Pacific Context Research Articles

Thriving futures

This Special Issue of the journal Art, Design & Communication in Higher Education (ADCHE) revisits the purpose and potential of art and design from an Australian perspective. It draws on the November 2023 Australian Council of University Art & Design Schools (ACUADS) 43rd conference, co-convened by Thao Nguyen, School of Art, RMIT University and myself. This national forum sought to consider the following: (1) how can creative education and research embrace our unique Australian perspective and integrate First Nations knowledge to cultivate a ‘thriving future’? (2) What is the potential of creative research and pedagogy in responding to the climate crisis and other urgent societal concerns? (3) How has the global pandemic disrupted and catalysed innovation in creative art education, including the rapid uptake of digital media by traditionally haptic disciplines? What are the key technological agendas for art and design schools? Drawing on our unique perspective, with particular acknowledgement of First Nations knowledge and ways of being, our colonial history and Asia–Pacific context, this edition considers how creative education and research can contribute not only to economies but also to the array of pressing social, environmental and cultural issues necessary to enable thriving futures.

Wave energy assessment and wave converter applicability at the Pacific coast of Central America

Nowadays, numerous governments have instituted diverse regulatory frameworks aimed at fostering the assimilation of sustainable energy sources characterized by reduced environmental footprints. Solar, wind, geothermal, and ocean energies were subject to extensive scrutiny, owing to their ecological merits. However, these sources exhibit pronounced temporal fluctuations. Notably, ocean dynamics offer vast energy reservoirs, with oceanic waves containing significant amounts of energy. In the Central American Pacific context, the exploration of wave energy resources is currently underway. Accurate numerical wave models are required for applied studies such as those focused on the estimation of exploitable wave power; and even more so in Central American region of the Pacific Ocean where existing numerical models simulations have so far relied on coarse resolution and limited validation field data. This work presents a high-resolution unstructured wave hindcast over the Central American Pacific region, implemented using the third-generation spectral wave model WAVEWATCH III over the period between 1979 and 2021. The results of the significant wave height have been bias-corrected on the basis of satellite information spanning 2005 to 2015, and further validation was performed using wave buoy and acoustic Doppler current profiler (ADCP) records located in the nearshore region of the Central America Pacific coast. After correction and validation of the wave hindcast, we employed the dataset for the evaluation and assessment of wave energy and its possible exploitation using different wave energy converters (WECs). This evaluation addressed the need to diverse the energy portfolio within the exclusive economic zones of Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Panama, Colombia, and Ecuador in a sustainable manner. Moreover, a comprehensive analysis was carried out on the advantages of harnessing wave energy, juxtaposed with the imperative of regulatory frameworks and the current dearth of economic and environmental guidelines requisite for development within the region.

Pacific perspectives on Health Professions Education leadership – An interpretivist case study

Introduction: Health Professions Education (HPE) leadership development is advocated for success at the individual, team, and institutional levels. Many leadership theories exist informed mainly by Western perspectives, however, Pacific HPE leadership has not been investigated. Therefore, this research aimed to understand Pacific HPE leaders’ perspectives to develop substantive theory to guide faculty development in this setting and add nuanced perspectives to the international HPE leadership discourse. Methods: Using an interpretivist case-study methodology, seven HPE leaders were purposefully recruited. Data collection tools included Rich Pictures, Talanoa Zoom interviews, and reflective journals. Participants drew a picture on ‘Being an HPE leader’, subsequently explaining their depiction, and then reflected on leadership events in their journals over six months. Codes and themes were identified using Miles, Huberman and Saldaña’s approach. Results: Metaphors were assigned to three HPE leadership styles identified: The ‘Bridge’- helping students from novice to competent; the ‘Coconut Tree’- multiple roles and sturdy in the storm; and the ‘Boat’ - navigating towards the vision. Conclusions: Rich Pictures, interviews and reflective journals allowed HPE leaders to reflect on ‘Being an HPE Leader’ and revealed tacit perspectives. This study suggests there are different styles of leadership, pertinent to the Pacific context, depending on the aims, strategies, and attributes of different HPE leaders. Although grounded in the Pacific, certain aspects may resonate in similar contexts. Notwithstanding that many facets of leadership identified align with current leadership models, intrapersonal emotional intelligence and cultural aspects of HPE leadership should be considered when designing contextually embedded faculty development. Keywords: Medical Education, Health Professions Education, Leadership, Qualitative Research, Case Study, Pacific

Re-opening the Royal Road: The Unquiet War Dead of the Northern Marianas Islands

This article explores intersecting experiences of landscapes of death in the Northern Marianas islands, in the shadow of brutal battles during World War II. My discussion builds upon prior work on how the human body registers personal and historical trauma. I emphasize that in East Asian and Pacific contexts, “the body” is often best understood as extending into the immediate spatial environs, to include topography, air and water flows, and floral and faunal entities. Ritual process of healing this traumatized somatized land-person continuum revolve around reworking the body-landscape matrix, reconfiguring the ontological status of those who perished under horrific circumstances.

