage from these small group workshops will be released on social media this December.  A group of South Pacific and Indigenous youth committee also started plans for a community storytelling project to be announced soon!

Usually, One Wave wraps up in September, but this year we reached the end of September with lots more to offer!  This is mainly due to the Covid-19 pandemic, as we found that each event took hours of extra planning.  The pandemic also meant we had to set attendance limits, making our free events less accessible than usual.  By the end of the month, we had plans still in the making with several Indigenous and Pacific artists, speakers, and partners and decided to extend One Wave, offering our remaining events online so that more people could enjoy them.

Pacific Story & Song storyteller Erin Blondeau

The first of these online events was Pacific Story & Song, an evening of Pacific arts and culture live-streamed by Sunset Labs on October 15.  Sharing stories at the event were Sḵx̱wu7mesh / W̱SÁNEĆ storyteller Tiffany Joseph, Métis storyteller Erin Blondeau, and Polynesian actress Rena Owen (Once Were Warriors, Star Wars, Siren).  The evening also featured live songs by Stz’uminus singer-songwriter Nate Harris from his upcoming album Precious You, PPP President Muavae Va’a, and local Hawaiian performer Anela Kahiamoe, as well as a song by Khu.éex’ centering on a story told by Tlingit / Iñupiaq / Paiute / Kaigani Haida vocalist Nahaan.  Thank you to all the presenters for your cultural sharings and to our special guest Rena Owen for making time from across the Pacific to speak about your journey and encourage each of us on our own.  Our recording of Pacific Story & Song will be released soon on social media.

Next up in the virtual space was our Together / As One Film Festival from October 23 to November 24.  Thank you to local Coast Salish filmmaker Steven Davies for putting together this powerful program of Pacific-based Indigenous features and shorts!  Our two opening films were Feature Film Vai by nine female South Pacific filmmakers, and the National Film Board short Now is The Time about Haida carver Robert Davidson and his reclamation of cultural traditions.  We then featured 6 films from Aotearoa, Haida Gwaii, Australia, and Kapuivik.  While the free viewing period for most of these films is over, we encourage you to check out our Film Festival webpage for some great films to add to your list or order at your local library!

Virtual Feast Panelist Tiffany Joseph

A final unique online One Wave event was called A Virtual Feast: Honouring and Revitalizing Indigenous Food Systems.  This was an interactive panel and film premier on Indigenous food sovereignty co-organized with our partners at the University of Victoria Centre for Indigenous Research and Community-Led Engagement (CIRCLE).  We had more than 100 participants registered for the online event!  The dialogue was hosted by Lisa Kenoras and Jeff Corntassel with a traditional Lekwungen welcome by Brianna Dick.  The Virtual Feast fed us all with presentations by local Indigenous knowledge holders, Tiffany Joseph and Cheryl Bryce, and Papua New Guinean cultural TV producer, Jennifer Baing-Waiko, as well as a premier of CIRCLE’s new short film Rising Tides which you can find on our Vimeo here.

And that’s a wrap… almost!  We have one more One Wave event we hope to present this winter, the raising of the Pacific Peace Post at Macaulay Point, a beautifully carved house post by local Lekwungen carver Bradley Dick and Solomon Islands carver Ake Lianga.  We hope to see the Peace Post go up in early January — watch our social media channels for news!

Ake Lianga and Bradley Dick carving the Pacific Peace Post.

We were thrilled to offer a bountiful One Wave 2020 program in spite of the pandemic, making space for Pacific cultural sharing while offering paid opportunities for local artists and Indigenous knowledge keepers. To the volunteers who came with open hearts; to the artists and speakers who shared at One Wave events; to our amazing partners and funders who worked with us to make it happen; to the participants who came ready to learn and share; and to our team who pulled together in this challenging year  – thank you, thank you, thank you. 

