Pacific Peoples' Partnership

Connecting Indigenous and Pacific Peoples

Pasifik Currents – Spring Edition 2020

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April Ingham and Greta Thunberg in Swedish Lapland

Talofa Lava Friends,

Happy International Women’s Day!  Spring is starting to show itself here on Vancouver Island.  The days are getting longer, blossoms are slowly revealing themselves and a buzz of excitement is in the air as Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) grows ever nearer to our 45th Anniversary on April 8!  This is a special time of celebration and reflection for PPP, and we are thrilled to mark this milestone by embarking on a Wayfinding 2020 mission.

With the support of funder Tamalpais Trust, a San Francisco-based organization supporting Indigenous-led projects, PPP will connect with former, current and potential future partners throughout the South Pacific in a deep listening and learning mission. Ironically this mission recently began with a trip to Sápmi Territories (Swedish Lapland, Arctic Circle) where we witnessed Pawanka Fund’s transformative approach to philanthropy through global Indigenous solidarity and self-determination.  This incredible initiative is highlighted in the enclosed article.

Findings and inputs from Wayfinding 2020 will inform PPP’s strategic plans for 2020-2025 to ensure they support South Pacific Islanders’ stated priorities and self determined solutions. It is anticipated this will lead to strengthened partnerships, more impactful programming and the transformation of our Pacific Resilience Fund (PRF) into an Indigenous led fund.  So, watch for our continued updates on social media and through Pasifik Currents.

These have been busy and productive days here at PPP with lots of exciting programs in the works or just completed.  Want to learn more? Check out our 2018-19 Annual Report and Audited Statements and our recent articles about our activities including the Climate Connect Indigenous Youth Workshop in November 2019, plus check out the touching outcomes of our recent PRF Samoa Campaign as experienced first hand by our President Muavae Va’a in December 2019. You will also see our recent solidarity statement for Wet’suwet’en; and our newest feature Pacific Pulse, a curated and synthesized selection of emergent Pacific news, plus lots of other great updates!

Our Board, Volunteers and small team of Staff are working hard to be of service to the Peoples of the South Pacific.  To this end, we also work in solidarity with Indigenous peoples worldwide alongside many strong allies.  As we near our 45th Anniversary we urge your continued engagement and expanded charitable support of our mandate – Please donate today!  We look forward to celebrating this amazing milestone with you throughout 2020!

Yours in Solidarity for Peace,

April Ingham

Executive Director

Reindeer, kick sleds, toboggans and snow angels… Pacific Peoples’ Partnership?

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By Art Holbrook

April at Sami Gathering Space at Jokkmokk Market

Why are we writing about a winter gathering in Northern Sweden when the focus of Pacific Peoples’ Partnership is the people of Oceania, mainly the tropical island nations of the Pacific?

We’re writing because April Ingham, executive director of PPP, received an unusual invitation. She was invited to observe the guiding committee meeting of Pawanka Fund, to witness this relatively new global Indigenous led fund in action.  April formed part of their 20-person

A Ingham checking out a traditional Sami Teepee

delegation, which included respected Indigenous leaders’ representative of the seven geographic regions of the world, plus many of their funding partners. The meetings were held in Jokkmokk located in the Swedish province of Lapland.  Jokkmokk is just north of the Arctic Circle and is a center for the Sami people.

The Pawanka Fund was established six years ago as a direct outcome of a UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Issues meeting.  That forum put forward a UN resolution which urged government, intergovernmental and non-governmental organisations to continue to contribute to Indigenous led funds, as well as to entrust funds for Indigenous issues and the United Nations voluntary fund for Indigenous peoples.

The Pawanka Fund is Chaired by Dr. Myrna Cunningham-Kain, who also sits with April on an Indigenous led fund working group hosted by the United States-based International Funders for Indigenous Peoples (IFIP). It was expected that April’s learning experiences at this meeting would contribute to the working group’s knowledge sharing principles and PPP’s own Pacific Resilience Fund’s transformation.  April has attended IFIP meetings in Canada and the United States, but this is the first time she has traveled to an international gathering of these funders outside of North America.