Towards a Holistic Definition of Post-pandemic Resilience: The Pacific Context

AbstractPost-pandemic resilience in the Pacific region presents some unique, context-specific, economic, social, environmental, and political challenges as well as opportunities. This study aims at developing a holistic definition of post-pandemic resilience in the Pacific context, based on the interconnected aspects and factors that contribute. As there is a gap in the literature for a holistic definition of post-pandemic resilience based on empirical studies from the Pacific Island countries, this study tries to plug that gap. Using a qualitative systems thinking approach, data was collected from primary and secondary sources including semi-structured interviews with ten senior leaders in the Pacific. This study first captures the multiple levels and different interconnected aspects of post-pandemic resilience in the Pacific and then presents a holistic definition. An analysis of the different papers published in this special issue based on this holistic definition and their contexts is also provided in this article. Overall, this study contributes to the literature and practice on post-pandemic resilience by developing a holistic definition using an empirical study based in the Pacific.

Crossing borders

This issue builds on sociolinguistic research on indigenous languages, visual and auditory semiotics, material ethnography, and multicultural practices to develop a nuanced understanding of linguistic landscapes in the Asia Pacific context. The contributions to this issue, from Vanuatu to Hong Kong, disrupt the boundaries between the rural and the urban, the linguistic and the semiotic, the powerful and the marginal.

Pacific methodologies in critical disaster studies

PurposeResearch in critical disaster studies stresses the urgency to explore alternative ontological framings (Gaillard and Raju, 2022) that encourages researchers and practitioners, especially Indigenous communities, to nurture spaces where Indigenous voices are well represented. It is imperative that research in the Pacific should be guided by Pacific research methodologies to maximize positive outcomes (Ponton, 2018) and break free from limited Eurocentric ideologies that are often ill-suited in Pacific contexts. Hazards in the South Pacific region have become more frequent and volatile. This has created a growing interest in the study of disasters in the region. However, current disaster studies in the Pacific are often problematic as they often fail to challenge the implicit coloniality of the discipline.Design/methodology/approachThis paper will expand on these arguments, suggesting ways to overcome the limits of common Eurocentric research frameworks in disaster studies and to illustrate the significance and relevance of Pacific methodologies.FindingsIt is pertinent that critical disaster studies encapsulate Pacific worldviews and knowledge as valued and valid to reconstruct Pacific research. Decolonizing disaster research will ultimately liberate the discipline from limitations of its colonial past and allow for truly engaging and critical research practices.Originality/valueThis paper will illustrate and articulate how Talanoa, a pan-Pacific concept, could offer a more culturally appropriate research methodology to disasters, seen through a Samoan lens. Talanoa is an informal conversation that is widely shared among Pacific communities based on pure, authentic and real conversations which are crucial elements in building relationships with Pacific communities (Vaioleti, 2006).

Relational resource geographies of beche‐de‐mer under moratorium

AbstractMoratorium is a common marine resource management strategy used by nation‐states that abruptly reclassifies the harvesting and trade of designated resources as ‘illegal’ for a defined period. Nation‐states use moratoria to help ecological stocks of overharvested marine species to recover. The Fijian state instituted a moratorium on the harvest and trade of beche‐de‐mer between 2017 and 2022 due to evidence of overfishing. Through ethnographic fieldwork with Fijian beche‐de‐mer fishers, traders and exporters, I examine how the moratorium affected relational trade flows of beche‐de‐mer. In precolonial Fiji, marine resources flowed through historically established regional socio‐cultural pathways. During the colonial period, Chinese migrants in Fiji occupied a unique relational positionality to indigenous (itaukei) communities, which allowed them bridge domestic and international resource markets. Through my ethnographic fieldwork, I detail how beche‐de‐mer continued to be traded during and post moratorium within such a relational resource geography. I argue that the relational ties between itaukei communities and Chinese‐Fijian buyers that subsequently connect to international markets undermined the moratorium restrictions, as well as the new conditionalities of trade after the moratorium was lifted. Such relationality in the marine resource trade renders moratoria an ineffective marine resource management strategy as it is inattentive to Pacific context.

