Page 28 - Islands Business June 2023

Climate Change

the people of the Majority World. damage, ecocide, human rights violations and the many other
“In Pacific conditions of rising loss and damage, DIVA for impacts of this climate and ecological crisis that threatens our
Equality is part of national, regional and global movements livelihoods, our security and our home.
urgently advancing grassroots-led feminist strategies link- We have legitimate grounds for resistance struggles against
ing universal human rights, socio-economic, ecological and racism, gender injustice, colonialism and coloniality, Imperial-
climate justice. We are very busy working on urgent system ism, false solutions and development injustice. Some of us
change to save ourselves, other species and the living planet will not be at COP28. All of us will be working for an end to
from this global ecocidal reality.” fossil fuel, plastics, species extinction, elite neoliberal capi-
talism and fascist, masculinist corporate capture of develop-
A priority this year is for increased, grants-based, adequate ment and multilateralism. We cannot cede our sovereignty
and accessible climate finance flows from ‘Carbon Major’ in these negotiations for social, economic, ecological and
OECD countries. Increased fast-access funding pathways for climate justice.

COP28 is this year so heavily compromised that a grassroots-led group like
DIVA for Equality would be betraying the constituency by participating in a
heavily corporate captured space. We call for urgent changes to allow us to

re-enter. Meanwhile we work in other ways, and through other people-led
processes.

- DIVA for Equality’s Executive Director, Noelene Nabulivou

Pacific Small Island Developing States and for all experiencing This article was written by Noelene
loss and damage must be principles based. The new Loss and Nabulivou of DIVA for Equality and Jeshua
Damage Fund must be capitalised immediately and comply Hope of the Pacific Islands Climate Action
with principles of international cooperation and solidarity, his- Network’s (PICAN) Gender and Climate
torical responsibility and in compliance with the Polluter Pays Justice Working Group. DIVA for Equality
principle. Funds must be new and additional, needs-based, and PICAN affirm that the stance taken
adequate, predictable and precautionary. The fund must be by DIVA for Equality is not necessarily
locally driven, gender just, ensure equitable representation, representative of the rest of the network
prioritise public and grant-based funds, be balanced and com- nor Climate Justice movements and activists
prehensive; and protect and fulfil human rights. within and beyond the region who will work
We, the Pacific, are a part of a global majority constituted into the processes of COP28. We affirm that
of the collective power of people’s movements and societies social movements work from an approach
most affected, and with least responsibility for this ecocide. of minimum non-negotiables and that
The Pacific region of 22 States and territories continues to outside of that, our politics - and indeed our
grapple with long-known and worsening issues of gender, Sex- approach to fighting for liberation, balance
ual health and reproductive rights (SRHR) and Sexual orienta- and justice on all territories is determined
tion, gender identity, gender expression and sex characteris- by the principles and values of our activist
tics (SOGIESC), avoiding false solutions, dealing with loss and movements and organisations. We will not
stop until survival is assured for our People.

28 Islands Business, June 2023