Pacific Peoples' Partnership

Connecting Indigenous and Pacific Peoples

As a Human Rights Commission Rules on One Papuan Shooting from 2014, Another Occurs as 2020 Begins

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On February 19, 2020, a shooting occurred in Papua. However, sources conflict considerably as to what actually happened. According to Cenderawish command military spokesman Eko Daryanto, there was a shootout between soldiers and separatists and one separatist, Meki Tipagau (age 18) was killed. An unidentified 14-year-old girl was also shot, likely by her own companion. However, a local news website, apparently Suara Papua, identified the victim as Melkias Tipagau (age 12); his principal at SD YPPK Bilogai elementary school, Stefanus Sondegau, hadn’t yet determined if Tipagau was deceased. The same site reported a second fatality, Kayus Sani (aged 51)as well. It also reported that there were two additional people shot, not one: Heletina Sani (aged 30), and an unidentified 11-year-old girl (not 14).

Furthermore, West Papua National Liberation Army (separatist) spokesman Sebby Sambom denies that any of his people were in the area at the time and that the victim (singular) was a civilian. He also claimed that there was no shootout and that “the security forces cracked down on villages.” Sources even conflict as to whether the shooting occurred at Yoparu village (Sugapa District) or at Gulanggama village in Intan Jaya district), and one site suggests it happened a day earlier but was reported on February 19. With so much conflicting information, we will provide an update on our Facebook page as we learn more.

Ironically this shooting occurred within days of Indonesia’s National Human Rights Commission (Konmas HAM) determining that the Indonesian military violated human rights in a 2014 shooting in Papua. In Indonesia’s Bloody Paniai case, or Kasus Paniai Berdarah in Indonesian, the TNI’s Special Battalion 753 Team shot and killed four Papuan students and injured 21 others on December 8, 2014. This was at a protest at the Karel Gobay Field in Madi district, Paniai regency, over alleged beatings of Papuan youth by the army. After demonstrators threw stones at the military office, security forces opened fire on the crowd.

Then recently-elected President Joko Widodo ordered the National Human Rights Commission (Konmas HAM) to investigate. On February 19, 2020 the commission determined that the military had carried out gross violations of human rights. They explained that the delay in arriving at a conclusion was the result of unnamed individuals hiding evidence. Konmas HAM “interviewed two dozen witnesses, analysed documents and visited the scene”.

The commission announced they have forwarded the findings to the Attorney General’s office for possible prosecution and says the soldiers and their superiors should be blamed not only for their deaths but also for the torture of 21 Papuans. The commission’s chief investigator Muhammad Choirul Anam called the shootings “a crime against humanity”. Presidential Chief of Staff, Moeldoko, who was at the time of the incident the commander of the armed forces has counterargued that the shootings were not premeditated and that it was not a violation of human rights. He claimed that the military’s sudden reaction was due to being caught by surprise.

As witnessed by the shooting on February 19, shootings occur with alarming regularity in the region, stemming from Indonesia seizing control of the mineral-rich region in the 1960s. A series of violent outbreaks occurred in the region August-October 2019. We hope that the Konmas HAM conclusion will discourage the latest shooting from starting a new lengthy round of violence towards Papuans.

Sources:

Deadly shooting in Papuan village, RNZ, 19 February 2020

Bedova, Dennis, Indonesian military say Papuan separatist killed in…, Infosurhoy 20 February 2020

Mawel, Benny, At least one killed in Papua gunfight, The Jakarta Post Wed, 19 February 2020

Human Rights Commission: Indonesia’s military found responsible for Paniai deaths, RNZ, 19 February 2020

Gorbiano, Marchio Irfan & Sutrisno, Budi, Palace denies 2014 Papua killings constitute gross human rights violation, The Jakarta Post, 17 February 2020

Indonesia military to blame for 2014 Papua killings: rights commission, Thai PBS World 17 February 2020

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

February 19, 2020

 

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

 

Statement of Pacific Peoples’ Partnership Solidarity with Wet’suwet’en Nation

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Pacific Peoples Partnership (PPP) stands in solidarity with the people and the Hereditary Chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en Nation and supports the right to Indigenous self-determination and governance on Wet’suwet’en ancestral territories. For over forty years, PPP has supported the self-determination of South Pacific Islanders and Indigenous peoples in their struggles for peace, environmental sustainability, social justice and community development.