Capacity-building for Coastal Climate Change Adaptation and Resilience in the Pacific Islands

Abstract Capacity-building for coastal climate change adaptation in the Pacific Island countries (PICs) is paramount in ensuring resilience building and sustaina-ble management of coastal resources. The Pacific-European Union Marine Partnership (PEUMP) program, through its capacity-building component, works at achieving this by supporting delivery of technical and vocation education and training (TVET) and continuing professional development programs. The PEUMP training programs focus on addressing capacity needs associated with coastal resource management in the PICs, including but not limited to, inadequate economic considerations in coastal fisheries regulations; limited capacity to support community-based coastal resource management; insufficient Pacific-relevant training and qualifications for sustainable coastal resource management through inclusive approaches; and insufficient in-depth understanding of the government’s role in com-munity and ecosystem-based approaches. To address some of these gaps PEUMP delivered TVET programs, micro-qualifications, non-formal training, and professional short courses across 15 PICs. Post-training impact assess-ments found the PEUMP training programs to have improved the knowledge and skills of participants, with more than 70 percent of the par-ticipants gaining new skills and/or knowledge, which they attempted to pass on to their colleagues. A number of lessons learned were identified through the PEUMP training programs, such as the pros and cons of deliv-ering training through virtual means within the Pacific context. The article wraps up with a set of recommendations as a way forward for capaci-ty-building in the Pacific Island region through further inclusive training, localization, and community-based approaches.

Challenges and opportunities for inclusive value chains of niche forest products in small island developing states: Canarium nuts, sandalwood, and whitewood in Vanuatu

Small Island Developing States (SIDS) are a distinct group of nations with unique development challenges, such as skill shortages, lack of economies of scale, high transport and energy costs, poor infrastructure, small domestic markets with a heavy reliance on a few distant external markets, and limited opportunities for private sector growth. A development strategy based on natural resources where local and regional producers can secure some level of intellectual property value has been recommended for Pacific SIDS to break out of commodity and low value-added trade. This paper explores the potential for developing niche forest product value chains that are inclusive of small-scale producers in the island nation of Vanuatu. Using existing academic and grey literature and on- site research for three forest products, the paper describes the current situation with the industry and then proposes inclusive value chains (IVC) that improve on the business-as-usual scenario. Our results indicate that although market analyses confirm the potential for smallholders to benefit from participating in niche product value chains, difficulties inherent in sourcing from smallholders, which are aggravated in SIDS, must first be overcome. Problems such as small production volumes in numerous dispersed plots with difficult access, high transport costs, low technical know-how, difficulties in accessing inputs and finance, unreliability of supply in terms of quality and quantity, and lack of reliable information about the resource base hinder IVC development. Increased vertical and horizontal coordination within the value chains address many of these issues, but in the Pacific context, some forms of coordination may be more feasible than others. The Pacific region does not have a strong cooperative tradition, so temporary horizontal coordination, long-term agreements, and contracts between producers, processors, and buyers may be necessary to make IVCs for niche island products achievable.

A Seagrass Mapping Toolbox for South Pacific Environments

Seagrass beds provide a range of ecosystem services but are at risk from anthropogenic pressures. While recent progress has been made, the distribution and condition of South Pacific seagrass is relatively poorly known and selecting an appropriate approach for mapping it is challenging. A variety of remote sensing tools are available for this purpose and here we develop a mapping toolbox and associated decision tree tailored to the South Pacific context. The decision tree considers the scale at which data are needed, the reason that monitoring is required, the finances available, technical skills of the monitoring team, data resolution, site safety/accessibility and whether seagrass is predominantly intertidal or subtidal. Satellite mapping is recommended for monitoring at the national and regional scale, with associated ground-reference data where possible but without if time and funds are limiting. At the local scale, satellite, remotely piloted aircraft (RPA), kites, underwater camera systems and in situ surveys are all recommended. In the special cases of community-based initiatives and emergency response monitoring, in situ or satellite/RPA are recommended, respectively. For other types of monitoring the primary driver is funding, with in situ, kite and satellite recommended when finances are limited and satellite, underwater camera, RPA or kites otherwise, dependent on specific circumstances. The tools can be used individually or in combination, though caution is recommended when combining tools due to data comparability.