Our programming partners for One Wave Gathering 2020 were Songhees Nation, Esquimalt Nation, MediaNet Flux Gallery, CIRCLE at UVIC, Theatre Inconnu, Puppets for Peace, Story Theatre, Pacific Opera Victoria, Vancouver Opera, and Royal Beach.  Thank you for helping design inspiring programs enjoyed by so many.

Key funders and contributors were Canadian Heritage, BC Arts Council, Government of Canada, Province of BC, CRD, City of Victoria, Township of Esquimalt, City of Colwood, CTV / CFAX, Rika Design, Peppers Foods, Royal Scot Hotel & Suites, Metropol, The Sign Pad, Black Press Media, and Sunset Labs.  Your contributions were crucial to the success of our One Wave Gathering.

How Climate Change and the COVID-19 Pandemic Impact Food Security in the South Pacific

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By Peter Boldt, Program Coordinator, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

The South Pacific islands have largely avoided high COVID-19 infection rates that have severely shocked many nations in the rest of the world. This has largely been due to their geographic isolation, low population density and rapid public health responses such as the closure of borders. Nevertheless, the pandemic has increased socioeconomic challenges and exposed significant vulnerabilities. Food security in particular has been profoundly impacted as governments struggle to provide for citizens and supply chains continue to be disrupted. A recent DevEx article referred to the COVID-19 pandemic as a “magnifying glass” that has merely amplified pre-existing socioeconomic and environmental challenges.

 
Here is a traditional method of cooking local crops such as sweet potato and taro in Fiji, known as “Lovo.” Photo Credit – Axel Berg

It is important to distinguish the varying components which make up the generalized and accepted concept of ‘Food Security.’ The United Nations Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) defines food security as when “all people, at all times, have physical and economic access to sufficient, safe and nutritious food to meet their dietary needs and food preferences for an active and healthy life.” It can be broken down into 4 general components:

Availability: Is there food near me and my community?

Access:  Is food easily attainable?

Utilization: Does the available food contribute to my health?

Stability:  Will there be food for the next while?

All four of these critical components need to be met simultaneously if food security is to be realized. Achieving food security is a basic human right and is reflected in the second Sustainable Development Goal (SDGs), “Zero Hunger.” Overcoming this immense challenge has been considerably undermined by the COVID-19 pandemic and in many instances, progress has been reversed.

In the case of the South Pacific, agriculture remains an important sector that provides a high degree of food security. Fisheries also play an important role in delivering a key source of animal protein. Disadvantaged communities, in particular, rely on subsistence farming and fisheries for their food security – both of which continue to be threatened by climate change. Nevertheless, given their small size, limited economic dynamism and small populations, South Pacific islands continue to be considerably dependent upon food imports which highlights their economic vulnerabilities. Besides, their remoteness limits the frequency of deliveries which jeopardizes both food stability and access.

South Pacific Island States are unique in that they are more isolated from global logistical networks than anywhere else in the world. They also have very limited arable land and bear the most severe impacts of climate change which include sea-level rise, unpredictable precipitation patterns, increased frequency of cyclones and both warming and acidification of the ocean among other hazards.  These vulnerabilities have hindered efforts to expand agricultural production.

According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), climate change is negatively impacting both agricultural and fishery sectors and as a result has resulted in unemployment, food insecurity, poverty and climate-induced migration to urban centers and nearby high-income countries like New Zealand and Australia. Higher rates of urbanization result in less consumption of traditional crops and instead, urban populations rely increasingly on processed imports, compromising their food utilization. Furthermore, higher reliance on these imports means that these populations are especially vulnerable to spikes in food prices – a consequence that we are now seeing due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

While tuna is a staple fishery resource in the South Pacific, it is increasingly being exported to outside markets, particularly in Asia.

South Pacific Island nations struggle with the highest indices of obesity in the world. Studies have significantly correlated this phenomenon with an increasing dependence on food imports which are disproportionally favoured over traditional foods and staples such as fish and root crops like taro and sweet potato. To make matters worse, these food imports are high in sugar, salt and fat which have led to high rates of diabetes and associated health problems. Malnutrition is thus an outcome of reliance on imported foods and can reinforce multidimensional problems like poverty. What occurs then is a cyclical pattern whereby poor households are forced to purchase low-cost, imported high-fat foods which may cause poor physical and cognitive development. This then leads to low productivity which can cause poverty. You can see then how poverty is intrinsically linked with food insecurity, how they can reinforce one another and why interventions and ambitious policy responses are needed to break these cycles.

Adaptation measures can take many forms and they are particularly critical if food security is to be realized in the South Pacific. According to a 2015 Asian Development Bank (ADB) report, maintaining a ‘business-as-usual’ approach will be a costly policy response and will likely result in negative impacts on the agriculture sector, food consumption levels, calorie availability and the severity of child malnutrition. The report goes on to recommend that the agriculture sector requires significant investments if it is to mitigate the effects of climate change. These can be in the form of improved crop management, efficient increases in fertilizer use and funding for innovative agricultural research. The report goes on to make a variety of other policy recommendations that ostensibly offset climate-induced impacts on the agricultural sector in the South Pacific.

These types of technical adaptation measures are important and certainly have a key role to play in realizing food security. But as previously mentioned, food security is a multidimensional and often deceivingly more complex challenge than it appears on the surface. It not only has to do with producing more food and mitigating climate impacts but it can also be a fundamentally political, economic and social issue. For instance, the commercialization of fisheries and agriculture sectors in many island states has led to the abandonment of traditional gathering systems in favour of so-called ‘cash crops’.

High value cash crops such as pineapple seen here in Papua New Guinea are favoured over diverse locally consumed crops. Photo Credit – Timothy Sharp

The intensification of commercial agriculture has in many instances eroded soil, compromised areas rich in biodiversity and merely led to increasing dependency on imports. This has largely been due to government pressure to increase exports and bolster the gross domestic product (GDP) of a given country. In other instances, many high-income countries and multinational enterprises have pressured local communities to plant cash crops in exchange for token compensation. This has been regarded by many activists as a form of neo-colonialism which only serves the interests of foreign consumers and is ultimately detrimental to rural farmers. Governments have largely been unable to stand up to the corporate food regime which has largely been enabled by unfair free trade agreements.

Rapid urbanization, climate change, and the neocolonial imposition of cash crops all threaten the varying components which conceptually make up food security. It has been almost a year since the COVID-19 pandemic hit but its monumental impacts on supply chains are continuing to challenge many small island states. Given their increasing reliance on global markets and food imports, this has dangerous implications for the region.

Of course, there is no easy solution but a few innovative responses have come to the fore which should be noted. As previously mentioned, technical adaptation measures that strengthen the agricultural sector will be vital in the long-run in order to mitigate the effects of climate change on critical crops. But in addition, the notion of food sovereignty and localization of food production has become increasingly relevant. Governments and foreign companies alike must recognize the right of communities to grow their own local food. This cannot occur until land rights are respected and returned to Indigenous populations and a slow reversion to traditional cultivating methods occurs.

Peter Boldt holds a Masters degree in International Development Studies and has worked internationally as a researcher. He is passionate about Indigenous rights, sustainable development and corporate accountability.

Impacts of COVID-19 on Women in the Pacific: Why gender inclusion is key to recovery

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By Agnieszka Zuchora, PPP Development and Partnerships Coordinator

As the world adjusts to the new normal of isolating, social distancing, and virus awareness to keep people safe, underlying issues of inequality have been brought to the surface. Gender disparity has been made glaringly evident during the current COVID-19 landscape as measures put in place to protect communities have disproportionately affected women during this time, especially in the South Pacific. Women and girls are at a higher risk of violence, they provide more unpaid labor, and are more likely to experience economic hardship.