The United Nations’ Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples (UNDRIP) was adopted by the UN General Assembly in 2007. Although Canada initially voted against the Declaration, it reversed its position and removed its permanent objector status in 2016. On November 26, 2019, the province of BC unanimously passed the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (UNDRIPA). UNDRIPA states, along with several other articulated rights, that Indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands.

We call on the federal and provincial governments of Canada to implement UNDRIP on the unceded lands of the Wet’suwet’en nation. The actions of the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP) and the provincial government are not reflective of their stated commitment to the UNDRIPA and we call for the RCMP and Coastal GasLink to leave Wet’suwet’en lands immediately so that free, prior and informed consent can take place. In solidarity with the Wet’suwet’en Nation, PPP calls for the provincial and federal governments to:

  • Respect Indigenous land title and engage in true Nation-to-Nation relationships with Indigenous Peoples, which entails meeting with the Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership;
  • Cease construction of the Coastal GasLink Pipeline project immediately and suspend all permits in accordance with the self-determining authority of the Wet’suwet’en hereditary leadership;
  • Implement UNDRIP and recognize the Wet’suwet’en right to self-determination, including the right to free, prior and informed consent;
  • Withdraw the RCMP from Wet’suwet’en lands, in compliance with the December 2019 calls to action of UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination’s (CERD);
  • Respect Wet’suwet’en laws and governance systems and prohibit the use of any force to access their lands or their people.

We urge the Province of B.C. to change their current course of action and to respect UNDRIP and Wet’suwet’en laws in order to promote free, prior and informed consent on Indigenous lands and waters. Additionally, we recognize the complex political, social, and cultural contexts in which Wet’suwet’en peoples are navigating and strive to be sensitive to these complexities. In doing so, we commit to upholding and prioritizing Indigenous peoples’ self-determining authority, nationhood, laws, and commitments to promoting a healthy, just and sustainable future.

 

Maunakea as a Kipuka of Hawaiian Resurgence

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Maunakea as viewed from a Hawaiian Ahu (altar), where visitors make offerings to the mauna (J. Corntassel, 2019)

By Dr. Jeff Corntassel

Standing at 33,000 feet when measured from its underwater base, Maunakea is the highest mountain in the world. It is also the piko (umbilical cord, center) for Kanaka Maoli / Native Hawaiians as the sacred meeting place of Earth Mother, Papahānaumoku, and Sky Father, Wākea. As one Kūpuna (Elder) explained to me during my visit, you only go to the summit of Maunakea if you have a spiritual need to do so. This place of reverence is currently the site of the largest Hawaiian mobilization in over one hundred years.

The protocols of kapu aloha practiced at Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu at the base of Maunakea

Following a July 10th, 2019 announcement that construction of a Thirty Meter Telescope (TMT) at the summit of Maunakea would begin the following week, Hawaiian kia‘i (guardians or protectors) began to gather at the base of Maunakea to protect it from scheduled construction. The TMT, which is a 1.4 billion dollar project, would be 18 stories high and 5 acres wide, and threatens the integrity and sacred nature of the Maunakea ecosystem. While there are already 13 telescopes constructed on the summit of Maunakea, most of these were built without proper permits and without the consent of Kanaka Maoli people. Acting under a protocol of kapu aloha (governed by love, respect and discipline in accordance with Kanaka Maoli teachings and spiritual practices), Kia’i stood their ground at the base of Maunakea as 38 Kūpuna were arrested on July 17, 2019, by police as construction vehicles were blocked from going onto the mauna.

Kūpuna, some with walkers and wheelchairs, were led one-by-one to police vans as kia’i witnessing the arrests sang and chanted to support the Kūpuna protectors. With the ensuing media coverage of the Kūpuna arrests, over three thousand Kanaka Maoli traveled to Maunakea to demonstrate their support and Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu was created by kia’i as a sanctuary for supporters to protect Maunakea.

Hula on the Ala (road or path) at Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu as part of the daily protcols (J. Corntassel 2019)

In September 2019 I traveled to Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu to express my solidarity as a Cherokee citizen with Kanaka Maoli kia’i. I met some Kanaka Maoli as well as supporters who had lived here since July 15, 2019 and they expressed their Aloha ʻĀina (love of the land) by contributing their talents to make Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu a liveable and safe place grounded in Kapu Aloha. Since the beginning of the struggle, kia’i have followed protocols for the mauna three times per day (8am, 12pm, and 5:30pm), which includes chants, hula, presenting ho’okupu, a mele and finally a recitation of the protocols for living at Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu. This kept our focus on Maunakea and forms the spiritual core of this movement.