Family-centered therapy: Implications of Pacific spirituality for person-centered theory and practice

ABSTRACT Based on the authors’ different backgrounds and experiences of working in Pacific communities and with Pacific people as clients, supervisees, trainees, and colleagues, and taking a critical perspective informed by Talanoa research methodology, mainly Samoan and by Southern theory, this article examines person-centered theory and practice. The article firstly reviews Rogers’ theory of therapy, personality, and interpersonal relationships; and second deconstructs Rogers’ original ‘general structure’, offering a reconstruction of the theory that accounts for placing the family and spirituality at the center of psychological practice and theory. The article concludes with identifying three epistemological shifts necessary to make person-centered psychology more relevant to the Pacific context.

Lessons from the frontline: Documenting the pandemic emergency care experience from the Pacific region – Infrastructure and equipment

BackgroundThe COVID-19 pandemic highlighted challenges for all health systems worldwide. This research aimed to explore the impact of COVID-19 across the Pacific especially with regards to emergency care (EC) and clinicians’ preparations and responses.MethodsA collaboration of Australia and Pacific researchers conducted prospective qualitative research over 18 months of the pandemic. In this three phase study data were gathered from Emergency Clinicians and stakeholders through online support forums, in-depth interviews and focus groups. A phenomenological methodological approach was employed to explore the lived experience of participants. This paper discusses the findings of the study regarding the EC building block of ‘Infrastructure and Equipment.’FindingsPre-existing infrastructure and equipment were not sufficient to help control the pandemic. Adequate space and correct equipment were essential needs for Pacific Island emergency clinicians, with donations, procurement and local ingenuity required for suitable, sustainable supplies and facilities. Adequate personal protective equipment (PPE) conferred a sense of security and increased Health Care Workers willingness to attend to patients.InterpretationInvesting in adequate infrastructure and appropriate equipment is crucial for an effective response to the COVID-19 pandemic. The sustainability of such investments in the Pacific context is paramount for ongoing EC and preparation for future surge responses and disasters.FundingPhases 1 and 2A of this study were part of an Epidemic Ethics/World Health Organization (WHO) initiative, supported by Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office/Wellcome Grant 214711/Z/18/Z. Co-funding for this research was received from the Australasian College for Emergency Medicine Foundation via an International Development Fund Grant.

Supporting each other: Pacific emergency care clinicians navigate COVID-19 pandemic challenges through collaboration

Supporting each other: Pacific emergency care clinicians navigate COVID-19 pandemic challenges through collaboration

The Role of the Built Environment on the Quality of Life for Residents in Long-Term Care Facilities in Asia: A Scoping Review.

Background and ObjectivesThe quality of the built environmental features in long-term care (LTC) homes significantly influences residents’ functioning (e.g., wayfinding, self-care, and social interaction) and well-being. There is limited research on the characteristics of the built environment of LTC and its influence on residents’ quality of life in countries in the Asia–Pacific region (e.g., East Asia and South Asia). The older adult population in this region is expected to increase significantly in the coming decades. There are distinctive perceptions of nursing home, nursing home environments, and sociocultural norms in this geographic region. Given this context, a better understanding of the built environment of LTC facilities in this region can inform design professionals and policymakers for evidence-based decision-making. The present study undertakes a scoping review of the empirical research on the characteristics and influence of the built environment of LTC facilities on residents’ quality of life in the Asia–Pacific context.Research Design and MethodsOnline relevant databases were used to identify articles published 2000–2021, from which we selected 33 publications.ResultsThree substantive themes were generated from the synthesis of the selected publications. These themes are (a) perceptions of nursing home, (b) impact of the built environment on residents’ quality of life, and (c) assessment of the LTC built environment.Discussion and ImplicationsWe identified research gaps in understanding the role of the built environment in nursing homes in the particular geographic context and future research directions. Five planning and design principles for LTC were derived from the synthesis of key findings to inform design professionals and policymakers.

