Words stumbled, faltering in their attempt to convey the depth of emotion that settled over the Victoria Lounge of Fiji’s Grand Pacific Hotel on the morning of 28 February 2024. In the eyes that had held smiles amid the formalities of the inaugural planning meeting for the Pacific Traditional Leaders Forum, tears now glistened in their place; and the moment of farewell hung heavy in the air. But it was the excitement of rediscovering connections and the warmth of new friendship founded on bonds of the past that held strong hopes for the future.

The culture of silence usually associated with domestic violence has meant that for generations, Pacific women and children were trapped in cycles of abuse without redress. Gender inequality has been reinforced by harmful cultural norms and limited access to resources and information. These have all contributed to our region’s persistently high rates of domestic violence. The winds of change continue to sweep across our Blue Pacific; we are a region that today recognises the importance of and ne...

In the Pacific, our culture is our identity; one that comprises spiritual faith and customary beliefs and practices. We have a unique variety of languages and art including storytelling, chants, poetry, songs, dances, attires and handicrafts that highlight the diversity of culture in each country, province and village. For a region whose cultures are people-centred, with in-person interaction and engagement critical to many expressions of culture (notably ceremonies), one of the key challenges faced in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic has been social distancing requirements and limitations to group gatherings.

“When we speak about gender equality and women’s empowerment, we speak to this as a shared challenge – we all still have far to go on the journey towards true gender equality and we have much to learn from each other.”

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Women and girls across the Pacific region experience some of the highest rates of sexual, physical, psychological and economic rates of gender-based violence (GBV) in the world. Also subjected to high rates of GBV are lesbian and transgender women, although they receive the least attention. In most Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs), the equality and rights of all citizens are enshrined in constitutions however, significant inequalities continue to exist for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer and intersex (LGBTQI) persons. While some of our cultures recognise gender diversity, others uphold the fundamental right of freedom of expression.

From protecting sawn timber exports, saving coconut industries from an aggressive strain of the coconut rhinoceros beetle and supporting the revival of sandalwood exports, forestry is an important area of work for the PHAMA Program. At the core of its support for its forestry-related activities, PHAMA has always strived to ensure its approach promotes sustainable forest management practices. On 21 March, PHAMA joins the world in celebrating the International Day of Forests.

International Women’s Day is observed every year in recognition and celebration of women around the world. This year, the International Women’s Day 2019 #IWD2019 campaign theme of #BalanceforBetter is a call to action for driving gender balance across the world. The following article highlights the achievements of two women who are making a difference in their communities with support from the PHAMA Program (now known as PHAMA Plus). When Nestle introduced its new volcanic edition of KitKat cho

Ame Tuisavusavu felt he had some special connection with the environment around him and as he grew older, he knew exactly what he wanted to be – an environmentalist.

Samantha Rina, a subeditor with The Fiji Times was among the winners in the newly-created awards scheme and walked away with the newspaper category of the Ocean Journalism Awards for a series of articles she wrote highlighting critical marine environmental issues.

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Mudcrab Campaign Series, 2015

Youth from the Pacific need to be engaged in decision-making on biodiversity and conservation issues. This was raised at a youth session held on 26 November as part of the 10th Pacific Islands Conference on Nature Conservation and Protected Areas.

Intergenerational dialogue and learning is an approach to development aimed at bridging the generation gap by ensuring young and old people work together towards common goals impacting youth today.

“And even as a journalist other news always mattered more, murder and so forth and because there was always so much blue ocean and green trees I guess it never really hit anyone of us that the environment needed saving. “Conservation seemed like a fanciful notion and we were so wrong because we didn’t understand. “The way the experts presented it to us made it interesting - things like the coral and its role in the vast ocean, the functions of the other little organisms, the interdependency and how they all form the little cogs in the wheel of life. “Now with that understanding I can determine a good angle for a story on a marine conservation report and I’m able to write it in a way communities understand. “That’s who we write for – communities, and if I can understand then it makes it so much the easier for my readers. “Understanding also gives me more interest in writing marine conservation stories because I’m able to visualise the bigger picture as I write.”