Latest news with #Ni-Vanuatu
Scoop
10 hours ago
- Scoop
Vanuatu RSE Workers Celebrate First-Ever Bislama Language Week
Grace Tinetali-Fiavaai, RNZ Pacific journalist For the first time, Vanuatu Bislama Language Week is being officially celebrated in New Zealand and for Ni-Vanuatu seasonal workers toiling in the orchards of Pukekohe, they are feeling a sense of pride. The week marks a historic addition to the Ministry for Pacific Peoples' annual Pacific language calendar, which now includes 12 languages: Rotuman, Samoan, Kiribati, Cook Islands Māori, Tongan, Papua New Guinean, Tuvaluan, Fijian, Niuean, Tokelauan, Solomon Islands Pijin and Bislama. Bislama is the national language of Vanuatu and a creole language spoken across Vanuatu's 83 islands which is a blend of English, French, and Indigenous words. Clifford Yahwo has been participating in the seasonal program and this year marks his tenth year, he said he is feeling thankful he gets to witness this historic moment. Yahwo said it is great to have the opportunity to celebrate Bislama in Aotearoa. "Vanuatu is a small country in the Pacific, close to Fiji, Solomon (Island), New Caledonia. "I am so happy, like we are very happy we to celebrate here in New Zealand. We come for work, but its good we have this opportunity to celebrate Bislama language here in New Zealand." "Also, [in] Vanuatu we have different cultures - each island [has its] own culture, different from different island. Another thing is we are independent people. We had our independence since 1980." Fellow team leader David Navian, who also manages another group of workers at Punchbowl orchards, echoes the same sentiment, especially because people get to learn about their language. Laughing from the cold weather and crisp air in Pukekohe, he offered a few of his favourite phrases: "Hariap yumi go long haos" which means Hurry up, we're going home. "Karem kwiktaem yumi tekem moa bin" which means Pick quickly, we get more bins. "Blessem, kol kol tumas!" Bless, it's too cold! The theme for this year's inaugural Bislama Language Week is 'Tokabaot Klaemet Jenj - hemi ril mo yumi mas lukaotem laef' which translates to 'Talk about climate change, it is real, and we must look after life'. Ministry for Pacific Peoples chief executive Gerardine Clifford-Lidstone said this is more than a cultural milestone. "There is deep pride in Bislama. It connects people across islands, generations, and borders," she said. "We are proud to stand alongside the Vanuatu community as they celebrate Vanuatu Bislama Language Week for the first time in Aotearoa New Zealand. "This is a powerful moment of recognition, connection, and pride. Bislama carries the stories, humour, and heart of its people - and we are honoured to support its journey here" Events are being held across the country all week and as the workers like to say: "678 to the world."
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘We were heard': the Pacific students who took their climate fight to the ICJ
'I'm so nervous about today … it's going to be OK. Let's pray.' Those were the quiet but powerful words of Cynthia Houniuhi on Wednesday morning, just before the international court of justice (ICJ) handed down its historic advisory opinion on climate change at the Peace palace in The Hague. In the packed courtroom, thousands of kilometres from home, tension hung in the air. For Houniuhi – one of the original 27 Pacific law students who sparked the global legal campaign that led to the ruling – the moment was overwhelming. As the judges began to speak, she became teary. Years of hard work and late nights had come down to this. 'I was literally hanging on to each and every word the judge was saying. I was anticipating, waiting for the things I hoped to hear. The more I listened, the more emotional I became,' Houniuhi said. 'When the judges stated that states' obligations are not limited to the Paris agreement or the climate regime but also extend to environmental law, human rights law and international customary law, I cried right there in the courtroom.' The ICJ's advisory opinion for the first time gives the Pacific and all vulnerable communities a legal mechanism to hold states accountable and to demand the climate action long overdue. In the landmark opinion published on Wednesday, the court said countries must prevent harm to the climate system and that failing to do so could result in their having to pay compensation and make other forms of restitution. It says states are liable for all kinds of activities that harm the climate, but it takes explicit aim at fossil fuels. For a young Pacific woman at the forefront of this global fight, this win wasn't just political, it was personal. And it was history. 