Pacific Islands Development Program

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Our director, Dr. Mary Therese Hattori, will join Dr. Kamana Beamer to give the keynote speech at the College of Education, University of Hawai‘i-Mānoa Assessment Symposium, "Equity and Justice in Assessment." RSVP [email protected] to attend on Friday, January 17 at the Campus Center Ballroom, University of Hawaii at Manoa. https://lnkd.in/gSW4f98K

#COP29 Wrap-Up | Key Highlights for PSIDS? ? The UN climate conference in Baku, Azerbaijan, wrapped up on November 24 after an extended two-day session. Pacific Small Island Developing States (PSIDS) played a critical role in advocating for stronger climate action. ? In his closing statement, AOSIS Chair and?Samoa's Minister of Natural Resources and Environment, Hon. Toeolesulusulu Cedric Schuster emphasized, "Time is not on our side. The need to implement ambitious Nationally Determined Contributions?is more urgent than ever." He continued, "Small Island Developing States cannot do this alone, we require transformational change in access to climate finance in accordance with the Convention and the Paris Agreement to ensure that we achieve the goal of a 1.5 world."? ? Reacting to the outcome, UN Secretary-General António Guterres said that while an agreement at COP29 was absolutely essential to keep the 1.5-degree limit alive, “I had hoped for a more ambitious outcome—on both finance and mitigation—to meet the great challenge we face.”? ? Key Highlights:? ? Climate Finance: Developed countries agreed to pledge at least $300 billion a year by 2035, although the outcome fell short of PSIDS' expectations.? ? Loss and Damage: Progress was made to further operationalize the Fund for Responding to Loss and Damage, yet pledges remain far below target. ? Gender and Climate Change: The gender and climate change program was extended to support gender-responsive climate policies. ? Carbon Markets: Rules for carbon credit trading were finalized while their ability to deliver the necessary resources remain unclear.? ? In addition to supporting PSIDS?in COP29 engagements and negotiations as a member of the One CROP Family, PIDP was able to develop new partnerships and engage with key stakeholders that work with us in achieving our mission. ? Check out the high-level updates provided by our partner, the Pacific Islands Climate Action Network (PICAN): https://lnkd.in/gRxju5B4? ? #PSIDS #ClimateAction #1Point5ToStayAlive James Perez Viernes Keoni Williams

"This open-source, online MMEL tool forms part of a wider initiative—the Pacific Adaptation to Climate Change and Resilience Building (PACRES) project, aimed at ensuring better regional and national adaptation and mitigation responses to climate change challenges facing the Pacific region." In the latest Visions and Voices article, Rhiannan Mundana, a climate specialist at Spatial Vision, based in Melbourne, Australia, writes about the collaboration with SkyEye Pacific, a technology company owned and operated by Pacific Islanders, to assist Pacific Island nations to access climate change resources. https://lnkd.in/gEZxKNuW #PIRreport #VisionsAndVoices #climatechange #pacificislands #pacific

Please join us in congratulating our Program Assistant, Amber Nunn Khan, on her selection as a Wahi Pana: Storied Places artist for the City and County of Honolulu. Eleven local artists were selected for this prestigious honor to celebrate cultural and historic sites across O'ahu. Honolulu was one of just eight US cities awarded the Bloomberg Philanthropies Public Art Challenge grant to address civic issues in their communities. Wahi Pana will include eleven artistic installations that use diverse forms of creative storytelling, including sculpture, video, photography, poetry, painting, and mele (music). Native Hawaiian and Hawai‘i-based artists are commissioned to work with storytellers and community members to research and create site-specific artworks and performances that highlight the rich histories of each location. These installations will invite residents and visitors to engage deeply with O‘ahu’s unique heritage, enhancing historical and cultural awareness and fostering meaningful connections to Hawai‘i and its people. Amber holds a BA in Journalism from the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and an MFA in Sculpture and Painting from London Metropolitan University. Her site will be located at Hale'iwa Beach Park with a scheduled completion date of September 2025. Follow us for updates as her work progresses! A sample of her work can be seen at the entrance of the East-West Center. Kalo for Kalo by Amber Khan and Kainoa Gruspe, made of wood and lauhala. Ask anyone from the Pacific and they will tell you their connection to the kalo. It is a means for communities to convene, get to work, and look to the future. Khan and Gruspe?s relationship to Kalo has inherently included sweat and physical labor. They have both helped to build, maintain, and care for a lo?i in Kahalu?u over several years. The process for making this Kalo sculpture felt similar to both their experiences harvesting and planting kalo, clearing weeds, and the tiresome clearing of hau bushes. With its reweaving of the lauhala mats, shifting the heavy big logs around, and navigating the delicate balance between carving, balancing and literal visual referencing - making the work felt an appropriate method of construction that honors the hard work and traditional knowledge that goes into maintaining the longevity of a lo?i. In Hawai?i the kalo is the elder brother of humanity. Khan and Gruspe reference this by including two piko (bellybuttons) on the hā (stem) of the largest lau (leaf).

