Kiribati debates return to ancestral name Tungaru
AN I-Kiribati researcher has called for a national discussion on whether Kiribati should return to its ancestral name,
Decolonisation
Four years left to advance Kanaky decolonisation
THE Melanesian Spearhead Group (MSG) is pushing for the decolonisation of Kanaky, New Caledonia, to receive renewed and regular attention from the Pacific Islands Forum (PIF), as the United Nations’ current
Theologian calls for education rooted in community, ethics and self-review
A PACIFIC theologian and educator has called for a fundamental rethink of education systems in the region, saying they must move beyond employment, imported standards and narrow disciplines to become community-based,
Napat, Naupa reaffirm MSG support for Kanak self-determination, West Papua rights
VANUATU Prime Minister Jotham Napat and new Melanesian Spearhead Group Director General Dr Anna Naupa reaffirmed support for the right of the Kanak people to self-determination and discussed the human rights situation
The Pacific cannot reimagine the ocean without speaking to its scars
CONVERSATIONS are a big deal in the Pacific. Sometimes the hardest decisions are made without words at all, carried in the spaces between, the silences, and the relationships in the room.
UN urged to treat New Caledonia elections as part of decolonisation pathway
UNITED Nations decolonisation talks on New Caledonia have come under renewed pressure after Pacific church leaders called for urgent action over unrest that killed at least 13 people in 2024.
PACNEWS THREE, 17 JUNE 2026
In this bulletin: 1. PACIFIC — UN Decolonisation Committee pressed to act on New Caledonia, French Polynesia, Guam and Tokelau2. B/VILLE — Bougainville President Toroama says PNG Parliament breached
Why Tungaru matters: identity, decolonisation and our nation’s future
I HAVE been talking about this since around 2015, long before recent news about Nauru considering a return to its original name, Naoero, and long before the re-emergence of conversations in Fiji about reclaiming its
Taylor tells leaders to stop avoiding tough questions
A FORMER senior Pacific regional official has urged leaders to stop avoiding tough questions on self-determination and sovereignty, warning that security agendas overshadow issues that really matter most to islanders.
The Quad meets, Fiji waits outside
FROM Berlin to Delhi, powerful nations still decide Pacific futures without Pacific voices in the room.
28 June poll for New Caledonia
NEW Caledonia's long-delayed provincial elections will be held on June 28, French Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu has
UN warns France over New Caledonia decolonisation process
THE UN Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination (CERD) has warned France that any political or constitutional reforms concerning New Caledonia must proceed only with the free, prior, and informed consent of
Tjibaou declares Bougival dead
A LEADING Kanak politician has declared “Bougival is dead”, following a vote in the French National Assembly that rejected proposed constitutional reforms for New
Past, present, future: Uni takes services to the region
THE University of Fiji builds its teaching on ancient Indian philosophy and the human values of the Arya Samaj tradition, shaping an ethical and cooperative campus
New Caledonia agreement signed in Paris
AFTER four days of talks in Paris, French President Emmanuel Macron and five parliamentary groups from New Caledonia have signed the Elysée-Oudinot Accord – an agreement on constitutional and economic change for the
Mission report exposes injustice in Kanaky
A NEW report by the Pacific Peoples’ Mission to Kanaky New Caledonia has exposed continuing injustices under French administration, warning that France’s actions are undermining the Kanak people’s right to
An Ocean of Peace – and justice?
AT September’s Pacific Islands Forum in Honiara, leaders launched the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace Declaration. Forum leaders agreed to “embed the Blue Pacific Ocean of Peace as a cornerstone of future national and
Fiji’s Indigenous culture at risk
Centuries-old traditions are at risk of disappearing as Fiji’s indigenous communities struggle with the legacy of colonialism and the influence of Western education that prioritise different values and perspectives
Collapse of French Government to impact Forum debate on New Caledonia
AS President of New Caledonia Alcide Ponga attends his first Pacific Islands Forum leaders meeting in Honiara this week, the French government in Paris has
FLNKS to debate decolonisation deal
THE main independence coalition in New Caledonia, the Front de Libération Nationale Kanak et Socialiste (FLNKS), will hold an extraordinary Congress on August 9 to debate the Bougival agreement and the way forward on
Decolonisation for Guam still matters
In 1982, the first delegation of Chamorus travelled to the United Nations to raise their voices as native inhabitants and Indigenous people of Guam, they petitioned for self-determination and decolonisation. That same
Mia Kami: Harnessing the power of music to decolonise the mind
By Rowena Singh “Performing is more than just me standing up and singing a song in front of people; it is a chance for me to share a vision and a mission,” says Tonga’s Mia Kami. Kami’s original songs are full