Market vendors at the Wewak Market. Observing the new pandemic normal is a challenge by market management. Credit: HELP-Resource PNG

Typically, women are highly depended upon for their contributions to society and their families. Generally, they provide 80 per cent of unpaid work in the Asia Pacific region. This includes cooking, cleaning, washing, childcare, supporting children with homework, and tending to the sick. With COVID lockdowns, pressure on women has increased exponentially given that everyone is home: it is just expected that women will carry on with their daily tasks and do whatever is necessary to fill in the gaps during this time – both financially and domestically.

As tensions rise amidst stress, uncertainty, food security, and enforced restrictions, there has been a significant increase in calls related to gender-based violence across the Pacific. Women who were living with violent partners were forced into isolation with these partners, thereby putting them at greater risk of increased violence caused by stress and constant contact. Crisis centres have noted a rise in calls from existing clients as well as an increase in new clients who have said there is a correlation between the lockdown and increased violence.

Women’s and Children’s Crisis Centre in Tonga

PPP is proud to have partnered with Women’s and Children’s Crisis Centre (WCCC), in Tonga, which is offering mobile counselling for women to receive in-person support within their area. WCCC was founded in 2009 by the incredible ʻOfa Guttenbeil-Likiliki with the intention of advocating for women, human rights, and eliminating domestic violence through education, counselling, safe houses, and political advocacy. WCCC is the leading women’s human rights organisation in Tonga, providing response, support, and prevention initiatives.

Information session on Informal Economy with vendors at Kreer market is offered by a HELP Resources Community Advocator. Credit: HELP-Resource PNG

The most recent project addresses the need for support in remote island communities. It fills the gap by sending counsellors to the communities, making the extremely valuable centre services mobile and increasing their reach. This comes at an especially significant time given the constant need to adapt around the global pandemic.

Not only are women facing disproportionate workloads, and an increase in domestic violence, they are doing it without the proper resources to maintain their own health. Women have seen a decrease in access to essential products and services such as feminine hygiene products. Seeing as the Pacific imports feminine hygiene products, there has been a disruption in supply resulting in decreased access as well as a spike in prices making them unavailable to some. Some women and girls are “resorting to socks and old newspapers when getting their periods as menstrual products become more expensive or harder to obtain.”(1)  Along with inaccessible sanitation products, “Dr Gupte said underprivileged families were struggling to use common sanitation facilities, where physical distancing and hygienic conditions cannot be assured.” (1)

Some organisations are teaching sewing skills to encourage the making of reusable menstrual products to support women in their health, and also in developing a business through a sustainable product they can sell in the markets; however, local markets have been significantly reduced during the pandemic.

Local Government officials attend a Safe Market Management Practices Workshop. Credit: HELP-Resource PNG

HELP Resources (HELP-R) Supports PNG Women

In Papua New Guinea, our partner HELP Resources (HELP-R) has been supporting women through their Vendors Collective Voices project. After months of restrictions causing market closures and preventing travel, PNG has eased restrictions by allowing travel and reopening markets. In an update, project lead Penial Kabilo said, “Women from Kaminambit and Keram are bringing in their bilums (local string bags made from traditional fibre) to sell at the market, fish traders from the Sepik River have resumed their trading by travelling down to Wewak or further inland to Maprik and Yangoru to trade.”

HELP Resources has supported Water PNG in putting up sanitation stations with washing basins and handwashing gels and sanitizers donated by UN Women, allowing for safe trading. Although trading had considerably slowed during lockdown months, Penial Kabilo has noted a steady increase with consistent buyers. He stated that even “roadside markets along the town fringes and along the highways have all reopened now, however, street vending within the town vicinity is still banned by the Town Authority to promote social distancing. Generally, market trading activities have increased, this indicates a better understanding of COVID-19 and the vender’s resilience to trade.”

The work done by HELP Resources has proven effective and supportive during COVID-19 as information sessions by Community Advocators trained through the Vendors Voice Shaping Informal Economy Development project continued to run. Penial also stated, “Information supplied by the vendors’ association helped HELP Resources to liaise with other partners such as UN Women, Wewak Urban Local Government and the Town Market Supervisor to try and provide a safe and conducive working environment for vendors to conduct business under. We are very excited the Vendors Collective Voices has received a 6-month extension with PPP and Commonwealth Foundation as well as a UN Women partnership.”