FINAL CALL! Early- to mid-career professionals from Pacific Islands Conference of Leaders (PICL) member countries, territories, and the State of Hawai’i, apply now for the 2025 Resilient Pacific Islands Leaders (RPIL) Fellowship. All qualified persons especially indigenous Pacific Islanders are strongly encouraged to apply. The 2025 RPIL will be a six week hybrid program including a two-week online module, 3 weeks in Honolulu, Hawai’i, and one week in Washington, DC. DEADLINES Application Deadline: 11:59 pm, November 22, 2024 (Hawai'i Standard Time) Letters of Reference Deadline: 11:59 pm, November 29, 2024 (Hawai'i Standard Time) Click on the link below for more information. https://lnkd.in/gU9Mt_44 #PacificIslands #RPIL #Leadership #PIDP #EastWestCenter #PICL

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REMINDER: Join us for the next Laha Seminar: Topics in Data Justice! Education for All: Tools for Successfully Blending Citizen Science, Data Collection, and Storytelling for Impact with Dr. Kelly Albus, National Geographic Explorer; and Research Scientist, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M AgriLife Research - Amarillo Date: Nov 21, 2024 Time: 12:30-1:30 pm Hawai?i Standard Time ONLINE and FREE with registration. Is water important to you? Of course it is! But, how much do you really know about your water? Where it comes from, how it’s cleaned, ways to protect it, or how you can protect yourself from water disasters like floods and droughts? Most people don’t know the answer to these questions and, in fact, many only think about our water when we have too much, or not enough. Unfortunately, that’s often when it’s too late to take action. The latest water management science shows us that collective governance of water, or all working together to manage this shared resource, has the best chance of success. But, this success relies on involvement, which is preceded by collective understanding and participation. Many of the most at-risk communities don’t have access to water education, or the chance to participate in the decision-making process. This can be especially true for the urban youth of today who face increasingly limited access to natural green spaces, and opportunities to build a personal understanding of where their water comes from. The goal of Dr. Albus’ programs is to empower diverse communities with the education, tools and ability to act. This presentation focuses on the tips, tricks and lessons learned from years of working with communities to design low-cost, open-access citizen science tools to include new groups as active participants in their own water stories. Click the link below to register. https://lnkd.in/g6Kk8irr #water #watermanagement

"Racial imposter syndrome (RIS) at its base is a feeling of inadequacy. This emotional response stems from feeling like a fraud (or imposter) of one’s racial or ethnic identity. Many descendants from diasporic communities are at risk of RIS." With Micronesians being a newer diasporic community to the United States, many are at risk of RIS. In the latest Visions and Voices article, Angela Edward advocates for more research into RIS and its impacts on the mental health of Micronesians and Micronesian Americans. Click to read more: https://lnkd.in/gv5cXuQ3 #PIReport #RIS #mentalhealth #Micronesia #Micronesians #diaspora #VisionsAndVoices

Join us for the next Laha Seminar: Topics in Data Justice! Education for All: Tools for Successfully Blending Citizen Science, Data Collection, and Storytelling for Impact with Dr. Kelly Albus, National Geographic Explorer; and Research Scientist, Texas Water Resources Institute, Texas A&M University AgriLife Research - Amarillo Date: Nov 21, 2024 Time: 12:30-1:30 pm Hawai?i Standard Time ONLINE and FREE with registration. Is water important to you? Of course it is! But, how much do you really know about your water? Where it comes from, how it’s cleaned, ways to protect it, or how you can protect yourself from water disasters like floods and droughts? Most people don’t know the answer to these questions and, in fact, many only think about our water when we have too much, or not enough. Unfortunately, that’s often when it’s too late to take action. The latest water management science shows us that collective governance of water, or all working together to manage this shared resource, has the best chance of success. But, this success relies on involvement, which is preceded by collective understanding and participation. Many of the most at-risk communities don’t have access to water education, or the chance to participate in the decision-making process. This can be especially true for the urban youth of today who face increasingly limited access to natural green spaces, and opportunities to build a personal understanding of where their water comes from. The goal of Dr. Albus’ programs is to empower diverse communities with the education, tools and ability to act. This presentation focuses on the tips, tricks and lessons learned from years of working with communities to design low-cost, open-access citizen science tools to include new groups as active participants in their own water stories. Click the link below to register. https://lnkd.in/g6Kk8irr The Laha Seminar Webinar Series is co-hosted by Chaminade University of Honolulu, the Pacific Islands Development Program at the East-West Center, and the National Science Foundation (NSF) ALL-SPICE INCLUDES Alliance. The purpose of the series is to share ideas around Data Justice with a general audience across the Pacific and the United States. This webinar will be recorded. #water #watermanagement