In addition to the intake tent, the medic tent, the food tent, the recycling tent, and the arts and crafts center, there is a university. This is not just any university – this is the land-based Pu’uhuluhulu University described as “an actual place of Native Hawaiian learning” and is a Kanaka Maoli innovation. Classes are held on the lava fields and are free of charge. I taught a short course on Indigenous sustainability and it was an amazing discussion and experience. Presley Ke’alaanuhea is the Chancellor of Pu’uhuluhulu University and is also a kumu (teacher) at the University of Hawai’i, Mānoa. As Chancellor, Presley schedules new classes, recruits kumu to teach them and designs the spaces where the teaching takes place. It’s truly a space for ʻĀina-based education and has inspired other grassroots educational opportunities, including the new Hūnānāniho University in Waimanalo. Overall, Pu’uhonua o Pu’uhuluhulu can be described as a kipuka (an “island” of land or new growth surrounded by one or more younger lava flows) of Hawaiian resurgence. Kanaka Maoli are exercising their self-determining authority to honor and nurture their relational responsibilities to Maunakea and are doing this following protocols of kapu aloha. As one kia’i told me, “we are learning to live in community again.”

Kahala Johnson, one of the kumu at Pu’uhuluhulu University (J. Corntassel, 2019)

Byline: Dr. Jeff Corntassel is Associate Director at the Centre for Indigenous Research and Community Led Engagement (CIRCLE) at University of Victoria, he is also a PPP Board Member and contributing partner to RedTide: International Indigenous Climate Action.

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership Briefs:

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Pacific Peoples’ Partnership Annual General Meeting on December 10th, 2019.  Join us on International Human Rights Day for our AGM on Tuesday December 10th from 5:30 – 8:30 pm.  Business will take place from 5:30 – 6:30 pm.  Be sure to make your annual donation or membership contribution in advance of the meeting to ensure you are qualified to vote… plus we need and welcome your support always!  Renew for a minimum of $15 here.     For more details RSVP your Ticket HERE

West Papua Task Force Created: PPP and friends have initiated a task force to respond to escalating violence and human rights violations in the region. If you are interested to get involved and learn more, check out our recent Call for Action

PPP Puts out a Canadian Call for Action on Violence in West Papua

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Papuan protesters laying prone under guard.

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership Media Release – Victoria, BC, October 7, 2019.

As Indonesian state violence mounts against protesters in West Papua, concerned Canadians are calling for pressure on the Indonesian government to halt repression and take steps against racism in the Pacific island territory.

West Papua was slated for independence until Indonesia took over in the 1960s and annexed it. Independence protests continue in this island, home to some of the world’s largest remaining rain forests and richest biological and cultural diversity.

In recent months, Indonesia’s treatment of West Papuans has deteriorated to the worst it has been in the last two decades, sparked by racist attacks on Papuans who have been called “monkeys”. In late September, at least 27 Papuans were killed by Indonesian government forces in response to West Papuans calling for their rights and at least 70 people have been injured. The Indonesian government has deployed over 1,000 security personnel to West Papua, cut internet access and banned journalists and human rights organizations from entering the area. Scores of peaceful protesters have been arrested. More than 22 are facing prosecution for Makar (treason) for exercising their rights to freedom of expression, association and assembly.  They are considered ‘prisoners of conscience’ by Amnesty International.

“International pressure needs to be applied against Indonesia now to safeguard the lives and rights of West Papuans,” said April Ingham, Executive Director of Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, a Victoria-based advocacy organization with more than 40 years of experience working for human rights and the environment in Canada and the South Pacific. “Canada, which claims a strong tradition as an advocate of human rights, should take a stand in support of West Papuans and pressure the Indonesian government to allow for freedom of expression, association and assembly and the right of self-determination for West Papuan peoples.”

