After 5 years, it's wonderful to be back in Tuvalu again! Thanks to our partners TuCAN and the Tuvalu National Youth Council and their members for hosting our visit.

Rosaline Parker has joined us as the Project Officer for our Pacific Islands Fellowship Program. Rosaline comes from an employment background working in the child protection, disability, and primary health care sectors across Greater and South-Western Sydney. Rosaline is a proud resident of the Dharug nation (Western Sydney) and is also a graduate of Western Sydney University and Griffith University in Queensland. Rosaline has also been active within the Pacific diaspora community for many years working and supporting voluntary projects on climate change, disability advocacy, gender equality and youth empowerment. Rosaline is passionate about sustainable development for the Pacific region and believes it is imperative to protect the ancestral lands of Oceania – to safeguard the sacred cultures of the Pacific for generations to come. Rosaline- we are thrilled to have you on board!

Our hearts break for the tragic loss of Mr Mano Yogalingam who took his life on Tuesday at the age of 23. Mano & his family arrived in Australia when he was 11, escaping a regime in Sri Lanka that actively committed atrocities against the Tamil community. Mano's appeal for asylum was rejected by the Australian government under the controversial “fast-track” system introduced in 2014. Mano had been living in limbo on a bridging visa for 11 years.

Anthony Albanese this suffering and loss of life is unacceptable and could have been avoided! We need urgent reforms to stop this cruelty to asylum seekers on bridging visas.

Our hearts go out to Mano’s family, friends and the Tamil community. May he rest in eternal peace.

Photo credit: ABC news (supplied)