'We were there. And we were heard,' she said. The group of students all hailed from Pacific island countries that are among the most vulnerable in the world to the climate crisis. They came up with the idea of changing international law by getting the world's highest court to issue an advisory opinion on the climate crisis. The campaign was led by the nation of Vanuatu, a Pacific state of about 300,000 people that sits at the forefront of the climate crisis and has been ranked by the United Nations as the country most prone to natural disasters. Sitting beside Houniuhi was Vishal Prasad, executive director of the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), quietly taking it all in. 'I'm still trying to process everything,' Vishal said on Thursday. 'Cynthia was beside me, and our Pacific team was there. Line by line, paragraph by paragraph, I was amazed. From the obligations of states under the Paris agreement to the recognition of human rights and the right to a clean, healthy environment – and then to hear the court speak so strongly on fossil fuels – it was incredible.' The Ni-Vanuatu anthropologist and minister for climate change, Ralph Regenvanu, remembered when those same students first approached him for support in 2019. 'Back then I never imagined it would grow this big. It felt like a wild dream – this idea that we could go to the ICJ. But we thought, 'Why not?' There was youthful ambition and energy, and surprisingly – with support from across the world – we got here. Especially thanks to the international youth climate justice movement.' But it wasn't easy. Over the years, the movement faced resistance from major emitting countries. The Pacific had to go back, gather more evidence, more testimonies – and keep pushing, despite the odds. Siosiua Veikune, a youth climate advocate from Tonga and PISFCC member, said the group's cautious optimism about the case gave way to overwhelming gratefulness when the ruling was handed down. 'At first, we were skeptical. History has shown that courts sometimes speak to some issues but leave others out. But this ruling … it was bold. It was clear.' 'As a young Tongan, I hope we've helped set a healthy legal standard – a blueprint that can be replicated globally. This duty of care … it goes beyond legal obligations. It speaks to who we are in the Pacific.' The opinion didn't just recognise states' climate responsibilities – it tied them directly to human rights and the lives of frontline communities. Many in the Pacific and those who have been following the advisory opinion, including those who contributed to oral submissions, cheered with joy when the advisory opinion came down. Rufino Varea, director of the Pacific Islands Climate Network, said the court had handed Pacific people 'legal backbone for climate justice'. 'No more excuses. Those who fuel this crisis must stop the harm and help repair it,' he said. 'The law now reflects the justice our communities have always demanded – and we will use this opinion everywhere we fight for our people.' Pacific feminist climate activist Tamani Rarama said the ruling offered new tools in the fight for accountability. 'Now we have clarified, more nuanced international legal advice – a pathway for justice, redress and repatriation for the loss and damage our frontline communities have endured for years.' From scientific submissions provided by the Pacific Community to testimonies gathered by PISFCC in the Witness Stand for Climate Justice, every part of the case was anchored in the experiences of Pacific people. Dr Coral Pasisi, the Pacific Community's director of climate change, reflected on what the ruling means to her personally. 'My children told me before I left: there better be a decent outcome. Especially my 10-year-old son, who said, 'Mum, you've been doing this for 13 years, and the adults still aren't listening. Maybe you need to bring the kids to the table.' 'What this advisory opinion does is bring that next generation into the heart of climate discourse. It's a recognition of intergenerational responsibility. And we cannot have that conversation without bringing our children into it in a meaningful way.' As the Pacific celebrate, PISFCC and Pacific leaders are already discussing how to use the ruling in upcoming negotiations – especially in the lead-up to Cop30 in Brazil and working out what it means to the Pacific. For Houniuhi and the students who began it all, the work is far from over. 'This is a victory forged by Pacific youth but owned by all,' she said. 'We pushed the world's highest court to listen – and it did. Now we move from legal words to living change. Young people will make sure this ruling cannot be shelved or spun.' As for how she'll celebrate, she plans to wait until she gets home. 'It still feels surreal. Some of the people I want to celebrate with are back home. So, for now, I'm holding back the celebration – just feeling deeply grateful.'