Recommendations:

  • Pressure the Indonesian government to allow for freedom of expression, association and assembly and the right to self-determination for West Papuans;
  • Pressure the Indonesian government to immediately release the 22 prisoners’ of conscience and drop the Makar charges;
  • Pressure the Indonesian government to allow for access to West Papua for journalists and human rights organizations, and
  • Pressure the Indonesian government to investigate military and police engaging in human rights abuses.

For more information Contact:

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

#407 620 View St., Victoria BC, V8W 1J6, Canada / 250-381-4131 director@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org  archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

Post Note: PPP has sent letters to MP Freeland and other Canadian Government leaders concerning the escalating violence in West Papua urging our intervention.

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West Papua Backgrounder

Indonesia maintains control over West Papua, using military might to silence demands for self-determination and denying the Indigenous people their fundamental human rights. Since its invasion in 1963, an estimated 100,000 Papuans (about 15% of the population) have been killed by Indonesian armed forces and militias.

In 2019, West Papua burst back into the headlines after Indonesians in Surabaya attacked and called Papuan students “monkeys”. A wave of anti-racist protest erupted and revived independence sentiments throughout West Papua. The Indonesian army has escalated its repressive measures in response. Racism, rights, resources and rainforests intersect in this complex conflict.

Where is it? West Papua, located to the north of Australia, is blanketed with tropical rainforests. These are rich in biodiversity and represent the largest remaining untouched rainforests in Asia. But more than three quarters of the 40 million hectares of forest have been designated for logging or mining. Resource revenues support continued military oppression.

A History of Betrayal

1945- The Dutch East Indies, excluding Papua, becomes the Republic of Indonesia. 1961– Papuans celebrate their “Independence Day” by raising the Morning Star flag. 1963– Indonesian troops take over Papua. 1969– Indonesia holds a “popular consultation” over Papua’s future. 1,000 representatives are forced to vote openly in front of armed soldiers, and told they would be shot unless the vote supported integration with Indonesia. 2001– An autonomy deal grants Papua increased control of its resources and the freedom to express its cultural identity. 2003– The Indonesian army begins a campaign of terror in the highlands, burning villages and torturing detainees. Indonesia bans all foreign journalists in Papua. 2005– After the Government of Indonesia fails to implement the autonomy agreement, the People’s Assembly of Papua formally returns it to Jakarta demanding a real solution be negotiated. 2014– At a meeting in Vanuatu, Papuan independence groups unite to form the United Liberation Movement of West Papua and start to gain support from Pacific Island states. 2019– Racial tensions flare into the open and the largest pro-independence protests to date are met with force and arrests of activists.

50 Years of Racism

The Indigenous peoples of West Papua are Melanesians, related to the people of Papua New Guinea and many Pacific island countries. Their independence claims have often rested on being a Pacific, not an Indonesian, people. Papuans have been victims of racism and other forms of discrimination for more than half a century, and dismissed as “Stone Age” peoples who are “ignorant” and need to be “civilized.” Racism is the daily lived reality for many Papuans. In 2019, Papuan students continue their demand for racism to end.

Human Rights Abuses and Injustice

  • The Indonesian government has relocated thousands of Indonesians to Papua through the “transmigration” program, initially supported by the World Bank and Canadian International Development Agency (CIDA). Over 40% of Papua’s two million people are settlers from Indonesia. West Papua’s Indigenous cultures and 274 distinct languages are at risk.
  • Indonesian security forces regularly use torture, extra-judicial killings and forced detention to block Papuans from protecting their lands and expressing their right to self-determination.
  • Human rights defenders and community leaders are routinely harassed, and intimidated or murdered.
  • Despite ample evidence of atrocities, only once has a military official been charged for human rights violations committed against Papuan people.
  • Papuan women are often sexually assaulted by the military and are denied access to health services, resulting in Papua having the highest HIV rates in Indonesia.
  • The territory is mostly closed to outsiders, and in 2019 the government shut down the Internet. The UN Commissioner for Human Rights is the most recent to express concern.

Environmental Destruction

West Papua is home to some of the largest remaining rainforest in Southeast Asia. It is rich in natural resources including natural gas, oil and minerals. The military is directly involved, engaging in illegal logging and acting as security for mining companies. Papua is home to the highest concentration of illegal logging operations in Asia.