Youths from a roadside market reading one of the translated COVID19 factsheet from Hesperian Health Guides, translated by HELP Resources. Credit: HELP-Resource PNG

Economically, the world has been greatly impacted by COVID-19, slowing some production lines temporarily, limiting shipments, and halting tourism globally. Women have been proven to be more vulnerable in this situation, as is often the case. In an article published by The Jakarta Post on September 22, 2020 (2), Oliver Tonby and Phillia Wibowo stated, “Globally women account for 54 percent of overall job losses despite comprising 39 percent of the global workforce. Put another way, a woman in work is nearly twice as likely to lose a job than a man.” This is predominantly because not only are women the main providers of unpaid care work, but are also in the industries most affected by the pandemic, such as retail, hospitality, and food services. Any gaps in financial security in the home are often filled by female vendors trading food, textiles, weaving, or other homemade goods.

Further research done by Tonby and Wibowo found that “if no action is taken to counter the gender-regressive effects of COVID-19, global gross domestic product (GDP) growth could be US$1 trillion lower in 2030. That would represent a significant hit to economies already struggling to recover from the pandemic.

“Conversely, (they) found that if policymakers make decisions now, in 2020 and beyond, that boost gender equality by 2030, it could add $13 trillion to global GDP. ….. A middle path — taking action on gender equality only after the crisis has subsided rather than now — reduces the potential opportunity by more than $5 trillion. The cost of that delay amounts to three-quarters of the total GDP we could potentially lose to COVID-19 this year.” (2)

Based on these findings, it is evident that including gender equality in the economic recovery response plans is crucial, not only for the support of women but also for success in economic recovery and progress in general.

Footnotes:

(1) Xiao Bang, and Darmadi Gemala. (2020, October 2). ‘Coronavirus is exacerbating menstruation health risks for those living in ‘period poverty’. ABC News Australia

(2) Tonby, Oliver and Wibowo, Phillia. (2020, September 22). “Maintaining progress on gender equality is key to Indonesia’s pandemic recovery”. The Jakarta Post

Agnieszka (Aggie) Zuchora holds a Master of Environment with a focus on Development and has experience in community engagement across the Pacific and in humanitarian aid.

Pacific Pulse: South Pacific Pandemic Round-Up

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Researched by Andy E. Nystrom, PPP Archivist & Research Assistant

In terms of the impact of the coronavirus on the Pacific, as seen from a weekly check of Worldometer statistics, French Polynesia is probably the area to watch: total cases went up over 2,000 between October 21 and 28 and active cases nearly one thousand in the same timeframe, thus leaving behind Guam, whose cases it had been paralleling until recently. In the weeks ahead, French Polynesia might well pass Hawaii. While still the second-lowest country for total cases, Solomon Islands is showing some signs of concern, while its Ministry of Health and Medical Services is pushing for improved and extended nursing practices and roles in the country.

In terms of good news, after only a week’s absence, Fiji became clean (I.e. no cases), and Wallis and Futuna became clean after only joining the list last week. New Caledonia remains clean as of October 28. The Marshall Islands has expressed a desire to work with other Pacific countries on economic recovery if they are also coronavirus free.

One of the very few positive impacts of the coronavirus is the adoption of technology that can remotely monitor fishing vessels and identify different types of fish and other marine life. The Federated States of Micronesia had already committed to this technology in 2018, and in 2020 they’ve been joined by Australia, Chile, and New Zealand.

A benefit of COVID-19 has been the acceleration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) monitoring technology being placed aboard commercial fishing vessels to monitor catches. Credit: (SurfaceWarriors / Naval Surface Warriors).