RNZ News
5 days ago
- Politics
- RNZ News
Ni-Vanuatu youth celebrate landmark ICJ ruling as a new era for climate change justice
By Aui'a Vaimaila Leatinu'u , PMN Save the Children Vanuatu NextGen Youth Ambassadors and youth climate activists demonstrating ahead of the historic International Court of Justice Advisory Opinion on Obligations of States in respect of Climate Change. Photo: Save the Children A youth climate advocate from Vanuatu says the United Nations' court ruling on countries' climate responsibility has given new hope to young people across the Pacific. The International Court of Justice's (ICJ) advisory opinion found that countries have binding legal obligations under international law to prevent climate harm and protect human rights. While the opinion is not legally enforceable, it carries substantial political and legal weight for states and communities seeking accountability. Speaking to Khalia Strong on Pacific Mornings, 16-year-old Ni-Vanuatu *Vepaiamele welcomes the ICJ verdict. Vepaiamele was part of the Vanuatu delegation that attended The Hague last December. "It is an amazing advisory opinion because it completely clarifies what states need to be doing in regards to the climate crisis. We know that the climate crisis isn't just an environmental crisis, it's also a human rights crisis and affects children's rights. So I'm sure that it will pave the way for justice for everyone around the world," she says. For Vepaiamele, the struggle against climate change is personal. Growing up in Vanuatu, she has witnessed the impacts of climate change firsthand, including schools and clinics being put out of commission, forcing children to learn in tents. "We see the effects of climate change in our nation and economy, from things that have happened even years ago. Cyclones that have happened two years ago or10 years ago. We still see the effects lingering to this day." Vepaiamele writing poetry at her home in Port Vila, Vanuatu. Photo: Save the Children This ruling follows years of advocacy led by youth in the Pacific, especially students from Vanuatu, supported by their government. Minister for Climate Change Ralph Regenvanu says the court's unanimous ruling confirms what vulnerable states have long argued. "These aren't aspirational ideas as some would have it. It's important now as the world goes forward that we make sure our actions align with what was decided. Today's ruling will also inspire new cases where victims around the world, in a legal sense, realise that they can claim their rights and seek accountability," Regenvanu says. The Vanuatu government plans to present the ruling to the UN General Assembly in order to push for global implementation. "The implementation of this decision, we hope, will set a new status quo and provide the structural changes needed to give our current and future generations hope for a healthy planet and a sustainable future," he says. Save the Children's Polly Banks Photo: PMN Polly Banks, the country director for Save the Children in Vanuatu, sees the ruling as a "huge win for human rights" and believes it will add moral pressure on governments. Although the advisory opinion is not legally binding, Banks remains "thrilled at this outcome". "It's expected that the advisory opinion will influence future climate litigation, environmental negotiations or climate change negotiations, and national policy frameworks," she says. "Leading environmental lawyers have described the advisory opinion as a potential guiding star in terms of climate action. So we see this as an absolute landmark moment for climate change." Vepaiamele expresses her pride in the achievements of the youth and emphasises the moment's importance for justice and future generations. "It's amazing what the students have achieved and also our government and governments that have supported this," she says. "It will pave the way for climate justice for communities and people all around the world. I'm so proud and happy with this outcome. I hope that everyone else is listening and will take climate change seriously." -This article was first published by PMN .