Widespread logging and mining have had a serious impact on the livelihood and traditions of the Papuan people who rely on the land for survival. Traditional land is continually being cleared, creating conflict among Indigenous people, foreign companies and Indonesian security forces. Forest is being cleared to make way for mono-crop agriculture in an effort to gain environmental certification, without regard to Indigenous peoples or the negative effect on old-growth forests.

Take Action

Write to Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland to ask her to put pressure on the Indonesian government to stop the killings, torture and arrests, and support freedom of choice in West Papua. 125 Sussex Drive (no stamp necessary), Ottawa ON, K1A 0A6, Chrystia.Freeland@parl.gc.ca

Join a Canadian based working committee to learn more about this ongoing human rights crisis and get involved in advocacy and solutions based responses.  Email:info@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

Donate to, or get involved with the Pacific Peoples’ Partnership, the main Canadian organization working on Papuan Indigenous rights. https://archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

 About Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

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

Based on Lekwungen territories in Victoria BC, Canada, we are Canada’s only non-profit organization and registered charity focused specifically on the island nations of the South Pacific.

archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org

 

How PPP helped in Timor-Leste

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Some current and former LH staff at the birthday celebration.

By David Webster

DILI, Timor-Leste — Twenty years ago, Timor-Leste (East Timor) made front pages and topped newscasts across Canada. The Indonesian army, which had invaded East Timor in 1975 at the cost of more than 100,000 deaths, had once again launched a wave of violence against the Timorese people. 

 The world spoke up then, halting massacres by pro-Indonesian forces and creating an interim United Nations administration that oversaw the restoration of Timorese independence in 2002. 

 PPP was there. Activists in the trans-Pacific human rights network joined the International Federation for East Timor (IFET) observer project, charged with monitoring the UN-sponsored referendum on East Timor. One of its coordinators was Randall Garrison, previously PPP’s executive director. The observers’ stories from the field became a special issue of Tok Blong Pasifik, still available on the PPP website. 

 Stories tell of Timorese determination to vote, of heroic journeys for days to mountain polling booths, of the brutality that started even before the vote. A staggering 98.5% of the people trooped out to vote. 

 “It was no surprise when it was announced that more than 78% had voted in favour of independence,” Randall Garrison wrote. “And it was no surprise that the wave of violence that had begun in rural areas now engulfed Dili as well. However, this was not random violence. UN local staff were attacked and the UNAMET headquarters was besieged. Community leaders were targeted, including priests and nuns. Militia members went house to house setting fires until more than 80% of the buildings in East Timor had been destroyed.”

Global protest eroded Western leaders’ will to support Indonesia, and Indonesia accepted an international peacekeeping force. The shift seemed sudden, but it built on years of solidarity activism.

 PPP was a part of that global solidarity. Through the Nuclear-Free and Independent Pacific Network, it supported freedom struggles in Indonesian-ruled Timor-Leste and West Papua. It worked closely with the East Timor Alert Network, formed on Vancouver Island in 1986. By 1999, it was putting significant support into the IFET observer project. 

1999 IFET Observers

The IFET observer project completed its work, but it did not close down entirely. The model of Timorese and international supporters working together inspired the creation of La’o Hamutuk, as IFET and LH activists Charlie Scheiner and Pamela Sexton note in a paper presented at the 2019 Timor-Leste Studies Association. La’o Hamutuk (which means “walking together”) celebrated its 19th birthday in July 2019 at its small but bustling office. LH has become one of the most respected and important voices in Timorese development debates, providing carefully-researched and spot-on analysis of everything from oil dependency to gender issues to maritime issues. 

 Activism often flows into unexpected channels. PPP’s work in Timor-Leste was part of a success story in which a small country won its freedom against very long odds, becoming the most successful democracy in Southeast Asia. That story continues in civil society in Timor-Leste today. 

Dr. David Webster (Ph.D. British Columbia 2005) is an Associate Professor at Bishop University, he teaches international and Asian history topics with a focus on the 20th century. His book Fire and the Full Moon: Canada and Indonesia in a Decolonizing World (UBC Press, 2009) examines Canada-Indonesia relations from 1945 to 1999 at both government and civil society levels. Previously he was collection editor of East Timor” Testimony (Between the Lines, 2004). His research, funded by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, concentrates on trans-Pacific interactions between Canada and Asia, and on the diplomacy of independence movements in Asia. David is a long time donor and friend to PPP.

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!

People & Passages:

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Ruby Kafalava joins the PPP Board of Directors.