Pawanka Delegation with the UN Permanent Forum for Indigenous Peoples Chair Anne Nuorgam

The Pawanka gathering brought together representatives from around the globe including Hawaii, Asia, Kenya, South America, the US and Russia, along with US based global funders committed to Indigenous led philanthropy including the Tamalpais Trust, the NoVo Foundation, the Christensen Fund, the Swift Foundation, the NiaTero Fund, and the Tenure Faculty.  A UN Special Rapporteur also participated. The protocols, logistics and hosting of the meetings was organized by Gunn-Britt Retter, a Pawanka guiding committee member and a Sami Arctic Council leader.

April was invited to the Jokkmokk gathering to learn about the processes for administering an Indigenous led fund, and about the methodologies that ensure the fund’s founding principles uphold Indigenous worldviews and self-determined processes. She was also there to learn and prepare, as PPP will soon undertake the transformation of our Pacific Resilience Fund (PRF) into one led by and for Pacific peoples, this is part of a major new initiative we will be launching later this spring.

April will be traveling to a number of South Pacific nations to meet with former and current partners, development experts and community leaders, as part of our Pacific Wayfinding 2020 Learning Mission.  The findings from that mission, sponsored by Tamalpais Trust, will contribute to PPP’s strategic plan for 2020-2025, and will guide the development of our programs, operations and lead to a transformed PRF.

April arrived in the regional center of Luleå before a number of the other participants.  Since prior to joining PPP April lived in Fort St. John, B.C., she is no stranger to cold weather and had time to enjoy the snow and -12 Celsius weather, exploring the small city and kick sledding across the ice in Luleå’s Gulf of Bothnia harbour.

As the delegation joined her in Luleå, they took a four-hour bus trip to Jokkmokk.  Outfitted with winter gear provided by the gathering’s

Pawanka Delegation experiencing snow together!

host coordinators, the delegates from warmer climes had the new experience of traveling in a blizzard in Arctic darkness.  Arriving at the lodge where the meetings were to take place, April was able to introduce her tropical colleagues to kick sleds and tobogganing and the all-important winter skill of making snow angels.

Gunn-Brit gave the group a warm welcome to the Sápmi Territories and provided a brief introduction to the Sami people and Jokkmokk, a training center for Sami artists.  Dr. Myrna Cunningham-Kain provided an orientation to the work of the Pawanka Fund.  She explained the importance Pawanka places on meeting in remote regional locations, which helps to remind participants about the diversity of Indigenous peoples. She emphasized how Pawanka is building a process that utilizes Indigenous world views and processes to transform philanthropy.  Pawanka is defining the ways and means outside of traditional grant making, while also documenting and generating knowledge, strengthening itself as an Indigenous led fund and advocating in philanthropy.

Jokkmokk Northern Lights by Ellie Lanphier

Over the next six days the participants shared their knowledge and experiences as they compared their successes and challenges in supporting Indigenous led projects.  As participants reported on the projects they championed, they explored ways to improve on their collective successes and about how to make projects self-sustaining after the grants that have helped them to begin have expired.

Funders spoke about the lessons they have learned and areas where they might improve including systemization of communications, strengthening monitoring and evaluation and following up activities.  There was a recognition that there is growing interest in Indigenous led funds that presents both opportunities and challenges.  Meanwhile, sharing carefully verified stories at the UN and other venues ensures that the funds fulfill their responsibility and benefit future generations.

On another day, a panel discussion emphasized the importance of developing strategies that are complimentary, based in reciprocity, holistic in approach and that further the values of Pawanka.  Indigenous understanding of how strategies might work was highlighted by Dr. Hussein Isack, the Kenyan representative of the Global Indigenous Advisory Committee, who spoke of the importance of developing grassroots

Young Sami men wrangling Reindeer for the races

connections by using the metaphor of the acacia tree.  He hoped that Pawanka will develop deep roots and a wide trunk and that it will grow strong as the organization flowers.  He emphasized that organizations must stay grounded by their roots even as their leaves synthesize and grow.  Another participant emphasized the need for cultural due diligence even as organizations must recognize that “due diligence” can be interpreted in different ways in different cultures.