Scoop
6 days ago
- Politics
- Scoop
Climate Change: ICJ Ruling Is A Landmark Win For Children
The historic climate change ruling at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) today is a landmark win for child campaigners, acknowledging the adverse impacts of climate change on child rights, and offering children renewed hope, Save the Children said. The Advisory Opinion delivered by the world's highest court finds that states' legal obligations to address climate change extend beyond existing climate agreements. It also found that "states must take their obligations under international human rights law into account when implementing their obligations under the climate change treaties and other relevant environmental treaties." While not legally binding, leading environmental lawyers say the ruling "could become a guiding star for climate policies at all levels of governance", including how States are held accountable under multiple areas of international law. The Advisory Opinion originated from an extensive campaign led by a group of law students from the Pacific Islands, with strong support from the Republic of Vanuatu [1]. In December last year, Vepaiamele, 16, a child campaigner with Save the Children Vanuatu, travelled to The Hague with the Government of Vanuatu - the only child to attend as part of a government delegation - to speak about the impacts of climate change on the Pacific island nation and call for action. Vepaiamele said today: "This Advisory Opinion is everything I hoped for and I am so happy with this outcome as I know it will pave the way for a safer future for youth like myself and future generations, too." Speaking from The Hague last year, Vepaiamele said: "As a young Ni-Vanuatu girl, I feel the effects of climate change every day of every year. I've experienced many cyclones. It can be kind of terrifying sometimes, especially the really strong ones. Every cyclone, our classrooms are destroyed, our homes are flattened to the ground, and hospitals and communication towers are ripped apart. And then there's also the mental health impacts, and we don't really talk about it that much, but it can really cause anxiety in children and young people." Human-induced climate change is driving up global temperatures, with the past 10 years the warmest on record, according to the World Meteorological Organization. Children, particularly those affected by inequality and discrimination, bear the brunt of climate change impacts that are already forcing them from their homes, putting food out of reach, damaging schools and increasing risks like child marriage as they are forced out of education and into poverty. Limiting warming temperatures through the rapid phase-out of the use and subsidy of fossil fuels is critical for children's rights and lives, Save the Children said. Earlier this year, research released by the child rights organisation with the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) found that the difference between global temperature rise of 1.5°C and 2.7°C could see 38 million more children from the 2020 birth cohort face unprecedented lifetime exposure to extreme heatwaves. [2] Save the Children also called for increased climate finance targeted at helping children and their families, child-centred and locally led adaptation and an increase in the participation of children in shaping climate action. Save the Children New Zealand CEO Heather Campbell says, "The ICJ's opinion strengthens the argument that climate inaction is a form of intergenerational injustice, disproportionately borne by those least responsible and least equipped to adapt. "At home in Aotearoa New Zealand, children and their families are experiencing the devastating impacts of extensive flooding and other climate-related emergencies, including Cyclone Gabrielle. Communities across the Nelson Tasman region are still reeling from floods that have destroyed homes and farmland, displaced families and closed schools. "On a recent visit to Solomon Islands, children told us about the impact rising sea levels were having on their communities, including monthly flooding in homes and schools, saline infiltration into fresh water supplies, and crops being destroyed. In other parts of the Pacific, communities are having to constantly rebuild after multiple cyclones in the last few years alone. These are not future scenarios - they are current realities. "Save the Children welcomes the finding from the ICJ, and we also urge governments and development agencies to ensure that climate finance reaches those on the frontline of this crisis. "Currently, only 2.4% of climate finance from multilateral funding sources is child centred. Even without the Court's opinion, we know that states must do far more to protect children from the worst impacts of this crisis, including by significantly increasing climate finance to uphold children's rights and access to health, education and protection." In light of the ICJ's Advisory Opinion, Save the Children New Zealand is calling on the New Zealand Government to renew its commitment to provide climate finance to help communities recover from climate induced loss and damage as well as working to reduce the country's carbon emissions. As the world's leading independent child rights organisation, Save the Children works in about 110 countries, tackling climate change across everything we do. Save the Children supports children and their communities across the Pacific and globally in preventing, preparing for, adapting to, and recovering from both sudden climate disasters and slow onset climate change. We have set up floating schools, rebuilt destroyed homes and provided cash grants to families hit by disasters. We also work to influence governments and other key stakeholders in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world on climate policies, including at the UNFCCC COP summits, giving children a platform for their voices to be heard. Notes: [1] The Advisory Opinion is in response to a Pacific-led resolution (A/RES/77/276) to the UN General Assembly adopted by consensus on 29 March 2023. This was the result of an extensive campaign by a group of law students from the University of the South Pacific ( Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change ) with strong support from the Republic of Vanuatu. Save the Children has worked closely with the Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change to ensure the voices of children and young people are incorporated into countries' written and oral submissions to the Court. As part of her campaigning work, Vepaiamele and other activists met with embassies of high emitting countriesin Vanuatu ahead of the hearing to try and influence their submissions. [2] The report found that, for children born in 2020, if global temperature rise is limited to 1.5°C rather than reaching 2.7°C above pre-industrial levels: - About 38 million would be spared from facing unprecedented lifetime exposure to heatwaves; - About 8 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to crop failures; - About 5 million would be spared from unprecedented lifetime exposure to river floods; - About 5 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to tropical cyclones; - About 2 million would avoid unprecedented lifetime exposure to droughts; - About 1.5 million children would be spared unprecedented lifetime exposure to wildfires.