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership is proud to announce that we have welcomed Ruby Kafalava onto our Board of Directors!  Ruby is originally from Tonga and is involved with keeping her culture, language and traditions alive in Canada through her participation as a dancer in Pearls of The South Pacific, an authentic cultural group based on Vancouver Island. She is also a mother of two young girls and works as a professional caregiver.  We are fortunate to have her join the PPP Team!

 

(L to R) Pia Ambiwa and Evangeline Kaima support Serah Maim, interim chair of the Wewak United Vendors’ Association in mobilisation, organisation of market and street vendors.

Our Papua New Guinea partner HELP Resources is pleased to announce the start up of the formative Wewak United Vendors Association (WUVA). The two women facilitators/educators are: Pia Ambiwa – an experienced community organiser, counsellor, educator with faith-based organisations and with the Ok Tedi community development initiatives, and Evangeline Kaima – secondary school teacher who taught for many years then joined the East Sepik Council of Women (ESCOW) as the head of a community-based literacy Tok Ples pre-school program. There she previously  built up a network for 300 enthusiastic community-run pre-schools and literacy programs for women and children. For the last two decades Evangeline has led the rollout of a Personal Viability program that supports local farmers, traders and small-scale entrepreneurs so that they may succeed through maximum use of local resources and belief in their own power to overcome poverty, debt and dependence.

PPP was saddened to learn of the recent death of Sir Hekenukumai Busby of New Zealand.  Sir Busby was recognized as a leading figure in the revival of traditional Polynesian navigation and ocean voyaging using wayfinding techniques.  He built 26 traditional waka, including the double-hulled Te Aurere which has sailed over 30,000 nautical miles in the Pacific.  Our deep condolences to his family and community.  

In March 2019, PPP Executive Director, April Ingham, was invited to attend a reception where she met Canada’s Governor General, Her Excellency, the Right Honourable Julie Payette, whose credentials include a career in engineering and serving as a Canadian astronaut. Taking place in Victoria, this reception kicked off a meeting of the heads of 17 United World Colleges (UWCs) across the globe. The Governor General is an alumna of the UWC in Wales and a strong supporter of the UWC Movement. Pearson College UWC  based in Victoria, hosted this year’s international meeting.

PPP Executive Director, April Ingham, with Canada’s Governor General, Julie Payette.

“We have to work globally – and that was a privilege given to me in my teen years when I attended a UWC school,” said Ms. Payette. “Speaking with and sharing ideas with people from all over the world who bring different ways of thinking made us progress better and faster – this is what Pearson College impresses upon us.”

PPP’s Executive Director added her own perspective to this opportunity to represent Pacific Peoples at this event: “It was my deep honour to meet our country’s inspiring Governor General and hear her stories of being on the space shuttle looking down at Earth, made all the more special given how hard she fought to realize her dreams.  Women like her are really out of this world – amazing!”

Bougainville Independence Referendum is a Milestone to Monitor:  Originally scheduled for 15 June 2019, the much-anticipated independence referendum will now be held in Bougainville, Papua New Guinea on 17 October 2019. The vote is the result of an agreement between the Government of Papua New Guinea and the Autonomous Bougainville Government.  This delay is due to a dispute over funding. In the next issue of Pasifik Currents, we will provide you with some background and links to this milestone event.

PPP is Hiring Summer Interns!  We will soon be hiring Communications, Programming and Development interns. Please watch our website for more information on how to apply or drop us a line at info@archive.pacificpeoplespartnership.org and we will forward details.

 

Pasifik Current News – May 2019 Edition PPP Updates!

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Aloha, Friends!

Recently Mua (Muavae) Va’a President of PPP and I went to an inspiring talk organized by our partners at CIRCLE that featured Dr. Noenoe Silva & Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Ka’opua.  Both women are highly respected Hawaiian scholars and were presenting on the efforts of several Hawaiian women, all heroes who fought to keep their languages, cultures, teachings and lands intact for the generations to come.

PPP Board President Mua Va’a, April Ingham (ED – PPP), along with Lisa Kahaleole Hall (Program Director, Indigenous Studies at UVic), Dr. Noenoe Silva, CIRCLE Director & PPP Board Member Jeff Corntassel, and Dr. Noelani Goodyear-Ka’opua.