In another panel discussion, Danil Mamyev, an Altai Russian delegate, emphasized through his interpreter that Indigenous peoples, cultures and languages are like natural biodiversity and cannot be separated.  He shared how elders in his community spoke of how their feelings and perceptions were contained in songs and actions from the past.  But now his own children have lost that understanding.  Where previously one word could contain an epic poem, now words have narrowed in meaning.

After an agenda-packed few days, the participants got to relax and enjoy the Sami National Day, wandering amongst the 415-year-old Sami outdoor market that Jokkmokk is famous for.  While some of the delegates were leaving, April had the opportunity to join an outdoor gathering of Sami youth where she met Greta Thunberg, who had been spending time with the Sami youth.  Greta gave a brief speech in which she said,

Sami Youth Climate Action with Greta Thunberg

“We have a lot to learn from those that live by and with nature, and some have done so for hundreds of thousands of years. We have to listen to and give space to Indigenous peoples of the world because we are largely dependent on them, as they are protecting and taking care of nature and its biodiversity, which is necessary for our future survival. By protecting nature, forest and oceans we can take ourselves out of the situation we find ourselves in.  And we must understand that nature is something we cannot continue to exploit, rather something to depend on and something we have to take care of.”

A Sami Political Leader at the climate action event gave a message of solidarity with for the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en, a message April found especially heartwarming to hear so far from home.

As April summarized her experiences after returning home, “I arrived home exhausted and full to the brim with inspiration and new learnings.  I am excited to apply this new knowledge in our Wayfinding 2020 Deep Listening Mission which will guide PPP’s work beyond our 45th anniversary.”

Prepared by Art Holbrook, PPP Board Member and Chair of the Communications Committee.  Art has been a board member at PPP for the last two and half years.  He has traveled to Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu and has developed an affinity for the people of the South Pacific island nations.

Climate Connect Workshop for Indigenous Youth

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By Kori Stene

In November 2019, not-for-profit organization ECO Canada, had the honour to partner with the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) through an exciting 3-day climate action workshop, delivered to 80+ Indigenous youth of the Tsawout, Tsartlip, Tseycum and Pauquachin First Nations Groups near Victoria, British Columbia. Youth learned from Indigenous Knowledge Holders, Elders, Leadership and Climate experts from across the province and the country, while they engaged in activities and discussions that increased climate literacy, taught the importance of protecting our water and oceans, and instilled environmental stewardship among the younger generations.

Climate Connect educational workshop for Indigenous youth at the LÁU, WELṈEW̱ Tribal School in Brentwood Bay near Victoria.

It was rewarding to work alongside such a passionate group (PPP), connected through a common motive: protection of this planet Earth. The curriculum content for the Climate Connect Youth Workshop was built with the inspiring words of Elder Albert Marshall’s in mind:  Etuaptmumk: Two Eyed-Seeing – “learning to see from your one eye with the best of the strengths in the Indigenous knowledge and ways of knowing … and learning to see from your other eye with the best or the strengths in the mainstream (Western or Eurocentric) knowledge and ways of knowing … but most importantly, learning to see with both these eyes together, for the benefit of all”.

Being a non-Indigenous woman myself, it is beautiful to observe and learn from Indigenous ways of knowing; to harmonize my own Western science approach to climate change with the cultural, interconnections of traditional ways of viewing the world. Western science brings in the art of external observation, monitoring, and interpreting change through understanding impacts and looking at those impacts upon the human race. The Indigenous approach to climate change shines light on the impacts from within; to understand our relationship with Mother Earth and how taking care of the planet is so deeply aligned with the art of self-care.

The Medicine Wheel was used as a traditional teaching tool.

