Transcript
EMELE DUITUTURAGA: Of course climate induced displacement, the voice of the younger people that make up the majority of the Pacific population, issues of inequality, diversity, those are some of the key ones that are coming through at the moment.
DON WISEMAN: I imagine that around the world civil society groups they all tend to sing the same tune don't they. When you put these ideas to people what do you expect back from them?
ED: Well the whole idea here Don is for civil society leaders from the Pacific and from other parts of the world, in fact we have over one hundred countries represented, is to come together and think together about you know what are some of the global solutions. So it's not necessarily about the Pacific versus the rest of the world but what do we as civil society together, how do we contribute to solving some of the world's problems. And the critical role that civil society plays in terms of government policies, in terms of decisions that are made. So in a way the fact that this international civil society week is happening here in the Pacific, we now get the chance to have many more Pacific voices in a room where we otherwise would not if this meeting was happening anywhere else.
DW: As you say, climate change a very central topic. The Pacific's position on this in terms of what governments have been saying and civil society groups for a long time is very clear. So in what way can you take that forward? Or are you just reinforcing what's been said and said so many times?
ED: Well you know we've just finished the COP23 meeting which was held in Bonn and there are very mixed feelings about that. So in fact this morning there was a discussion on what is the analysis of the Bonn meeting. And there is mixed feelings Don. Civil society particularly in the Pacific, you know there was a strong visibility, it was definitely a Pacific COP led by Fiji at the Presidency but when we get to the international negotiations or the intergovernmental negotiations you know the power dynamics continue. And so on the issue for example of loss and damage there was very little progress on that. But the big focus here and this will be an outcome of this meeting is climate induced, migration of climate induced displacement. And that's the big one which has really not found its way in terms of international discussions because the fact of the matter is that there are already Pacific populations having to deal with leaving their homelands. And so this is a specific outcome of these discussions. In addition to that is the whole issue of self determination and decolonisation these are also issues that have come to the fore here. Not only has climate change compounded the problems but there's now what we're saying a new form of colonialism that is emerging in the Pacific.
DW: So you would expect these hundreds of delegates to then go back to their respective countries and to push these particular features that you're wanting to raise at this meeting?
ED: Correct. Because often these Pacific concerns and hearing first hand from Pacific young people, Pacific leaders what these concerns are, this doesn't usually happen at other international meetings. So the big focus for us as Pacific civil society is to have our colleagues from other part of the world have a fuller and better appreciation of our issues so that they in turn can influence their government policies, they in turn can attend other international meetings and begin to raise the concerns that we are raising with them.
