The Pacific Way

Where do Pacific and western MEL approaches naturally align, and where do they clash?   Margaret Eastgate, Seraseini Vulavou and ‘Aulola ‘Ake discuss how MEL practice may honour Pacific ideas and ways of knowing in how we design, implement, and evaluate programs – including the concepts of  tā  (time) and  vā  (relational space).   This podcast was made possible through SPC’s Funding with Intent i...

Isabelle Petri, Jevilene Leleisiuao-Fruean and Palatasa Havea share candid reflections on the successes, lessons, and challenges of practicing MEL in real-life Pacific contexts. From building trust with communities, leaders and colleagues to juggling donor expectations, and from rural settings to urban centres to Board rooms, this episode takes us into the heart of where the work happens.  This po...

Episode 3: It’s Not All in the Toolkit – Centring Indigenous Knowledge in MEL  Dr. Apisalome Movono, Alessandra Mel and Ascenaca Blake dive deep into what it really means to centre Indigenous Pacific knowledge in monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) beyond checkboxes and toolkits. With Eroni Wavu, they unpack what happens when we don’t take Indigenous Knowledge Systems (IKS) seriously as well...

Valery Wichman, Sioeli Tonga and Joy Waffi discuss honouring culture, working with cultural power dynamics in MEL and ensuring the hard to reach in the Pacific can be reachable within MEL practices. They also unpack data sovereignty and how MEL can work for donors as well as communities.  This podcast was made possible through SPC’s Funding with Intent initiative, funded by the New Zealand Ministr...

What does it mean to do MEL our way? Host EroniWavu is joined by Pacific MEL leaders Frances C. Koya Vaka'uta, Ruth Matela, Charlene Mersai, and Christina Hazelman for a powerful talanoa on what makes Pacific MELdistinct, and why it matters. They unpack how MEL rooted in Pacific identity, culture, andrelationships offers not just a method, but a movement. They explore the evolution of MEL in the r...

The climate crisis is no longer a distant threat but an urgent reality.  Pacific Island communities feel the worst effects, even though they produce less than 0.03% of the world's greenhouse gas emissions. This unfair situation brings attention to the "loss and damage" concept , highlighting the need to address the economic and non-economic losses these vulnerable regions face that are caused as a...

The solidarity amongst the pacific islands delegation to conserve our region and protect it from the ongoing impacts of climate change was evident at the United Nations Climate Change conference or COP27. Climate Change Experts from the Pacific Community and other CROP Agencies were present in Sharm-El-Sheikh, Egypt to support and lend a voice to the pleas of the pacific people for the developed w...

For half a century the Pacific Community has been working in collaboration with pacific islands countries and territories to preserve, protect and promote the regions unique traditions as custodians of the Festival of Pacific Arts and Culture or FestPac. In July 2022, SPC celebrated the 50th anniversary of FestPac and the launch of the Pacific Regional Culture Strategy 2022-2032. The event coincid...

In early September 2022, the fourth cycle report of the Pacific Islands Literacy and Numeracy Assessment (PILNA) was launched in Suva Fiji. Administered through the Pacific Community’s Educational Quality and Assessment Programme (EQAP), over 40,000 students sat for PILNA in 15 pacific island countries and territories. Through PILNA, the region has set a global benchmark to ensure that children in...

To ensure the region has the capacity and the technical know- how to advance agriculture and aquaculture in the region, a new cadre of experts are being trained through the Australian Center for International Agriculture Research (ACIAR). The Pacific Community (SPC) is a key partner for ACIAR and SPC and ACIAR have worked in partnership for more than 30 years. SPC helps deliver Australia’s wider s...

Pacific Islands Leaders met in Suva Fiji in July 2022, where the 2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent was endorsed. The strategy focuses on seven key thematic areas: political leadership and regionalism, people-centered development, peace and security, resources and economic development, climate change and disasters, ocean and environment, and finally, technology and connectivity. The care...