The Instructions of Melanesian Cargo Cults for the Asia-Pacific Future

So-called cargo cults are new religious movements best known among the indigenous population of Oceania, especially Melanesia. Their focus of attention is the mystery surrounding the new goods brought by light-skinned strangers in awe-striking ocean-going vessels and (later) in great flying ‘bird-like’ containers. Various socio-religious movements arose in response to these European-style wares (later internationally-marketed commodities), or “the Cargo” (pidgin: Kago), often in agitated collective expectation of an extraordinary arrival of new riches. The Melanesian outbursts have been typically inspired by prophet-type leaders, with their messages reflecting a transition between indigenous traditions and more settled islander Christianities. This paper moves on from describing and explaining southwest Pacific cargo-type movements to the issue of the ethos out of which they arose, and addresses the sociology of hope for Cargo (or modern commodities in plenty) as a global issue, best described as “Cargoism.” Sets of beliefs in the coming bounty and changing power of Cargo have much more than ‘provincial’ or local-indigenous implications. They point to a worldwide plethora of expectations wherein material items define the essential comforts of life and capture the individual, family and collective imaginations about the preferred human future. Exploring some of the ‘universally human’ implications within the logic of cargo-cult thinking in its Pacific context, this paper introduces Cargoism as a transoceanic and intercontinental issue that has enormous environmental and politico-economic ramifications. Presages of environmental stress lie with globalizing cargoist dreams and pressures, including hopes for progress and technological solutions offered by trade and commercial expansions (proffered by powerful nations, including China, for the Asia-Pacific future).

Culturally sustaining web 2.0 technology use in the Pacific: Innovations from American Samoa and Hawaiʻi

This study takes a transnational and collaborative approach to explore how Pacific Island educators are using web 2.0 technology to enhance instruction and facilitate culturally sustaining learning opportunities for emergent bilingual and multilingual students. It is also an analysis of the digital divide for young adolescent users due to linguistic, economic, and geographic barriers. Two middle level education vignettes are presented—one from American Samoa and one from Hawaiʻi. First, we explore the areas of technology use, collaborative learning, and culturally sustaining education within our unique Pacific contexts. Each vignette consists of an overview of the technology usage within our Pacific contexts, connections to The Successful Middle School: This We Believe, results, and next steps. This study caters to educators working with multilingual and multicultural populations and contributes to the knowledge base of culturally sustaining pedagogyin middle level online learning environments.

Linking tourists’ and micro-entrepreneurs’ perceptions of souvenirs: the case of Fiji

ABSTRACT Most tourists return home with a souvenir purchased after a holiday. Studies on souvenirs have mainly focussed on either the demand or supply perspective. This research integrates both perspectives to achieve a more holistic understanding of souvenirs in the Pacific context. This paper compares souvenir purchase behaviour of cruise ship visitors and overnight tourists. The research also examines the main reasons micro-entrepreneurs sell souvenirs and the meanings they attach to souvenirs. Overnight tourists have a deeper understanding and appreciation for souvenirs compared to cruise ship visitors. Suppliers provide souvenirs to sustain their culture, as well as for economic reasons.

“I function when I’m painting” – Consumers, carers and staff experiences of an art and mental health recovery project in Fiji

This study sought to extend understanding of the role of art making and mental health recovery in the Pacific context, specifically in Fiji. Results from a focus group study highlighted the functions and meanings to participants of a year-long art-making program designed locally and undertaken with consumers, carers and mental health staff. Participants found an increased sense of self-worth, safety in the group similar to that experienced in a family, extended social capacities, and the role of the facilitator to be vital, amongst the outcomes. Unlike in previous similar research, this study highlighted the contribution of utilisation of local traditional art materials and processes to enhance a sense of purpose and achievement for participants, in particular for consumers.

Learning to Surf (Seʻe) on a Wave, from Island to Urbanesia

This paper looks at the role of artists and art instruction in New Caledonia, with particular emphasis on workshops used to teach traditional arts in a contemporary Pacific context. It articulates realistic insight into the life of Pacific artists and their work as and with tagata fenua (the Kanaky people of New Caledonia) and Polynesian participants from Uvea, Futuna, Tahiti, and other islands. Workshops at the Siapo Art Centre are designed to find ways to adapt the cultural environment to urban situations with the support of local associations, the government, and social agencies in order to develop long term initiatives. By focusing on the Kupesi Contemporary Artist in Residence program at the University of New Caledonia–Higher School of Teaching and Education (École Supérieure du Professorat et de l’Éducation, UNC ESPE) center, as well as other projects, this essay provides a window into the role of public art education in the Pacific.