Marshall Islands President Heine receives Women of Impact award
President of the Republic of the Marshall Islands, Hilda Heine, has been recognised with the East-West Centre’s Women of Impact
Hawaii
Henry Puna joins East West Centre Board of Governors
The East-West Centre’s Board of Governors has elected the Henry Puna, former Secretary-General of the Pacific Islands Forum, as one of the board’s five international
Hawaii Aloha: Honouring the “Hawaii Nation”
How do we assess the success of a cultural event? What metrics apply when you’re talking about dancers, artists and a host of creatives? That’s the challenge facing anyone who wants to determine whether the 13th
A meeting of culture, commerce and solidarity
At the halfway of the recent Festival for Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC), its operations director Makanani Sali described it as a “beautiful, chaotic mess” in an interview with local media. And that is how it
Opinion: Tapestry of Pacific ambiguities: Political tensions against the backdrop of FestPac celebrations
The focus of the Festival of Pacific Arts, or FestPac, is always culture, and the 13th iteration held in June 2024 in Hawai’i was no different. More than two dozen island nations sent delegations of dancers,
Equitable Fishing Access and Sustainable Practices to be Addressed at Upcoming Council Meeting in Honolulu
As the U.S. exclusive economic zone available to fishing continues to shrink due to federal regulations, foreign fishing presence increases and Pacific Islands bear the brunt of American conservation efforts, justice
At FestPAC, a call to preserve the ocean that separates — and connects
All of the 28 nation’s participating in 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture on Oahu are separated by miles of ocean. That same ocean, they say, connects them. That’s why they’re working to protect the
‘A Pacific notion of presence’: FestPAC attendees show solidarity for New Caledonia
When Fijian Mika Sela saw New Caledonia’s glaringly empty hale at the Hawaii Convention Centre, the Fiji delegate took his kava bowl and sat alone. The Indigenous Kanaks of the French territory were forced to
Hokule’a’s babies: Cook Islands master navigator credits pioneers
In 2024 in Honolulu, the most venerated participants of the 13th Festpac are the voyagers who have arrived by reading the stars, the waves and winds, to close the circle begun by Hawaii’s Hokule’a canoe in the mid
Solomon Islands arts and crafts fascinate FestPAC visitors
Solomon Islands traditional and contemporary arts and craft displays have captivated the hearts and curiosity of festival visitors heralding the originality, creativity and uniqueness of our arts industry. Despite
FestPAC gathering strengthens Pacific identity
As the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture (FestPAC) enters its second week, Cook Islands Consul General in Aotearoa New Zealand, Keu Mataroa, expresses his deep appreciation for the rich cultural artistry and
Opinion: FestPAC: Protecting Oceania and charting future voyages
It’s the first time the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture, which starts Thursday, will be held in Hawaii. The Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture is the world’s largest celebration of indigenous Pacific
More than 1,000 invasive trees harvested to build village for the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture
The Hawaii DLNR Division of Forestry and Wildlife worked with the Albizia Project to cut down more than 1,000 invasive trees — mostly albizia, macaranga, and gunpowder trees — that will be used to make 28 hale for
Hawaii officials say they’re ready to host FestPAC as nations begin arriving
Hawaii officials say they are ready to host the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture next week. FestPAC, the largest gathering of Pacific Islanders, is anticipated to draw more than 100,000 people and over 2,100
Josh Tatofi’s Aloha for Hawaiian Mele
Hawaiian artist - Hoku Award winner and Grammy nominee, Josh Tatofi - picked up the Best International Pacific Artist award at New Zealand’s Pacific Music Awards in 2023, adding to his growing international profile
US scores overdue increase in bigeye tuna catch limit, while American Samoa struggles to sustain its local tuna economy
The 20th Regular Session of the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC) was held December 4-8, 2023, in Rarotonga, Cook Islands. The primary focus at this meeting was revising the conservation and
At least 36 people died in wildfires in Hawaii
A search of the wildfire devastation on the Hawaiian island of Maui on Thursday revealed a wasteland of obliterated neighborhoods and landmarks charred beyond recognition, as the death toll reached at least 36 and
FEMA-chartered planes to send relief to Guam from Hawaii
A chartered Pacific Air Cargo’s B474-400F will airlift supplies from Hawaii’s Diamond Head facility to Guam, according to Paul Skellon, PAC’s director of communications. Days after Typhoon Mawar hit Guam, the
Mauna Loa: World’s largest active volcano erupts in Hawaii
The world’s largest active volcano, Hawaii’s Mauna Loa, has erupted for the first time in almost 40 years. The lava flow is mostly contained within the summit, but residents have been placed on alert and
World’s largest ocean reserve off Hawaii has spillover benefits, study finds
Six years ago, the then U.S. president, Barack Obama, created the world’s largest fully protected ocean reserve by expanding the existing Papahānaumokuākea marine national monument in Hawaii, a world heritage site
Kaua’i, first county to regulate devt on sea level rise forecast
Kaua ‘i, the fourth largest island of Hawaii, became one of the first counties to enact proactive development regulations based on scientific modeling projections of sea level rise. “Today is truly a historic day as
Photo exhibit challenges anti-Micronesian attitudes in Hawaii
A photography exhibit by veteran Pacific journalist Floyd K. Takeuchi opens in Honolulu on September 1 with the explicit purpose of challenging local negative stereotypes about the state’s small but highly visible
Traditional values underpin Kanaloa Rugby
A new rugby franchise to the US national competition may provide a life-line for some Pacific islands rugby players. The website of Hawaii-based Kanaloa Rugby bears the quote, “From the depths of breadths of the