Three Pacific Islander community leaders will be speaking in Sydney (23 July), Brisbane (28 July), Melbourne (30 July) and Cairns (2 August) in the coming weeks. It’s part of “Voices from the Frontline: Taking Action on Climate Change in the Pacific”, co-hosted by Greenpeace.
Here’s an introduction to the speakers.
Pelenise Alofa Pilitati, Kiribati
Pelenise is a respected community leader in Kiribati, one of the Pacific nations most threatened by climate change. As Chairperson of the Church Education Director’s Association in Kiribati (CEDAK), she is acutely aware of the impact climate change is having on the future prospects and outlook of young people.
Most of Kiribati is less than 4 metres above sea level and is already suffering from serious impacts from climate change.
» Watch this video showing climate change impacts in Kiribati
Pelenise is passionate about the issues, about her people and the Pacific.
“Some of my friends have migrated to Australia and NZ looking for greener pastures but I refuse to migrate. I chose to return to Kiribati and to stay in the Pacific so that I could help my people. And if helping my people means speaking to all the leaders of the Pacific including Australia and NZ, then I count that my privilege. If it means talking to the whole world, I will gladly do it. If I have to shout it, I will shout the loudest.”
“The future of Kiribati is in our hands – we work very hard each year to support and help students to be successsful. But what is the future of our children when our country is being threatened by global warming?”
Marstella Jack, Federated States of Micronesia
Marstella is the former Attorney-General of the Federated States of Micronesia and the first woman to perform that role. She is a former AusAID and Chevening Scholar, and obtained her Masters of Law from the University of Hull. She has attended Harvard University as a World Council of Women Leaders scholar, and is the first and only Micronesian to have participated in the Washington–based Environmental Leadership Program (ELP).
Marstella will need to draw on all of those skills and experience for her next fight – saving her homeland from literally disappearing.
“People are being left without homes and identities. Climate change has been and will continue to be a major threat to our environment.”
As someone who has seen the inside of many high level international negotiations, Marstella knows the dangers of smaller countries being bullied by threats and bribes from their bigger neighbours. “Our leaders need to know that the people of the Pacific support them taking a strong stand and the Pacific Islands Forum. Our future depends on it.”
“People are being left without homes and identities. Our leaders need to know that the people of the Pacific support them taking a strong stand at the Pacific Islands Forum. Our future depends on it.”
The Reverend Tafue Lusama, Tuvalu
The Reverend is from Funafuti, capital of Tuvalu, the world’s fourth smallest country and home to only 12,000 people.
Rev Lusama is the Secretary for Peace and Justice at the Ekalesia Kelisiano Tuvalu (Christian Church of Tuvalu), and is the Chairperson of the Climate Action Network Tuvalu. He has holds a Master of Arts in Religion, and wrote his thesis on Climate Change from a theological perspective
Tafue has been travelling around the world attending meetings where he has spoken and campaigned on climate change issues for several years now.
He says Pacific people will not accept losing their homelands. “Becoming climate refugees is absolutely intolerable to us. We will become homeless people, roaming the face of the globe. We will lose everything our identity is tied to.
“I do believe people are listening, and trying to do what needs to be done. The problem now is the political will. My aim is to convince people to lobby their Government to support a coherent and realistic deal to come out of Copenhagen.”
“People are being left without homes and identities. Our leaders need to know that the people of the Pacific support them taking a strong stand at the Pacific Islands Forum. Our future depends on it.”
