Day of Action_350 Vanuatu

Futuna Fatuana Cultural Group

The 12 of April 2014 has been agreed by teams across the pacific region as the "Day of Action" in which all pacific climate warriors demonstrate climate action activities inviting and campaigning to #Stand up for the pacific Campaign.

The Day also marks the launching of our big Canoe building project in which Warriors across the region are starting to build traditional style Canoes for their long Journey to Australia on a mission to stop Paul Flyn who is the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer of Whitehaven Coal Mine from his continuing process of coal extraction.

In Vanuatu, 350 Warriors had organize a public action campaign in which warriors on the same Day roaming around Port Vila asking for public to #Standup for the pacific Campaign in Signing the public petition.

It has been a long Day in the morning when all 350 Vanuatu members approaching public in groups and individual explaining our fight against climate change with 350.org and the Pacific and how important it is for pacific islanders and like Vanuatu to give their support to stand up for the Pacific and for our country itself.

350 Vanuatu member explaining to a youth group what 350 is all about

Since the introduction of 350 Vanuatu in 2011, a lot of people in the government and within our new ministry of Climate Change, Energy, Environment, Meteorology & Geo-hazards with other civil societies working in relation with the Vanuatu government had no idea of the existence of 350 Vanuatu in the country.
However,in the meantime our team have try very hard to include our activities with existing youth group activities in order for the government and people to recognize our existence and significantly the actions we will take in response to our own government and to international movements representing our own country.

In November 2013, 350 Vanuatu has been known to most Youths around the country and through the government, civil societies and local government after the National Youth Symposium in which 350 Vanuatu  was the first to have it's Warrior training with over 30 youth representatives attending.

On our "Day of Action" campaign, we also had a very good chance to talk publicly announcing the #stand up for the pacific Petition and explaining our mission and what we're striving to the fight against climate change with 350 Pacific in an official political Campaign Team for Vanua'aku Pati for the By-election to replace late Patrick crowby after his sudden death in Noumea, New Caledonia.

Members of the Vanua'aku Campaign Team

 The leader of the Vanua'aku Pati Campaign Team told 350 Vanuatu members that they will support our organization if anything happends in Australia during our campaign. Also giving their formal support in signing the petition to #stand up for the Pacific Campaign.

Our 350 Vanuatu booth was set up in the same area where public came to listen to the campaigning team of Vanua'aku pati in which was accepted by them to let public easily sign the petition and ask question if necessarily related.
And with that time being, alot of people were interested and ask many question and wanted to joint the organization and be part of the activities.

350 Vanuatu information Booth

Lunch was provided to 350 Vanuatu members whom are undertaking the action campaign. Although, we have not enough funds to run this activities, we were given an opportunity from the SPC-GIZ climate change Adaptation Program to give us an amount of 30.000VUV to cover some of our expenses.

In the afternoon around 02:00pm, we started the counting of all members of the public who sign the petition sheet and we had a hundred and fifty-one participation supporting our movement.
From there we continue on with the other part of our program which was the launching of our Canoe building project for 350 Vanuatu warriors to actually start building the Canoe.

The program started with a few speeches from the 350 Vanuatu Coordinator, Isso Nihmei who brief publicly on the Canoe project, why were building traditional style canoe's and how were taking it on our Journey to Australia.

350 Vanuatu Coordinator announcing the Canoe project

In one of it's statement made publicly is "were using our traditional style canoes as a mechanism/ tool to communicate with the Australian government, especially to the managing director of the Whitehavens Coal Mining industry that 'we' the people of the Pacific islands are suffering alot and seen clear evidence of this critical issue of climate change".

He continue's to say that "if you do not believe in  climate change then stop complaining to the government to provide relieve after disaster's" and the speech has really amaze most people as young people are taking the initiative to stop coal mining industries and minimize the impacts around the pacific islands.

After the announcement of the Canoe building project, it was followed on with a special traditional dance from the Futuna Fatuana Cultural Group demonstrating the Canoe Dance.
The Dance illustrate the traditional way of transportation for many years till today the pacific islanders still

The Canoe Dance

use traditional canoes for sea transportation in the islands. Canoes in Vanuatu are very useful and many islanders from North and Southern province still use them to travel from one village to another to past message and do gardening.

After the Canoe Dance was also follow by another custom Dance by the same group.

The performances attracts more people and sign in for the petition. Later on after the custom dancing, we had the StringBand continues by Futuna Fatuana Cultural Group. They started the show with a song requested from the Vanuatu Warriors for the Pacific island nation. The song was more about the Pacific islands and how beautiful the pacific islands is from the land to the ocean. The Melanesian, Polynesians and Micronesian People.

Futuna Fatuana String Band Group

 StringBand in Vanuatu is very popular and people likes listening to our local style music.
Thus, we use StringBand music to show the world and especially Australia how we feel about loosing this traditional style music if the impacts of climate Change continues as they expand their coal mining industries.

Although we're not contributing on that much carbon emission, we're the first to feel the effects of climate change.
Most Vanuatu local StringBand group in Vanuatu now write songs about climate Change and sing in public during big occasions and celebration such as in independence Day.
People can talk about climate change in the Kava Bar (Nakamal) during their social activities  after working hours.

We then continue on with the special kava ceremony. In Vanuatu Kava is use traditionally to talk to spirits when drinking on the islands. We invite a few chiefs from the few islands around Vanuatu to join us during this special kava ceremony to talk to their spirits to protect all Pacific warriors during their journey to Australia.

Chief Sam Toropi from Futuna Island opens the ceremony

The kava was dedicated and open by the chief from Futuna island, TAFEA province and share it with the chiefs from the other islands and the public to drink and as a witness from their communities seeing the impacts of climate change in their island and communities.

Chief members joint the kava

From the scene include is the chief from Tongoa Island, Epi Island, Malekula and some members from the public.
After the kava ceremony, 350 coordinator made the last official closing remarks and acknowledge the presents of the public in participating in the activitiy and joining the kava ceremony. He also acknowledge the dancers, and the stringBand music which was really entertaining to the public and 350 Vanuatu really appreciate the time given to come this event. We will continue to organize such activities to build youth and public capacities on climate change and the impacts of it to our communities and our islands.

The closing remarks end and everyone was dismiss........