OUR SPEAKERS:

		'Alopi Latukefu, Director, Edmund Rice Centre for Justice and Community Education 'Alopi joined the centre as Director in February 2023. Prior to accepting the role with ERC 'Alopi was most recently the Director for the Global Education and Scholarships team in DFAT - managing amongst other thing Australia’s prestigious and long standing inbound scholarship program - the Australia Awards.  'Alopi has extensive experience working on Pacific issues including establishing one of the first web based network and information sites (the South Pacific Information Network - SPIN) during his time with the Islands-Australia research program (ANU) in the mid nineties. 'Alopi grew up in PNG as a child where his late parents Rev Dr Sione Latukefu and Dr Ruth Latukefu (nee Fink) worked for twenty years educating many of the Pacific’s future leaders and scholars.
		Rosaline Parker, Project Officer Pacific Climate Fellowship Program

Since 2006, the PCP has been taking steps to help ensure that the voice of Pacific Islands on climate change is heard loud and clear in the Australian and global community. Our speakers have presented on a range of topics, including:

• The impacts of climate change on Pacific Islands, particularly Kiribati and Tuvalu
• Climate justice in the Pacific: climate change as a human rights issue
• Climate science
• Climate action- what you can do to help
• Eco-justice/spirituality
• Laudato Si, Pope Francis's powerful encyclical on sustainability and climate justice  
• Cross-cultural awareness: differences between Pacific and Australian cultures

If you would like to book one of our speakers, please contact us at [email protected]

As mining companies engage in human rights abuses, land grabs, environmental destruction, community upheaval, loss of traditional life, militarisation, pollution of vital ecosystems, and vilification and killing of human rights defenders and activists, in the Philippines the Tagalog word ‘palayasin’ (go away) rings out… and is heard throughout Asia, Latin America, Europe, Oceania and Africa. Though companies claim they are responsible corporate citizens, the branding does not match the reality.  

Amidst much suffering to indigenous communities and local people, mining corporations, in amassing much wealth, wield economic and political power over governments, whilst being protected by international trade and financial institutions. But voices, cry out, ‘go away’, ‘no to mining, yes to life’. 

The extraction of minerals pollutes areas beyond the actual mining sites and for years after closing operation. Pope Francis referred to the ‘mess’ in our planet in his recent Encyclical Laudato Si’. Governments promote mining and provide incentives to corporations in the name of ‘the national interest’ and ‘economic growth’, whilst the harm and cost to ordinary peoples’ lives, communities and future generations of all species is barely recognised. For governments it is ‘yes to mining, and no to life’ for their people. 

Download

Download with references