The Asia & the Pacific Society provides weekly updates on the impact of the coronavirus on the Pacific Islands region. According to the October 28 update:

  • Cases are rising in the Pacific overall, particularly French Polynesia in the lead with 5,859 cases.
  • Pacific Island Forum leaders have drafted the ‘Protecting the Health and Wellbeing of the Blue Pacific’ statement which they intend to present at December’s United Nations General Assembly special session on COVID-19. It intends to look at the impact of the virus on vulnerable Pacific groups, such as people with disabilities, the elderly, women and girls.
  • Foreign Ministers at the Pacific Island Forum last week pushed for equitable access in the region to safe and reliable tests, treatments, and potentially later a vaccine for the virus. They cautioned that while the countries have been faring well in resisting the virus, they still face hardships related to border closures.
  • In the same forum, Papua New Guinea’s Labour Secretary noted a loss of 6,000 jobs due to the pandemic and the response to it.
  • To address rising case numbers in Tahiti and Morea, a nine-hour curfew between 9 pm and 6 pm has been declared, as well as the cancellation of cultural and sporting events.
  • Research from Dr. Api Monovo from Massey University has found that the virus (and resulting job loss) has resulted in Pacific islanders reconnecting with traditional cultures and lifestyles. He says this demonstrates the resilience and innovation of Pacific people and culture.
  • Hawaii’s governor is granting a quarantine exemption to American Samoans to enter the state as long as they’re on medical charter flights.
  • The latest cases of the coronavirus in New Zealand are a setback for a travel bubble with the COVID-19-free Cook Islands, which sees such a bubble as desirable due to the considerable loss of income to the latter’s tourism industry.
Cook Islands considers whether to “bubble up” as cases increase in New Zealand. Credit: (Sheba Also 18 Million Views / John).

Pacific Pulse: Pacific FutureWatch – What will 2021 Bring?

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Researched by Andy E. Nystrom, PPP Archivist & Research Assistant

South Pacific Islanders have been demonstrating against nuclear weapons for many decades. Photo from Tok Blong Pasifik, Issue #6

Pacific Island countries have been influential in the ratification of the Treaty on the Prohibition of the Nuclear Weapons, to go into effect January 22, 2021.

The National Cancer Institute (US) awarded the University of Guam and the University of Hawaii Cancer Center each five-year grants totaling $14 million to address and mitigate the impact of cancer on Pacific Islanders.

In 2021 Australia will set up the Pacific Fusion Centre in Port Vila, Vanuatu. This security centre will analyze and share information on a range of security issues including illegal fishing, drug smuggling, human trafficking and climate change.

In 2021 Port Vila, Vanuatu, will be the home of the new Pacific Fusion Centre. Credit: (In Memoriam: PhillipC / Phillip Capper)

The leaders of five Micronesian nations (Palau, the Marshall Islands, Kiribati, Nauru, and the Federated States of Micronesia) are threatening to exit the Pacific Islands Forum unless they are permitted to choose the head of the regional grouping. This could provide an opening for China to extend its influence with Pacific Island nations.

Pacific Pulse: World War II’s Ugly Legacy in the Solomon Islands

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Prepared by Arthur Holbrook, Member of PPP’s Board of Directors and Chair of the organization’s Communications Committee.

Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands was the site of the first major success of the Allies against the Japanese in World War II.  American, ANZAC, Fijian, Tongan and Solomon Island soldiers pushed the Japanese off the island and successfully fought off several attempts to retake the island and its strategic airfield.  The fierce fighting, which lasted from August 1942 into 1943, left an ugly legacy: unexploded munitions. To learn more, click here. 