This beautiful, balanced perspective of inter-cultural collaboration of Etuaptmumk encourages us to work together and to learn from each other. To remind us to bring our Traditional Medicine Wheel along with a geographical compass, when navigating solutions to positive environmental action. This workshop braided those two strengths together, inspiring 80+ youth to become ‘two-eyed seeing’ environmental stewards of their land.

One lesson that truly resonated with me from the workshop was simple, yet powerful, demonstrating the power of collective action. Imagine a room of 100+ people where they all clap at different times. The sounds are mild and sporadic. Now imagine those same 100+ people all clapping their hands at the exact same time. The sound is magnified, harmonized, and 100x louder than the previous. It sent the message to the youth that when our individual actions are combined together, we can make a larger positive impact.

These young Climate Connect participants took the pledge to plant and care for ceremonial cedars

Climate change is something we are all a part of we all contribute-to it, and we all feel the repercussions of it. The youth are the future. The future is now. It is essential that younger generations understand, relate to and take action for a cleaner and more regenerative future … regenerative in that it continues to provide abundance for future generations as Mother Nature always has, instead of leaving less behind.

Dealing with climate change requires coming together as a collective, finding strength in our differences, seeing the world through multiple perspectives, instead of only our own. Climate change is a many-layered issue that will take a unified, yet mosaic-like, systems-thinking approach to come up with a seven-generational solution. The change lies in our ‘two eyed seeing’ youth.

The workshop’s powerful message to youth participants is:

  • You are stronger than you know and braver than you believe. Think big!
  • You’re never too young to make a difference, so don’t wait until you’re older.

 

Kori Stene is the main Lead for ECO Canada’s Building Environmental Aboriginal Human Resources (BEAHR) program, www.eco.ca/beahr, having delivered 40+ training workshops across Canada. She has project managed many initiatives within ECO Canada including curriculum development for Indigenous Leadership in Energy Management and Climate Change Adaptation Training for Indigenous Leadership. Kori has carried out multiple environmental field studies in Canada, Ireland and Australia.

 

PPP would like to thank our friends at ECO Canada for their partnership and additional in-kind contributions. We also want to acknowledge RBC Royal Bank Blue Water Fund for their funding support of this program.

A Canary in the Coal Mine: Disappearing Islands and Climate Change

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The tiny Micronesian state of Kiribati (pronounced Kirabass) was in the news lately. A recent United Nations human rights committee ruling states that it is unlawful for governments to return people to countries where their lives might be threatened by climate change. The ruling was made after a New Zealand court rejected the claim of a Kiribati citizen who applied for refugee status in New Zealand for himself and his family. He claimed that their lives were at risk due to rising sea levels. While upholding New Zealand’s claim, the UN human rights committee cited projections that rising sea levels won’t make the atolls that comprise Kiribati uninhabitable for 10 to 15 years. They believe that time period should allow the international community to take steps to “protect and, where necessary, relocate [Kiribati’s] population.” (The Guardian, 20 Jan 2020)

The 33 islands and atolls that make up the nation of Kiribati are among the most threatened places on earth.  The atolls are only a few feet above sea level. Already a combination of storm surges and salinization of freshwater aquifers on the islands is challenging inhabitants. Even when storms aren’t threatening to swallow the islands, fresh water is becoming difficult to find. Low lying islands in Hawaii, Japan and the Arctic have already disappeared. (NBC News, 9 June 2019)

Nor is Kiribati alone among the Pacific Nations: the nine islands that comprise Tuvalu are also experiencing threats. (The Guardian, 16 May 2019) As Tuvalu resident Nausaleta Setani, initially not a believer in climate change, has said, “I have been learning the things that are happening are the result of man, especially [from] other countries. It makes me sad.  But I understand other countries do what is best for their people. I am from a small country.  All I want is for the bigger countries to respect us, and think of our lives.”

Former president of Kiribati Anote Tong claims that it is already too late for Kiribati even as the large nations of the world do little or nothing about climate change. (The Washington Post, 24 Oct 2018) According to a University of Texas at Austin update, “Climate Security in Oceania,” (31 Dec 2019), Tong’s ideas have not changed on the subject.

