How Pacific communities respond to environmental, social
and economic change depends on more than technical
solutions, with history, Indigenous knowledge, governance,
livelihoods and collective action shaping how communities
adapt and build resilience.
This was a key theme
explored at a public seminar hosted by The University of the
South Pacific (USP), titled Rural, Urban, and Policy
Adaptation: Experiences from Papua New Guinea. The seminar
was organised through the School of Law and Social Sciences
and the U.S.–Pacific Resilience and Adaptation Fellowship
Programme (U.S.–PRAFP).
Featured speakers included
Dr Jamon Alex Halvaksz, Associate Professor of Anthropology
at Georgetown University, and Alfred Tuikoro Tora, a
U.S.–PRAFP PhD Scholar and PhD candidate in Psychology at
USP.
Dr Halvaksz shared insights from his research on
the political ecology of agriculture, conservation areas and
gold mining along the Upper Bulolo River in Morobe Province,
Papua New Guinea.
His wider research also examines
experiences of environmental change and urban life in Port
Moresby, Kavieng, Lae and Wau. He emphasised that adaptation
should not be understood only as a technical response to
environmental change.
“It is also shaped by history,
politics, livelihoods, relationships and the ways
communities understand their place in the world.”
Dr
Halvaksz said the experiences of Papua New Guinean
communities demonstrated the importance of everyday
knowledge and collective responses.
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“The experiences
of communities in Papua New Guinea remind us that resilience
is grounded in everyday practices, local knowledge and the
ability of people to respond collectively to change. By
bringing rural and urban experiences into the same
conversation, we can better understand the connections
between environmental change, resource development,
governance and people’s livelihoods.”
Tora
explored the role of Indigenous Fijian knowledge in
strengthening leadership, governance and resilience during
his presentation, Indigenous Fijian Worldviews and
Resilience in Community-Owned Businesses.
His
presentation examined how Indigenous Fijian concepts
influenced the way community-owned enterprises are led,
governed and sustained.
“Indigenous Fijian concepts
such as vanua, lotu, veiwekani and talanoa
provide important foundations for understanding leadership,
cooperation and resilience within community-owned
businesses,” Tora said.
“Resilience is not only
about recovering from challenges. It is also about
maintaining relationships, strengthening collective
responsibility and ensuring that development reflects the
values of the community.”
“Community-owned
enterprises have the potential to support sustainable
development when decision-making is inclusive and grounded
in Indigenous knowledge and local realities,” he
said.
The seminar reinforced the value of bringing
academic research, Indigenous knowledge and community
experience into the same conversation.
Through
initiatives such as the U.S.–PRAFP public seminar, USP
continues to provide opportunities for regional
knowledge-sharing and critical discussion on resilience,
adaptation and sustainable
development.
