In this episode of Pacific Change Makers, Dr Meg Keen speaks with Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls in Suva, Fiji about social activism in the Pacific.

Sharon is the Regional Representative of the Shifting the Power Coalition, a Pacific Island feminist coalition working on challenges affecting the region's future including climate change, social justice, and gender and community equality.

She speaks with Meg about how her family and faith have motivated her to make a difference. They discuss how women and marginalised groups can be more prominent voices in society - in political settings but also in media, community and key social groups. Sharon works in professional and community networks to hold power accountable, deliver local solutions, and promote appropriate technology to build resilience.

Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls is a Pacific Island feminist working on the intersection of gender, media, climate change and peace. From Fiji, she serves as the regional representative of the Shifting the Power Coalition, a team of women leaders and networks across Pacific Island Forum countries: Australia, Bougainville, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu – with a network of close to 100,000 grassroots members. In 2000, she co-founded FemLINKpacific and developed it into a leading community organisation supporting women's networking, media and research.

In this episode of Pacific Change Makers, Dr Meg Keen speaks with Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls in Suva, Fiji about social activism in the Pacific.
Sharon is the Regional Representative of the Shifting the Power Coalition, a Pacific Island feminist coalition working on challenges affecting the region's future including climate change, social justice, and gender and community equality.
She speaks with Meg about how her family and faith have motivated her to make a difference. They discuss how women and marginalised groups can be more prominent voices in society - in political settings but also in media, community and key social groups. Sharon works in professional and community networks to hold power accountable, deliver local solutions, and promote appropriate technology to build resilience.
Sharon Bhagwan-Rolls is a Pacific Island feminist working on the intersection of gender, media, climate change and peace. From Fiji, she serves as the regional representative of the Shifting the Power Coalition, a team of women leaders and networks across Pacific Island Forum countries: Australia, Bougainville, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, the Solomon Islands, Samoa, Tonga, and Vanuatu – with a network of close to 100,000 grassroots members. In 2000, she co-founded FemLINKpacific and developed it into a leading community organisation supporting women's networking, media and research.

Listen to episodes of the Aus-PNG Network Leadership Series, where we interview emerging and established community leaders about Papua New Guinea’s pressing issues.

We’ll be speaking with aspiring women politicians, young professionals, athletes, artists, musicians, journalists, and many other inspiring individuals about how they are striving to affect positive change in Papua New Guinea.

Listen to episodes of the <a href="https://auspng.lowyinstitute.org">Aus-PNG Network</a> Leadership Series, where we interview emerging and established community leaders about Papua New Guinea’s pressing issues.
We’ll be speaking with aspiring women politicians, young professionals, athletes, artists, musicians, journalists, and many other inspiring individuals about how they are striving to affect positive change in Papua New Guinea.

Pacific Change Makers

The Lowy Institute is a leading international think tank that looks at the world from Australia’s perspective.

This channel aggregates audio from across all of our event and podcast channels.

The Lowy Institute is a leading international think tank that looks at the world from Australia’s perspective.
This channel aggregates audio from across all of our event and podcast channels.

Lowy Institute

Shifting the Power - Making a difference through gender and climate activism

In this episode, Debra Sungi of PNG’s Climate Change and Development Authority speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Oliver Nobetau.

Discussions around development in the Pacific consistently reference climate change as a major challenge. Countries such as PNG have to manage the support offered by international development partners without being overwhelmed by foreign agendas and aligning external assistance with national priorities.

In this wide-ranging conversation, Debra Sungi, who is the newly appointed director of the CCDA, as well as one of a handful of women leading government agencies in PNG and the youngest ever at only 33, discusses PNG’s national initiatives and the importance of bringing knowledge to the grass roots level. She also talks about success stories of bilateral cooperation, and dealing with the challenges of climate change and being a young woman in a position of leadership.

In this episode, Debra Sungi of PNG’s Climate Change and Development Authority speaks with the Lowy Institute’s Oliver Nobetau.
Discussions around development in the Pacific consistently reference climate change as a major challenge. Countries such as PNG have to manage the support offered by international development partners without being overwhelmed by foreign agendas and aligning external assistance with national priorities.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Debra Sungi, who is the newly appointed director of the CCDA, as well as one of a handful of women leading government agencies in PNG and the youngest ever at only 33, discusses PNG’s national initiatives and the importance of bringing knowledge to the grass roots level. She also talks about success stories of bilateral cooperation, and dealing with the challenges of climate change and being a young woman in a position of leadership.