But will the international community respond by allowing the islanders to migrate with dignity? Examples from Donald Trump’s anti-immigrant rhetoric to Hungary’s efforts to ban immigrants suggest the international community won’t respond with generosity.

Sources

The Guardian, 20 January 2020: “Waiting for the tide to turn: Kiribati’s fight for survival”

NBC News, 9 June 2019: “Three islands disappeared in the past year. Is climate change to blame?”

The Guardian, 16 May 2019:  “One day we will disappear: Tuvalu’s singing islands”

CNN , 20 Jan 2020: “Climate refugees cannot be sent home, United Nations rules in landmark decision”

Washington Post, 24 Oct 2018: “Our island is disappearing but the president refuses to act” 

University of Texas at Austin report, 31 Dec 2019: “Climate Security in Oceania” 

 

Prepared by Art Holbrook, PPP Board Member and Chair of the Communications Committee

 

Australia’s Wildfires Through the Eyes of its Aboriginal People

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We can all be grateful the devastating 2019/2020 wildfire season that ravaged major areas of Australia seems to have been extinguished by drenching rains. While the fire events were reported daily across the newsfeeds of the world, the voice and wisdom of the Aboriginal people within the country has arguably been under-reported. Here are three recent articles that spotlight the wisdom of those who have lived there forever as they would say, and used their knowledge of caring for the land in managing such hazards.

National Public Radio, January 11, 2020, “With Their Land in Flames, Aboriginals Warn Fires Show Deep Problems in Australia”:

Until the latest New South Wales wildfires totally destroyed his property, Aboriginal Australian, Noel Butler and his wife held camps and workshops there on aboriginal culture, including a program for troubled indigenous youth. School groups would come to learn about native art, history and food. Fire was a key issue they would teach about.

Noel Butler notes that public officials today rely on massive controlled burns contrary to the way Aboriginal people have managed the landscape of Australia. “Fire in this place is our friend,” he says. “Fire has been used to maintain, to look after this whole continent forever. … Native peoples called them “cool burns,” low-intensity fires intended to balance the various plants and trees growing in an area. … How we maintain that balance is through fire, by not letting any one thing dominate something else,” explains Butler. “The eucalyptus shouldn’t be allowed to overrun all the other trees. If one shrub starts to take over a grassland, it should get burned back.”

BBC, January 12, 2020, “Australia fires: Aboriginal planners say the bush ‘needs to burn’”:

This insightful article focuses on Shannon Foster, a knowledge keeper for the D’harawal people who are residents of the Sydney Basin coastal area of New South Wales. Country is personified within Aboriginal culture, she explains. “The earth is our mother. She keeps us alive … It’s the concept of maintaining country – central to everything we do as Aboriginal people. It’s about what we can give back to country; not just what we can take from it.”

“The current controlled burns destroy everything. It’s a naive way to practice fire management … Whereas cultural burning protects the environment holistically. We’re interested in looking after country, over property and assets. We can’t eat, drink or breathe assets,” declares Ms Foster. “Without country, we have nothing.”

New York Times, January 15, 2020, “Want to Stop Australia’s Fires? Listen to Aboriginal People”:

In this richly-informative article, Murrandoo Yanner, a Gangalidda leader and director of the Carpentaria Land Council Aboriginal Corporation in northern Australia, shares his traditional wisdom. As the story says, he is a man made for these times, declaring that the way forward is back … “If we can understand, learn from and imagine our place through the laws and stories of our ancestors then we will have true knowledge on how to live, adapt and survive in Australia, just as our ancestors did.”