Noelani was reading from a book she edited entitled Nā Wāhine Koa: Hawaiian Women for Sovereignty and Demilitarization about four of these women.  Following the presentation, an audience member asked about the effects of tourism on the Polynesian peoples within Hawaii. This led to a spirited discussion around greed and globalization.  The question: well, what can we do about this… was beautifully addressed by a quote Noelani shared from this book:  

“We gotta fight.  Why do we have to fight every bloody day?  Every fricken day, we need to fight and fight and fight, just to keep our place in this world today.  I see this, and then I look at our children. They’re so far away from us. Their culture, their thinking, their attitudes. We got to fight.” — Maxine Kahaulelio.

This past few months have been ones of much reflection and celebration on the power of women and the importance of solidarity to hold up these courageous warriors, fierce mothers, peace makers, and all who strive to make a difference in their families and world.  Pacific Peoples Partnership (PPP) has been honoured to host several programs this spring featuring such women changemakers.   

Baby turtle works of art made from fishing net marine debris.

For International Women’s Day this past March, PPP hosted a luncheon, Artist talk and mini-workshop featuring visiting Australian Erub Arts Group Artist Florence Gutchen (Torres Strait) and Australian Arts Administrator Lynette Griffiths.  It was incredible to spend time with them both and learn about how this women’s collective transforms fishing net marine debris that litters their shorelines, into works of art that portray ocean creatures, while educating about the impacts of global consumerism, food security and our collective waste.  It was an immersive experience to learn from them as I created my very own sea turtle from fishing nets, some of which were collected off our northern Pacific coastlines.  Please visit a full background article on the art initiative of the Erub Arts Group from our March 2019 issue of Pasifik Currents.

PPP is truly fortunate to be working in support of women in Papua New Guinea who work in the informal markets within the project Vendors Collective Voice.  Our lead partner for the project implementation is HELP-Resources, they are now fully engaged in year two of the three-year Commonwealth Foundation funded program recently reported in our winter edition article titled: “HELP Resources and Pacific Peoples’ Partnership Collaborate to Strengthen Sepik Women Market and Street Vendors’ Collective Voice in Shaping Informal Economy Development.”  We are pleased that our long-time respected partner and project technical adviser Elizabeth (Sabet) Cox, has officially joined the team as an Australian-sponsored volunteer to provide capacity support for the HELP-Resources Team.  The growing team (as noted in the Peoples & Passages section) will develop training opportunities, tool kits, and resources to support the women market vendors as they advocate for more just market conditions.   In addition, we are preparing to expand the program vision as it is our hope to build upon this program to ensure its sustainability and success well into the future for the benefit of the Sepik women and their families.

Longhouse Dialogues pre-project site visit to Vancouver’s Harbour Green Park with Joleen Timko (Project Manager), April Ingham (PPP ED), Artist Hjalmer Wenstob, Squamish Nation Councillor Deborah Baker and Tsleil-Waututh Nation Chief Leah George-Wilson, Missing is Musqueam Councillor Wendy John-Grant.  Photo by Mana Saza

Last but certainly not least, within a week 7000+ women from around the world will be descending upon Vancouver for the Women Deliver international conference from June 3-6, 2019.  PPP is excited to announce that along with our key partner the BC Council for International Cooperation and Mobilization Canada, we have received the permission of the Squamish Nation, Musqueam Nation and Tsleil-Waututh Nation to install four temporary Longhouses from our 2017 award winning public program within their shared traditional territories.  

The Longhouses will be installed together once again as a village to honour women and provide community-accessible hospitality and dialogue space within Harbour Green Park, which is a short 5 minutes walk from Canada Place – the main event venue for the Conference.  Check out the Longhouse Dialogues if you are in Vancouver, as the Longhouses will be installed from May 31 – June 5.  Help us welcome the world’s women!

Hope to see you there!

April Ingham, Executive Director

Pacific Peoples’ Partnership

Longhouse facade by Hjalmer Wenstob (Nuu-chah-nulth) and graphic by Juliana Speier (Kwakwaka’wakw).

PPP needs your support!  During the month of June, we will be running a special fundraising campaign called the Great Canadian Giving Challenge.  Every single dollar donated through our Canada Helps donation portal, will qualify PPP for one entry into a draw for $10,000 towards our work.  Please consider donating this June in support of our work! 

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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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