From the onset of the COVID 19 pandemic, the Pacific Community has worked with donor agencies and partners to strengthen and safeguard the health of Pacific Islanders. Working with international agencies and local authorities, SPC, the World Health Organisation and the World Food Program helped provide much need medical and humanitarian resources to strengthen COVID 19 preparedness and response.

The  Pacific Community (SPC) 's  Centre for Pacific Crops and Trees (CePaCT)  has won the 2022 Island Innovation award for Innovative Island Research. The award, which supported by the Clinton Global Initiative , was presented by Island Innovation, a global network that connects island stakeholders through digital communication and events. It is part of the rapidly increasing intere...

As the Pacific region looks towards a post COVID economy, the potential of cocoa is seen as a valuable resource for small hold farmers. Known by local farmers as green gold, the quality of Pacific cocoa is increasingly being recognized internationally, and in some cases the resulting chocolate products have been ranked with some the the best in the world. 

The Pacific Community (SPC) has announced the appointment of Mereseini Rakuita as its ‘Principal Strategic Lead – Pacific Women’. Ms Rakuita will champion the organisation’s work on gender equality and the empowerment of women and girls to bring about the transformational changes required to improve the status of women and girls in the Pacific. “I’m deeply humbled and honoured to be appointed...

On Saturday 15 January 2022, the Hunga volcano erupted sending a plume of ash and volcanic gas 30 kilometers into the atmosphere and generating tsunami waves across the Pacific. The full impact of this eruption is still being assessed, but the greatest devastation occurred on islands of Tonga.

CRGA 51 and the 12th Conference of the Pacific Community saw the adoption of new strategic plan for the organization and a new star on the SPC flag. We highlight some of the key outcomes in this special podcast.

Traditional and cultural ceremonies in the Pacific would not be complete without a feast, which almost always includes pork and pork products. It is difficult to imagine a function without it. However, the Pacific pig industry is now under threat and an all out effort is being undertaken to ‘Save our bacon’.

The importance of securing and ensuring sustainable use of the regions agricultural commodities, fisheries resources and forests was the underlying focus at the Seventh Regional Meeting of the Pacific Heads of Agriculture and Forestry Services (PHOAFS) held earlier this month. With a focus on food systems security, the region prepares to present a united voice at the inaugural UN Global Food Syste...

Building on the successful implementation of the Strengthening Water Security of Vulnerable Island States program, the Pacific Community is assisting member states to improve access to clean water sources and safe hygiene. The initial five-year sub-regional project supported atoll countries to build the skills , systems and basic infrastructure to better anticipate, respond to, and withstand the i...

More than 16,000 Pacific people work in the Maritime sector. Across the Pacific, local restrictions have severely curtailed access to supplies like fuel for local fishing boats, bringing to the fore the issue of food security and the need for longer term, sustainable solutions. In this episode, we reflect on the devastating impact of the global pandemic on people’s lives and the reset our Ocean ne...

The 14th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women and the 7th Meeting of Pacific Ministers for Women will be held from 27-29 April and 4 May respectively. Hosted by French Polynesia, this year’s conference and ministers meeting will be delivered via a blended approach of in-person and virtual interaction given that travel restrictions are still being observed across the region due to the COVID-1...

Sigatoka Valley is known as the 'Salad Bowl' of Fiji proving a majority of the islands fresh fruits and vegetables. But this highly fertile region also attracts hungry pests eager to take a bite out of the bowl.  The Pacific Community through its Land Resources Division is now better equipped to prepare and respond to these threats through its the first of its kind, plant health laboratory. C...

Tokelau is one of the smallest and most remote nations in the world, consisting of three coral atolls in the middle of the Pacific Ocean where clean drinking water is scarce. After years of research and field investigations, the Pacific Community’s Geoscience division has helped locate an abundance of fresh underground water which promises a brighter future for the people of Tokelau

Bula, bon jour, and welcome to a new season of the Pacific Way Podcast. In this season opener, we take a journey back to 2020 and look at how, we as people of the pacific are working to overcome the challenges and impacts of COVID 19. Despite the difficulties, the Pacific Community has continued to serve its members through innovation and determination thanks to the strong support and collaboratio...