 

Prepared by Alison Gardner, Editor, Pasifik Currents

Pasifik Currents – Winter 2019

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One Wave Gathering 2019 Delegation spends time with Chris Paul on Studio Tour

Talofa Lava PPP Friends and Members, 

Please remember Pacific Peoples’ Partnership (PPP) with your donation today! You can do so securely HERE.  Every dollar donated makes a huge difference to PPP. We leverage your donation to secure resources critical to our sustainability and solidarity building programs like the recent One Wave Gathering in Victoria, and knowledge sharing programs like RedTide 2020: International Indigenous Climate Action Summit. Plus this supports our work with HELP Resources, to transform the informal economy in Papua New Guinea.

Enclosed in this edition of Pasifik Currents you will find a treasure trove of impact stories made possible with your support. We hope you enjoy these articles that make tribute to our President Emeritus Dr. Boutilier; acknowledge our many One Wave Gathering collaborators; introduce new climate program partnerships such as with CAYAC; showcase the power of Indigenous solidarity with Maunaukea; and shed light on the escalating human rights crisis faced by our friends and partners in West Papua.   It is also a time of commemoration, join us if you can for our 44th Annual General Meeting on December 10th as we mark International Human Rights Day.

As the only Canadian organization dedicated to the South Pacific, we are honoured to be your partner in ensuring Indigenous and South Pacific peoples are leading the way to a resilient future. Exiting times are coming as we mark our 45th Anniversary with a series of new programs and initiatives. We thank you for all your support, as we have so much more to accomplish together!

Yours in Pacific solidarity,

Mua Va’a, President

April Ingham, Executive Director

Indigenous Knowledge Climate Action Preschool Coming In 2020

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CAYAC Toddler by Jee-Ho Paik

Written by the IISAAK OLAM Foundation

What would pre-school programs look like if they were centred around climate action, reconciliation and place-based learning? Thanks to a grant from TD Friends of the Environment Foundation and a partnership between the IISAAK OLAM Foundation, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, and Saanich Parks, we’re about to find out!

Climate Action Youth Ambassador Canada (CAYAC) is an existing solutions-focused youth initiative that mobilizes knowledge about Indigenous innovations for climate action. Although CAYAC has been focused primarily on youth ages 16-30, the IISAAK OLAM Foundation wondered what it would look like to immerse even younger children in leadership programs that highlight connections between nature and culture. From this, the seeds of the CAYAC Preschool program were sewn. The life of this program will grow in a purposeful environment that mobilizes knowledge and builds capacity for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity through: conservation, climate action, and reconciliation- the mission of the IISAAK OLAM Foundation.

Starting in January of 2020, four to five kids will be a part of the first cohort of wee ones to join CAYAC Coordinators and Indigenous Elders/knowledge holders in a part-time experiential learning program that involves immersion in nature, Indigenous languages and teachings about the land, and activities based in the natural law of IISAAK: ‘To observe, appreciate, and act accordingly.’ Recent studies show that “children experience profound and diverse benefits through regular contact with nature. Contact with the wild improves children’s wellbeing, motivation and confidence” (Horton, 2019).

CAYAC Preschool will help foster a relationship between young children and nature, encourage intergenerational learning, celebrate cultural diversity, and provide opportunities for parents to explore alternative community-focused education models. CAYAC Preschool will also coincide with Saanich Parks’ ‘Natural Intelligence’ movement which aims to “strengthen the knowledge of nature, parks, and on how to improve the community’s environment” (Saanich Parks). “Natural Intelligence means understanding how to; interpret the natural environment, interact with the natural environment, and integrate our lives with the natural environment” (Saanich Parks). Still curious about the movement? Learn more here!

The program will also connect to other programs such as RedTide Indigenous Youth Climate Connect, coordinated by the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership. The goal of RedTide is to increase climate literacy and inspire agency for Indigenous youth to become the next wave of change makers through clean technology, green entrepreneurship, creative arts, and cultural practice. “The opportunity to support the synergies between RedTide and CAYAC Toddlers is exciting. We are allies working together on a collective vision for the future generations of leaders,” stated April Ingham, Executive Director of the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership.

A ceremonial launch of the program is scheduled for early January, date TBD. More details to come!