More than 45,000 of these munitions, ranging from hand grenades, mortar rounds, rifle bullets to aerial bombs, have been removed since 2011 when police in the Solomons started keeping records.  A much higher number are assumed to have been discovered prior to that date. It is estimated that as many as 50,000 unexploded munitions remain on Guadalcanal.  These munitions have remained hidden in the soil for over 75 years and are dug up regularly by the people of the island, 75% of whom are agricultural workers.  It is estimated that every year about 20 local people are killed by these devices.  As John Rodsted, the lead researcher with SafeGround, an advocacy group for the removal of explosives left behind by war, explained, the unexploded munitions can make farming a fatal occupation.  “They are scared of their land.” (1) 

From Journal of Conventional Weapons Disposal:

Livingston is a constable with the Royal Solomon Islands Police Force on New Georgia Island. When he receives a report of old ammunition and bombs, he investigates. “I find many old bombs. The farmers and fishermen report them to the police. They in turn report to Honiara (capital of the Solomon Island). The problem is distance, logistics, time and money. The distances are great in the Solomon Islands and it takes time and money for the EOD team to be able to respond to all reports…” Photo courtesy of John Rodsted

Meanwhile, local fishermen sometimes use explosives to fish.  This practice has depleted fish stocks and damaged coral reefs in some lagoons.  Because coral is reduced to rubble by this practice, it often will not regrow.  Dynamite fishing has left some areas in the Solomons with no reefs and no fish. (2)

A number of areas on Guadalcanal have not been used for generations because they are contaminated with the buried munitions.  Norwegian People’s Aid (NPA), working closely with local police, has been attempting to remedy the situation.  They are developing a database of the locations of the munitions.  These operations recently came to an abrupt halt when two ordnance removal technicians, one British, one Australian, were killed in an explosion.

International efforts have focused on anti-personnel mines and cluster munitions.  Since neither of these types of munitions is believed to have been used in the South Pacific, the region was not provided with international assistance for ordnance removal until recently.  Hence, organized efforts to deal with the unexploded munitions in the region only began in 2010 when Pacific Forum leaders called for assistance to address the problem.  The Forum’s Regional Security Committee’s strategy was put into place in 2012. Several countries have been selected as on-going priorities: Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, the Royal Marshall Islands, the Solomon Islands, and Vanuatu. (3)

Footnotes:

(1) New York Times, https://www.nytimes.com/2020/09/21/world/australia/solomon-slands-unexploded-ordnance.html

(2) Special Report: Solomon Islands’ Explosive Legacy, “Journal of Conventional Weapons Destruction, Vol. 20, Iss. 3 [2016], 5. https://commons.lib.jmu.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=2756&context=cisr-ournal&te=1&nl=at-war&emc=edit_war_20200925.

(3) Special Report, 3, 4.

People & Passages: Announcing Phase 2 of the Indigenous Climate Action Program

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Prepared by Peter Boldt and Monica Shore (Iisaak Olam Foundation)

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) is proud to announce that we will be partnering once again with the IISAAK OLAM Foundation  https://www.iisaakolam.ca/ (IOF) for the second phase of their Indigenous Climate Action Preschool Program (ICAP). Phase 1 was entitled ‘Cultivating Connections: Building Relationships between Nature, Culture and Community through Early Childhood Education’.

Photo Credit: IISAAK OLAM Foundation

With the huge success of the pilot and the continuing support of the TD Friends of the Environment, we are pleased to support IOF as they offer a second phase of this inspiring educational program, with a pandemic-influenced twist: ‘Cultivating Connections between Children and Nature from the Safety of Home.’ This will include five nature-based educational modules that are delivered online and that young children, families, and educators can use and adapt. Indigenous and western knowledge systems and teaching styles/tools will be employed to provide a rich and unique experience.

“We hope that this program will inspire young children and their families to connect with and learn from the environmental and cultural diversity of the place they call home. By home, we mean not only the dwelling or house in which we sleep, but the broader environment and ecosystems that teach us about our place in the world and our responsibilities to care for it,” explains Monica Shore, Executive Director of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.

Photo Credit: IISAAK OLAM Foundation

While COVID-19 has certainly challenged us and caused our organizations to make adjustments to our work, PPP is delighted to assist IOF with such important programs for children. This project will advance work that began with the launch of the pilot in January of 2020, where IOF facilitated early-childhood education experiences in Saanich Parks, weaving together Indigenous and western teachings about nature and diversity. The next phase of this program will provide virtual learning opportunities for connecting young children to their local environment, applying both Indigenous and western knowledge systems.