Pacific Change Makers: Addressing climate change in Papua New Guinea

Papua New Guinea is a nation undergoing rapid digital transformation. With increased connectivity, PNG faces the dual challenge of leveraging digital growth for development while protecting its young netizens.  

Initiatives such as ChildFund’s 1-Tok Helpline, which has received more than 70,000 calls since its establishment in 2015, provide a window into the online threats facing the country’s young people — from cyberbullying and exploitation to technology-facilitated gender-based violence. 

This episode of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Change Makers dives deep into the digital realm, taking a look at a rapidly emerging social issue with profound implications for Papua New Guinea’s social cohesion and national security. 

In this episode, Mihai Sora, Project Director of the Aus-PNG Network, interviews Kinime Daniel, ChildFund Helpline Manager for 1-Tok Counselling Helpim Line. 

Papua New Guinea is a nation undergoing rapid digital transformation. With increased connectivity, PNG faces the dual challenge of leveraging digital growth for development while protecting its young netizens.  
Initiatives such as ChildFund’s 1-Tok Helpline, which has received more than 70,000 calls since its establishment in 2015, provide a window into the online threats facing the country’s young people — from cyberbullying and exploitation to technology-facilitated gender-based violence. 
This episode of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Change Makers dives deep into the digital realm, taking a look at a rapidly emerging social issue with profound implications for Papua New Guinea’s social cohesion and national security. 
In this episode, Mihai Sora, Project Director of the Aus-PNG Network, interviews Kinime Daniel, ChildFund Helpline Manager for 1-Tok Counselling Helpim Line.

Pacific Change Makers: Digital frontiers - Safeguarding PNG’s youth in the cyber age

In this episode of the Pacific Change Makers, the Director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program, Dr Meg Keen, speaks with Dr Anouk Ride from the Australian National University about the upcoming Solomon Islands’ election and its implications for stability and democracy in the region. Anouk draws on over 15 years living in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara and her extensive experience analysing peace, stability and community resilience in the Pacific.   

Solomon Islands elections can coincide with political and civil instability as competing power factions jostle for dominance. “Whether democracy itself survives this vote, and also the years after” is a concern for Dr Anouk Ride.

This election is particularly significant for the country and the global community. All will be watching to see if the current Prime Minister Sogavare returns and continues to draw closer to China. But more than geopolitics is at stake. The country is facing increasing economic pressures and tensions between the capital and provinces.

On 17 April, 50 members of parliament will head to the capital to select the next Prime Minister. Money and personal interests intertwine in the process to select a new national leader. All hope for a peaceful outcome but that is not guaranteed. As Anouk points out there are several flashpoints over the next six months, and any could trigger unrest if not well managed. 

Join us as we explore what is shaping the processes and issues in this election, and its implications for security and democracy.

In this episode of the Pacific Change Makers, the Director of the Lowy Institute’s Pacific Islands Program, Dr Meg Keen, speaks with Dr Anouk Ride from the Australian National University about the upcoming Solomon Islands’ election and its implications for stability and democracy in the region. Anouk draws on over 15 years living in the Solomon Islands capital Honiara and her extensive experience analysing peace, stability and community resilience in the Pacific.   
Solomon Islands elections can coincide with political and civil instability as competing power factions jostle for dominance. “Whether democracy itself survives this vote, and also the years after” is a concern for Dr Anouk Ride.
This election is particularly significant for the country and the global community. All will be watching to see if the current Prime Minister Sogavare returns and continues to draw closer to China. But more than geopolitics is at stake. The country is facing increasing economic pressures and tensions between the capital and provinces.
On 17 April, 50 members of parliament will head to the capital to select the next Prime Minister. Money and personal interests intertwine in the process to select a new national leader. All hope for a peaceful outcome but that is not guaranteed. As Anouk points out there are several flashpoints over the next six months, and any could trigger unrest if not well managed. 
Join us as we explore what is shaping the processes and issues in this election, and its implications for security and democracy.

Pacific Change Makers: Solomon Islands - Democracy in the balance?

https://api.omny.fm/orgs/01e13863-b3cd-4275-9315-aef400615e3a/clips/e5728fe4-b10b-4606-86e6-b1480030210e/transcript

Shifting the Power - Making a difference through gender and climate activism

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