Special thanks to our lead donor:

My Life in the South Pacific

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By Taylor Blais

Taylor enjoying a beach in Fiji

Fiji is paradise. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue water, thousands of coconut trees. These certainly were my expectations when moving here. But I soon learned that there is way more to it than that. That the “single story” that I had been told about Fiji my entire life, that it is a vacation spot, is only dipping my toe into what it actually is. 

I have been living in Suva, the capital of Fiji for about 2 months now, and my preconceived notions about Fiji have changed completely. As an intern with the Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM), I’ve had the privilege of working with the most amazing people. I work with leaders in the international feminism world. Strong women and men working very hard to better the lives of people in Fiji and around the Pacific. It is very hard not to be absolutely star struck by these individuals. I work for the organization that held the first ever Pacific Feminist Forum (PFF) in 2016. The organization, which, together with a working group of regional partners, recently organised the 2nd PFF in May of this year and plans to create more of these spaces in the future. This event brings human rights activists together from around the South Pacific to discuss major women’s and human rights issues affecting them directly. Fiji is a hub for feminism around the Pacific and it has established itself as a leader. Spearheading so many amazing movements within Fiji, but also inspiring so many women around the Pacific to start their own movements in their respective countries. I did not get the chance to attend the PFF this year, but I have gotten the chance to transcribe some interviews that were done with women from all around the pacific that attended, individuals from Vanuatu, Samoa, a lot of Small Island Nations. I have been so intrigued as to how highly they all speak of FWRM. How inspired they are about the changes that FWRM has made, and the plans they have for the future, and how they can implement these different ideas, in their own ways, in their own communities.

A mural depicting their vision on the wall in the FWRM office.

 I also attend classes at Fiji’s regional University, Fiji National University (FNU) and learned a lot about how climate change is affecting Fiji, and many Small Island Nations around the Pacific directly. Because of sea levels rising drastically, they are losing land mass and resources by the minute. It is widely acknowledged here that climate change is occurring because it is affecting them directly; no one is ignorantly refusing to believe that climate change is occurring because they do not have the privilege to do so. There are many amazing organizations such as International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Pacific Islands Development Forum (PIDF), South Pacific Tourism (SPTO), and so many more within Fiji that work on conservation and activism and advocacy around climate change in the Pacific. People in Fiji are fighting the good fight against climate change even though they release some of the lowest amounts of carbon emissions around the world. It is the Western world that fuels climate change, but now the South Pacific is taking on the brunt of the consequences. 

Yes, Fiji is made up of beautiful crystal-clear waters, and I have drunk from a lot of coconuts during my time here. But It is so much more than that. One of the biggest lessons that I have learned in my little time working and living here is to never judge a book by its cover. Fiji is so much more than its looks, and it is a force to be reckoned with on a global scale. Never underestimate.

Taylor participating in a workshop

Taylor is entering her third year of Psychology at the University of Lethbridge with minors in Women & Gender Studies and Population Health. She is interested in international women’s and human rights issues, as well as global health. Taylor has been working as an intern with The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) for almost three months, during which she has been working primarily with the communications team, engaging the public through social media and learning about the digital side of social justice work. She had the privilege of attending the “Pacific Connections: Community Filmmaking for Gender Equality in the Pacific” workshop held at the University of the South Pacific (USP). Taylor’s passion for women’s rights and feminism has grown immensely since she has started working for FWRM. She hopes to continue this nature of work in the future, carrying the skills that she has built from this experience into her future endeavors.

RedTide Indigenous Youth Climate Connect

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A New 4-day Interactive Workshop!

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership is proud to announce that, in collaboration with ECO Canada and with the support of the Royal Bank of Canada Foundation, we are presenting a brand new interactive training program in 2019 that will support the RedTide 2020 Climate Action Summit being held on Vancouver Island!

This brand new Climate Connect program will run daily in October 16-20th (tentative) for Indigenous youth ages 16 + in the Greater Victoria area.  The program will be facilitated by Eli Enns, and feature special Guests including Elders, Climate Experts, and Ocean Network Canada Indigenous educators. Participants will also receive ECO Canada issued certificates and eligible graduates of this program may qualify for a new Wage Subsidy program, meaning your Employer could receive up to $15,000 to subsidize your environmental job position thanks to our partner ECO Canada!

