Pacific Community 79d ago

Join host Hettie Sem for this special 30th Anniversary Season of The Pacific Way, bringing you stories that resonate—by our people, for our people. In this episode, we showcase critical pathways for youth empowerment, celebrate regional heritage, and highlight data's power as a driver for social change across the Pacific. We begin with "Tok Pasifika" in Vanuatu, featuring Jean-Pierre. He explains that his language is crucial because it is not only his identity, but it also links him to his family, tribe, and land. Jean-Pierre shares the belief that your Mother Tongue "opens the door to the world". Following this, we revisit the 13th Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture (FestPAC) in Hawai’i to witness the captivating expression of heritage by the Northern Mariana Islands. We present Part 1 of a 2-part documentary on the Pacific Youth Engagement, Empowerment & Economic Pathways (PYEEEP) project. This story directly addresses the challenge of over 20% youth unemployment in the Pacific. Learn how the PYEEEP project is actively creating opportunities in Tonga and the Solomon Islands to help young people improve their social and economic wellbeing. In our "Guardians of the Pacific" segment, we travel to the Cook Islands to hear from Bermy. Bermy discusses why sustainable fishing is vital, emphasizing that sustainable practice means "only taking what you need" to ensure there is enough fish for both the present and future generations. The episode concludes with an inspiring story focusing on Fiona Umpa from Papua New Guinea. Fiona earned recognition, including a Special Mention in the Pacific Category, in the Pacific Dataviz Challenge. Her powerful voice and vision tackled one of the region’s most pressing issues: violence against women. Be inspired by Fiona’s message of seeing data not just as numbers, but as a "tool for change". Don't miss this episode as we celebrate 30 years of sharing Pacific stories!.