Supporting Pacific cacao farmers
“We are chocolate and cacao manufacturers, but we call ourselves community cultural development practitioners which is what we all studied, none study chocolate making. The more beans we move, the more money goes into
Briefs
American Samoa American Samoa's new entry system for Samoan citizens went into effect on October 19. In September, the American Samoa Department of Legal Affairs proposed a change allowing Samoan citizens to travel to
Movers and Shakers
Tonga’s Minister for Health, Dr Saia Ma’u Piukala has been nominated as the next World Health Organization (WHO) Regional Director for the Western Pacific. His candidacy was successful at the WHO Regional Committee
COP28: Boiling Point
It’s taken 70 years but some of the life is slowly coming back around Bikini atoll, ravaged by the United States’ nuclear tests in the Marshall Islands immediately after World War Two. For a team from the
Opinion: Regenerate forests and save humanity
“The era of global boiling has arrived,” UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, recently warned. It looks as if the climate change tipping point has been activated and all hands are required on deck to mitigate the
Chinese grifters tie up UN, Marshalls in scam
The stakes could scarcely have been higher for Hilda Heine, the former president of the Marshall Islands. For years, her remote archipelago nation of just 40,000 people was best known to the world — if known at all
Fiji rugby want more. Will they get it?
Fiji rugby finds itself at a pivotal juncture in its storied 110-year history. In recent years, the nation's beloved sport has been making a steady drive towards international success, each successive phase taking
Whispers
Confused, changing tunes So, in boycotting US President Joe Biden's annual summit with Pacific leaders in Washington DC late September, Prime Minister Manasseh Sogavare wasn't the only one hitting the headlines after
De-banking having a ‘severe impact’ on Pacific Islanders
The region’s economic ministers say the expiry of correspondent banking relationships (CBR) is having a severe impact on the lives of Pacific Islanders, including seasonal workers, micro, small, and medium
Voice. Treaty. Truth
Across Australia this month, voters will decide whether to change the Constitution and create a Voice to Parliament – a body to advise the Australian government on laws and policies that affect Aboriginal and Torres
Addressing the Pacific housing crisis
The authors of recent housing ecosystem assessments conducted in Fiji, Samoa and Tonga say that improving access to habitable, affordable and secure housing requires more widespread training in construction skills
The urgent need to cut emissions in construction
The building sector, responsible for an astonishing 37% of global greenhouse gas emissions, has been grappling with a severe lack of climate-focused development funding, according to a report published by the United
Building a social entreprise
A London-based design and construction social enterprise responsible for innovative community-based buildings in Fiji and Vanuatu, is looking to expand its regional footprint. In Fiji, Caukin Studio has partnered with
Opinion: Kikibakiki – Reflections on PNG at 48
We sat down in the forever blackout Port Moresby city, I hear the neighbours playing the famous Saugas song, Sindaun Bagarap, echoing the windy night, and buai buyers complaining about the hike in the prices,
Chinese scientists point to indigenous knowledge
A group of marine scientists from China have used a high-level forum in Fiji to highlight years of research undertakings in the Pacific and to warn of the urgent need to take climate action, pointing to the value of
The science we need for the ocean we want
Ocean scientists, technical experts, policymakers, donor agencies, traditional knowledge holders, and young people gathered at the Pacific Islands Conference on Ocean Science and Ocean Management in Fiji last
VegFest Pasifika comes to Samoa
VegFest Pasifika, a festival promoting local plant-based diets for health and environmental reasons, came to Samoa for the first time in June. The festival has been running in Fiji since 2018, with more than 55 events
Here be humpbacks
Mixing business with a spot of leisure is something many of us have routinely done on work trips. From indulging in lavish beach time to celebrating a closed deal, to a quiet walk in the woods after an exhausting
Movers and Shakers
The Pacific Community (SPC)'s Land Resources Division Director, Karen Mapusua, has been recognised with the Global Moana Agriculture and Community-Based Development Award during the recent Stars of Oceania awards
Briefs
American Samoa A new interactive tool allowing stakeholders to assess the vulnerability to sea-level rise in American Samoa was launched on September 25. Samoa News reported The American Samoa Relative Sea Level Rise
Democracy. Abort. Repeat
“Democracy Reimagined.” On paper, an ambitious title that captures the next step in the journey of a nation that’s fresh out of the shadow of a 16-year, one and then two-man rule, led on this new path by the very
New Caledonia’s nickel sector faces energy crunch
French President Emmanuel Macron’s recent visit to New Caledonia highlighted the strategic importance of the vast reserves of nickel in the French Pacific dependency. Speaking in Noumea, President Macron said:
