Our final talanoa in the Pacific Environmental Governance Series — Safeguarding Our Pacific: Tackling Corruption and Protecting Communities — was an honest and powerful conversation about corruption, courage, and community.
We were joined by Arianne Kassman (Transparency International Papua New Guinea) and Charlie Piringi (award-winning journalist and Co-founder of In-depth Solomons), who shared how corruption is not just a political issue — it’s something that touches people’s everyday lives. From poor schools and broken hospitals, to land and oceans damaged by mining and oil spills, the impacts are real and close to home.
But alongside these hard truths, we heard stories of strength and action:
✅ Young people in PNG forming “youth against corruption” groups and becoming election observers to ensure fairness.
✅ Communities building coalitions to protect land from being grabbed and stripped of resources.
✅ Journalists in the Solomon Islands exposing environmental destruction, giving voice to those who are often ignored.
The key message was clear: real change must come from within our communities.
Together, we can:
- Draw on Pacific cultural values and wisdom that already hold transparency and accountability at their heart.
- Equip young people, women, elders, and churches with tools to hold leaders to account.
- Create safe spaces for dialogue across generations.
- Work collectively to protect our land, ocean, and people for future generations.
As Charlie reminded us:
“Safeguarding our Pacific is about more than fighting corruption. It’s about protecting our people, our cultures, our environment, and our future generations.”
A Journey Across the Series
Over the past few months, our series has brought together Pacific voices of wisdom, action, and care:
- Guardians of Moana and Land — Indigenous knowledge and stories guiding how we care for our ocean and land.
- Her Role, Their Future — Women and youth showing us that leadership takes many forms, from the grassroots to the global stage.
- From the Pacific Shores to the Bay of Bengal — Pacific and South Asian leaders sharing how communities are adapting to climate change with courage and fairness.
- Safeguarding Our Pacific — Civil society and communities stepping up to fight corruption and protect our shared future.
Missed the talanoa? You can watch recordings on our TINZ YouTube channel.
This series has been about more than online dialogue. It’s been about weaving Pacific voices, wisdom, and leadership into the conversations that matter most.
To everyone who tuned in, engaged in the talanoa, and shared your stories — thank you. Together, we’re not only protecting the Pacific, but also protecting the Pacific way of caring for people and place.
Stay connected with us — we’ll be sharing more resources from these talanoa over the coming months to help you strengthen environmental governance in your own communities, guided by Pacific voices, values, and wisdom.
Our next series — Amplifying Pacific Women’s and Gender Diverse Voices in Politics — will celebrate the leadership, wisdom, and courage of Pacific women and gender-diverse leaders across our region. Join us for two powerful talanoa on integrity, accountability, and political leadership. Learn more & register here.