The Advertiser
20-05-2025
- General
- The Advertiser
Australia helping Vanuatu with museum collection upkeep
When the first people arrived at the National Museum of Vanuatu after the monster 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila in December, they were distraught. "I'd never seen something like this before. It was all mess," museum curator Kaitip Kami told AAP. "Objects had fell off from their showcases, we had 13 showcases which were destroyed ... the museum didn't even look like a museum." Museum staff began a mighty clean-up effort, given the internal damage and displacement. Housed in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, the museum holds art, cultural artefacts and taxidermied birds in its priceless collection. While the buildings have been cleared of structural damage, some pieces have been lost, including thousands-of-years-old Lapita pottery, smashed and unsalvageable among broken glass. Fortunately, Mr Kami reported ancestral remains were held on lower shelves, so "when they fell off, they were okay". Ni-Vanuatu norms necessitate the repair of broken items to be conducted only by the tribes from which they came. "In our culture, if you want to make or fix these objects, you have to have the right," Mr Kami, who hails from Malakula, said. "Some people from my island where I come from ... we have a lot of objects that were broken, so we have to get people from that island who own those artefacts, to fly all the way from the island to Port Vila. "Once we get the funds, we'll bring some people to come to fix the objects." Funding is at the heart of the challenge facing Vanuatu's curators as they attempt to preserve the Melanesian nation's unique history. Mr Kamo's position is funded by the government of Vanuatu - which is, per capita, the poorest nation in the Pacific - but he says there is no extra money for upkeep. They are fundraising online at to help the earthquake recovery but broader challenges remain. Museums require predictable climactic environments to store wares appropriately: a difficulty enhanced by the unrelenting heat of the Pacific and the various disasters, including earthquakes and cyclones that Vanuatu faces. Counterparts at the Australian Museum are also helping, visiting this month to scope the museum's needs. "They have a huge collection, a very important and significant collection here ... and it is overcrowded," Heather Bleechmore, of the Australian Museum, said. "They're operating with limited resources and limited budgets, human resources as well as finances. The building here is very good, but the infrastructure needs updating. "So the approach is to try and help the museum get as much control over the environment within the collection stores and within the gallery space as possible." The Australian Museum's outreach comes courtesy of the US Embassy, which last year funded a year-long "Pasifika Tahui" project to undertake missions to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga to "look at cultural revitalisation and preservation in the face of climate change". However, their own funding has a cliff, given the change of direction under US President Donald Trump, who has cut or frozen the bulk of American development assistance. Melissa Sutton said the Australian Museum - which holds a significant store of Pacific treasures in its own collection - would "100 per cent" be looking for future funding, which would benefit both the Pacific and Australian museums. "We're learning a lot about how to care appropriately for these cultural artifacts and the approach. It is a reciprocal relationship where we're also learning," the museum's Pasifika collection officer said. When the first people arrived at the National Museum of Vanuatu after the monster 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila in December, they were distraught. "I'd never seen something like this before. It was all mess," museum curator Kaitip Kami told AAP. "Objects had fell off from their showcases, we had 13 showcases which were destroyed ... the museum didn't even look like a museum." Museum staff began a mighty clean-up effort, given the internal damage and displacement. Housed in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, the museum holds art, cultural artefacts and taxidermied birds in its priceless collection. While the buildings have been cleared of structural damage, some pieces have been lost, including thousands-of-years-old Lapita pottery, smashed and unsalvageable among broken glass. Fortunately, Mr Kami reported ancestral remains were held on lower shelves, so "when they fell off, they were okay". Ni-Vanuatu norms necessitate the repair of broken items to be conducted only by the tribes from which they came. "In our culture, if you want to make or fix these objects, you