USP seminar links resilience to Indigenous knowledge
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The University of the South Pacific (USP) held a seminar on September 23 to explore how people in Papua New Guinea and other Pacific communities cope with environmental, social, and economic changes.
USP’s School of Law and Social Sciences and the U.S.. Pacific Resilience and Adaptation Fellowship Programme (U.S..
PRAFP) organised the event, titled “Rural, Urban, and Policy Adaptation.” Dr Jamon Alex Halvaksz from Georgetown University presented research on communities along the Upper Bulolo River in Morobe Province, Papua New Guinea, and in urban areas like Port Moresby. He explained that successful adaptation to change involves more than just technical solutions, but also considers history, politics, and local understandings of the world. He noted that Papua New Guinean communities demonstrate resilience through their daily lives and shared efforts.
Alfred Tuikoro Tora, a PhD candidate at USP, discussed how Indigenous Fijian concepts, including vanua (land), lotu (faith), veiwekani (respect), and talanoa (dialogue), support leadership and cooperation in community businesses. Tora emphasized that resilience also means preserving relationships and shared responsibility, ensuring development aligns with community values. USP believes these seminars foster knowledge sharing and discussion about sustainable development in the region.
