A new Tahitian, English and French dictionary

The government of French Polynesia published the first trilingual dictionary of the local Tahitian language. 17 000 Polynesian words, both old and new, are translated into English and French as a bid to open the French territory to its English-speaking neighbors. Yan Peirsegaele, head of the Interpreting Department of French Polynesia, explains why this work was important after a first French/Tahitian dictionary published in 2015: … Continue reading A new Tahitian, English and French dictionary

Drink in edible coffee cups with Air New Zealand

How about eating your coffee cup after you finished your beverage, instead of throwing one more garbage away… You don’t like the idea? But what if… your cup was a vanilla-flavored biscuit! This is exactly the idea being tested right now by Air New Zealand, in an effort to reduce it’s waste. Customers in flight and on the ground are being served their hot beverage and … Continue reading Drink in edible coffee cups with Air New Zealand

The Tahiti Women’s Forum will celebrate its come back on 15 and 16 of October

For its third edition, the Forum will focus on women as active change makers in the Pacific area. Through conferences, round tables and workshops, the Forum will explore the wayto push women’s influence in the economic world, cultural and intergenerational diversity. It also address the management of the mental load, the relational intelligenceto be more agile and the way to put people at the heart … Continue reading The Tahiti Women’s Forum will celebrate its come back on 15 and 16 of October

Protests in West Papua this Wednesday (photo by @SocialPowerOne1 shared on Twitter)

Protests for human rights crushed in blood in West Papua

In the fight to finally end the subjugation of Pacific people by colonizing powers, West Papua is the last active front. And the fight for freedom by the native Papuan people kicked into higher gears this last two weeks, as massive protests for human rights and self-determination ignited across the cities of the province. According to the Time Magasine, the most recent unrest appears to … Continue reading Protests for human rights crushed in blood in West Papua

Towards a responsible plastic future

Nowadays, plastic is everywhere. Originally designed as a miracle material allowing, for example, to store food in healthier and cheaper conditions than ever before. It is now becoming one of the planet’s worst waste nightmare. Here in the Pacific Ocean the problem is growing even worse as most of the world’s waste ends up in the oceans, including millions of metric-tons of plastics. Everyone has … Continue reading Towards a responsible plastic future

Every tourist in Palau has to sign a pledge to protect its environment

Meet Jennifer Koskelin. Together with her team, she originated the implementation of a National Marine Sanctuary that covers over 80% of the maritime territory of the small Micronesian country of Palau. She also created the Palau Pledge, a global reference for sustainable tourism. Palau is an independent Micronesian country located in the North Pacific Ocean, very close to Indonesia. With approximately 500 islands (six populated) … Continue reading Every tourist in Palau has to sign a pledge to protect its environment

Papahānaumokuākea : a marine sanctuary to protect Hawaii’s natural and cultural heritage

Meets Solomon Kaho’ohalahala, one of the guests of Island Voices that has travelled from Hawaii to Tahiti for this gathering. For many years, Solomon has campaigned in Hawaii to promote the creation of Papahānaumokuākea marine sanctuary, today one of the largest marine reserve in the world. In Hawaiian, Papahānaumokuākea translates to “where life originates from”. This is the name that was given to Hawaii’s North-West … Continue reading Papahānaumokuākea : a marine sanctuary to protect Hawaii’s natural and cultural heritage

Is it time for the Cook Islands to change its name?

What is in a name… Take the case of the Cook Islands. This Polynesian nation is an archipelago of 15 islands stuck between French Polynesia, Niue and American Samoa. It is inhabited by only 12 000 people. Its name comes from the British explorer James Cook. The official Cook Islands website says it was Russian sailors who popularized the usage of the Cook Islands name in … Continue reading Is it time for the Cook Islands to change its name?

Plasticity Fiji: Entrepreneurs looking for solutions to the plastic crisis

Plastic pollution is a bane to the Pacific nations. Some businesswomen and businessmen are mobilizing to try and end it through a conference named Pacific Plasticity. The plastic products we consume in our islands are hardly recycled and end up abandoned on our beaches or buried in our valleys. And our islands are some of the most impacted by the massive global plastic pollution dropped … Continue reading Plasticity Fiji: Entrepreneurs looking for solutions to the plastic crisis

New Zealand: Vote for your bird of the year!

It is time for Bird of the Year 2018! Voting opens at 9 am on Monday 1 October and closes at 5 pm on Sunday 14 October. New Zealand’s unique native birds are in crisis. A third are at risk of becoming extinct if nothing is done to protect them. Their habitats have been destroyed and introduced mammalian predators kill their eggs, young birds, and even adults. … Continue reading New Zealand: Vote for your bird of the year!