have to have the right," Mr Kami, who hails from Malakula, said. "Some people from my island where I come from ... we have a lot of objects that were broken, so we have to get people from that island who own those artefacts, to fly all the way from the island to Port Vila. "Once we get the funds, we'll bring some people to come to fix the objects." Funding is at the heart of the challenge facing Vanuatu's curators as they attempt to preserve the Melanesian nation's unique history. Mr Kamo's position is funded by the government of Vanuatu - which is, per capita, the poorest nation in the Pacific - but he says there is no extra money for upkeep. They are fundraising online at to help the earthquake recovery but broader challenges remain. Museums require predictable climactic environments to store wares appropriately: a difficulty enhanced by the unrelenting heat of the Pacific and the various disasters, including earthquakes and cyclones that Vanuatu faces. Counterparts at the Australian Museum are also helping, visiting this month to scope the museum's needs. "They have a huge collection, a very important and significant collection here ... and it is overcrowded," Heather Bleechmore, of the Australian Museum, said. "They're operating with limited resources and limited budgets, human resources as well as finances. The building here is very good, but the infrastructure needs updating. "So the approach is to try and help the museum get as much control over the environment within the collection stores and within the gallery space as possible." The Australian Museum's outreach comes courtesy of the US Embassy, which last year funded a year-long "Pasifika Tahui" project to undertake missions to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga to "look at cultural revitalisation and preservation in the face of climate change". However, their own funding has a cliff, given the change of direction under US President Donald Trump, who has cut or frozen the bulk of American development assistance. Melissa Sutton said the Australian Museum - which holds a significant store of Pacific treasures in its own collection - would "100 per cent" be looking for future funding, which would benefit both the Pacific and Australian museums. "We're learning a lot about how to care appropriately for these cultural artifacts and the approach. It is a reciprocal relationship where we're also learning," the museum's Pasifika collection officer said. When the first people arrived at the National Museum of Vanuatu after the monster 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila in December, they were distraught. "I'd never seen something like this before. It was all mess," museum curator Kaitip Kami told AAP. "Objects had fell off from their showcases, we had 13 showcases which were destroyed ... the museum didn't even look like a museum." Museum staff began a mighty clean-up effort, given the internal damage and displacement. Housed in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, the museum holds art, cultural artefacts and taxidermied birds in its priceless collection. While the buildings have been cleared of structural damage, some pieces have been lost, including thousands-of-years-old Lapita pottery, smashed and unsalvageable among broken glass. Fortunately, Mr Kami reported ancestral remains were held on lower shelves, so "when they fell off, they were okay". Ni-Vanuatu norms necessitate the repair of broken items to be conducted only by the tribes from which they came. "In our culture, if you want to make or fix these objects, you have to have the right," Mr Kami, who hails from Malakula, said. "Some people from my island where I come from ... we have a lot of objects that were broken, so we have to get people from that island who own those artefacts, to fly all the way from the island to Port Vila. "Once we get the funds, we'll bring some people to come to fix the objects." Funding is at the heart of the challenge facing Vanuatu's curators as they attempt to preserve the Melanesian nation's unique history. Mr Kamo's position is funded by the government of Vanuatu - which is, per capita, the poorest nation in the Pacific - but he says there is no extra money for upkeep. They are fundraising online at to help the earthquake recovery but broader challenges remain. Museums require predictable climactic environments to store wares appropriately: a difficulty enhanced by the unrelenting heat of the Pacific and the various disasters, including earthquakes and cyclones that Vanuatu faces. Counterparts at the Australian Museum are also helping, visiting this month to scope the museum's needs. "They have a huge collection, a very important and significant collection here ... and it is overcrowded," Heather Bleechmore, of the Australian