"Fakaave!" Pacific Climate Mobility: Impacted communities
Author Name
Pefi Kingi
Keywords
Fakaave, Climate change, Pacific
Abstract
"Fakaave!" means "Hurry Up!" At present there seems to be little movement of "fakaave" amongst the Pacific states and leadership who generally determine and direct strategic directions for Pacific courses of regional action and inaction. In 2017, Pacific civil society were quietly joyous when MP James Shaw (New Zealand Green Party) announced a humanitarian visa for 100 people from the Pacific affected by climate change. The piloted visa would have enabled affected Pacific communities facing rising sea levels, salt-water intrusion and other adverse effects impacts, to move to Aotearoa New Zealand. At the time, this world-first initiative was declined by the Pacific leaders; and now five years on, Pacific communities are floating at sea, like those floating devices that remain just buoyant, with captive buoyed people awaiting to be saved. This paper was nearly a watershed initiative pioneered for real people who needed humanitarian assistance. It did not come to pass, in its stead the Global Compact for Safe, Orderly and Regular Migration was negotiated towards adoption in 2018. “Fakaave!” will pick up the discussion and track how Pacific communities are faring now. What have been the gaps, issues and challenges; and further, what are the best protections and solutions going forward for the affected Pacific peoples?
Conference
4th International E-Conference “Migration, Governance, and Covid-19: Perspectives, Policies, Opportunities, and Challenges”