For more information, please visit https://www.iisaakolam.ca/cayac. More details to come in January 2021!

People & Passages: New Zealand’s First Indigenous Female Foreign Minister

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Prepared by Art Holbrook, PPP Board member and Chair of PPP’s Communications Committee

After elections last month that returned Jacinda Ardern’s Labour Party to government with a landslide, Nanaia Mahuta has been appointed as the country’s first Indigenous Foreign Minister and the first Maori woman to hold such a senior cabinet position. (1). In 1996 Mahuta was the first Maori woman to be elected to New Zealand’s parliament and has held a number of cabinet posts over the years.

Foreign Minister Nanaia Mahuta. Credit: Office of Hon Nanaia Mahuta

Mahuta is the niece of the late queen Tuheitia Potatau Te Wherowhero VII and is related to the current monarch of the Maori, King Tuheitia.  He is now the 8th Maori monarch of the Kingitanga. The Kingitanga, or Maori King movement, was first established in the 1850s as white settlers sometimes used unscrupulous means to gain possession of Maori lands. By claiming kingship over a part of the North Island that was still under Maori control, the Kingitanga developed into a significant political presence that has survived wars, land confiscations and the displeasure of some white New Zealanders. While having no official status in the New Zealand government and not being recognized by all Maori tribes, the Kingitanga has its own parliament and has some influence at the local level.(2)

Recognizing this heritage, Mahuta decided in 2016 to take part in a moko kauae ceremony where she received the traditional woman’s tattoo on her chin. The design of her moko is unique to Mahuta as it symbolically traces her lineage. She was inspired to get the moko by her daughter who challenged her to do it.

Several other Maori women in the New Zealand parliament responded enthusiastically to Mahuta’s initiative. Green Party MP Marama Davidson said, “I couldn’t think of a better wahine [Polynesian woman] to be the first role model for us; it’s absolutely fantastic. What I’m really excited about is the statement that it makes – that we have the right to wear our moko everywhere…”(3)

 

(1) CNN World, 2 November 2020, New Zealand’s Jacinda Ardern appoints country’s first Indigenous female foreign minister”.

(2) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Māori_King_Movement.

(3) RNZ, 9 August 2016, “Mahuta in MP tattoo first”.

People & Passages: Welcome to two new PPP employees!

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Visit the Teams Page to learn the full story about each of these talented young people.

Peter Boldt – Program Coordinator

peterboldt@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

Growing up in Lək̓ʷəŋən territory, Peter feels blessed to call this beautiful Pacific coast his home. He is inspired by his travels and the people and friends he has met from other countries. As a field school student in 2013, he had the opportunity to participate in local development initiatives through service learning in Uganda. This trip marked the beginning of his passion for advocacy, human rights and sustainable development.

Before completing his Master’s degree in International Development Studies, Peter was an elementary school teacher abroad for two years. In his work with PPP, he looks forward to continued learning about Indigenous knowledge exchange, community resilience and South Pacific development issues.

Agnieszka Zuchora – Partnerships and Development Coordinator

agnieszka@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

Agnieszka (Aggie) is a Greek born, Polish immigrant who grew up on Kwikwetlem territory. Her passion lies in traditional healing practices, environmental protection and working directly with the community. This led her to pursue a Master of Environment in Melbourne, Australia.

Through her degree, she focused on adaptation to climate change as well as the political ecology of development and examining western normative assumptions about gender and gender empowerment. Later, she volunteered in Israel learning about sustainable agricultural practices, then in Greece working with youth and women asylum seekers. She looks forward to furthering her understanding of Indigenous experiences and what it means to be an active ally across the Pacific.

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For 45 years, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership has supported the aspirations of South Pacific Islanders and Indigenous peoples for peace, environmental sustainability, social justice and community development.

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