Museum, said. "They're operating with limited resources and limited budgets, human resources as well as finances. The building here is very good, but the infrastructure needs updating. "So the approach is to try and help the museum get as much control over the environment within the collection stores and within the gallery space as possible." The Australian Museum's outreach comes courtesy of the US Embassy, which last year funded a year-long "Pasifika Tahui" project to undertake missions to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga to "look at cultural revitalisation and preservation in the face of climate change". However, their own funding has a cliff, given the change of direction under US President Donald Trump, who has cut or frozen the bulk of American development assistance. Melissa Sutton said the Australian Museum - which holds a significant store of Pacific treasures in its own collection - would "100 per cent" be looking for future funding, which would benefit both the Pacific and Australian museums. "We're learning a lot about how to care appropriately for these cultural artifacts and the approach. It is a reciprocal relationship where we're also learning," the museum's Pasifika collection officer said. When the first people arrived at the National Museum of Vanuatu after the monster 7.3 magnitude earthquake that struck Port Vila in December, they were distraught. "I'd never seen something like this before. It was all mess," museum curator Kaitip Kami told AAP. "Objects had fell off from their showcases, we had 13 showcases which were destroyed ... the museum didn't even look like a museum." Museum staff began a mighty clean-up effort, given the internal damage and displacement. Housed in the Vanuatu Cultural Centre, the museum holds art, cultural artefacts and taxidermied birds in its priceless collection. While the buildings have been cleared of structural damage, some pieces have been lost, including thousands-of-years-old Lapita pottery, smashed and unsalvageable among broken glass. Fortunately, Mr Kami reported ancestral remains were held on lower shelves, so "when they fell off, they were okay". Ni-Vanuatu norms necessitate the repair of broken items to be conducted only by the tribes from which they came. "In our culture, if you want to make or fix these objects, you have to have the right," Mr Kami, who hails from Malakula, said. "Some people from my island where I come from ... we have a lot of objects that were broken, so we have to get people from that island who own those artefacts, to fly all the way from the island to Port Vila. "Once we get the funds, we'll bring some people to come to fix the objects." Funding is at the heart of the challenge facing Vanuatu's curators as they attempt to preserve the Melanesian nation's unique history. Mr Kamo's position is funded by the government of Vanuatu - which is, per capita, the poorest nation in the Pacific - but he says there is no extra money for upkeep. They are fundraising online at to help the earthquake recovery but broader challenges remain. Museums require predictable climactic environments to store wares appropriately: a difficulty enhanced by the unrelenting heat of the Pacific and the various disasters, including earthquakes and cyclones that Vanuatu faces. Counterparts at the Australian Museum are also helping, visiting this month to scope the museum's needs. "They have a huge collection, a very important and significant collection here ... and it is overcrowded," Heather Bleechmore, of the Australian Museum, said. "They're operating with limited resources and limited budgets, human resources as well as finances. The building here is very good, but the infrastructure needs updating. "So the approach is to try and help the museum get as much control over the environment within the collection stores and within the gallery space as possible." The Australian Museum's outreach comes courtesy of the US Embassy, which last year funded a year-long "Pasifika Tahui" project to undertake missions to Papua New Guinea, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Tonga to "look at cultural revitalisation and preservation in the face of climate change". However, their own funding has a cliff, given the change of direction under US President Donald Trump, who has cut or frozen the bulk of American development assistance. Melissa Sutton said the Australian Museum - which holds a significant store of Pacific treasures in its own collection - would "100 per cent" be looking for future funding, which would benefit both the Pacific and Australian museums. "We're learning a lot about how to care appropriately for these cultural artifacts and the approach. It is a reciprocal relationship where we're also learning," the museum's Pasifika collection officer said.