 

Our goal is to increase climate literacy and inspire agency for Indigenous youth to become the next wave of change makers through clean technology, green entrepreneurship, creative arts, and cultural practice. With the help of amazing certified instructors and spiritual leaders, youth will learn through a cultural and scientific lens about local and traditional perspectives, aiding the understanding of the interconnected factors of climate change. This program also includes a field trip to the T’Sou-ke Nation, where the youth will get to see how water plays such an important role in the interconnectedness of climate change. 

There are a maximum of 15 participants for this program, so if this sounds like something you would be interested in then please contact info@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org, or fill out this form and reserve your spot before they’re gone!

PPP Winter 2019 Updates

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April & Mua at South Pacific Christmas Celebration

Talofa Lava Respected Friends!

2019 is shaping up to be a year full of Pacific Promise. This past December our Board of Directors launched an annual appeal and were thrilled to see such a wonderful response. Thanks to the generosity of our community we raised over $13,000 and grew our PPP Esmonde Endowment Legacy Fund by an additional $9000!

As we grow closer to our 45th Anniversary in 2020, we have many exciting programs underway or in development and look forward to sharing updates with you. Within this edition of Pasifik Currents we share an inspiring summary report of Vendors’ Collective Voice from our partner HELP Resources in Papua New Guinea. This critically important program is designed to improve the lives of women market vendors and their families in PNG.

From March 8 to 10 PPP is thrilled to host Australian Aboriginal Artist Florence Gutchen, and Australian Arts Administrator Lynette Griffiths soon to be in residence at the Museum of Anthropology for their exhibition “Marking the Infinite” Contemporary Women Artists from Aboriginal Australia  as featured in the article from our Board member Dr. Carol Mayer, Curator of Oceania, at MOA. Be sure to follow our social media to get the latest details!

RedTide 2020: International Indigenous Youth Climate Action Summit organizing is under way with foundation work to ensure that Indigenous youth are centred fully within this important initiative. PPP Associate Pawa Haiyupis is facilitating the participatory engagement process and coordination of this environmental action program planned for the Summer of 2020. Dates and details for how you can get involved and support RedTide 2020 will soon be circulated. If you have an interest to engage within this powerful program, please email PPP at info@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org.

One Wave Gathering 2018 continues to reverberate! In Spring 2019, One Wave programming is part of several community-building arts projects soon to be announced. And as the province of British Columbia gets ready to host the International Women Deliver Conference, PPP is helping mobilize critically important Indigenous and Pacific-focused side events. If you or a colleague are attending this Conference or you want to get involved, please let us know!

Lastly, as storm season in the South Pacific is upon us, PPP urges you to remember our Pacific Resilience Fund . This flexible fund allows PPP to provide small grants in support of community initiatives that build resilience in South Pacific communities. Recently we were pleased to receive the phase 1 final report from the Loreto School in Fiji for their school rebuilding, and we hope to join them on their next project phase where they plan to finish a walkway that keeps students mud-free as they traverse the school grounds during severe rain events. And, we are working with Samoa Social Welfare Fesoasoani Trust as they design and deliver citizen defense programs for young offenders in Samoa, both building and protecting community. It’s much-needed work like this that keeps us inspired and Pacific peoples strong.

Thanks for joining us on this journey!

Muavae Va’a, President         April Ingham, Executive Director

 

Note: PPP Board Member Lorna Eastman generously transferred her personal Endowment Fund of $6500 into the PPP Esmonde Endowment Fund, which was then matched with $2500 from the Smart and Caring Fund (Anonymous Gift). All funds are held in trust within PPP’s Esmonde Legacy Endowment Fund held for perpetuity with the Victoria Foundation.

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Pacific Peoples' Partnership
#407 620 View St., Victoria BC
Canada V8W 1J6

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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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