Industry Expert Series
The Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub (TNQDRIH) has engaged with two leading industry experts Professor Roger Stone and Bob Shepherd to build a series of v...
First Keynote for Day Two of the CASE HDR Conference Dr Ann Lawless presents “Bridge Building for Social Scientists… https://t.co/G82tMOfC6K
10:20 AM Nov 25thSara Mohamed, PhD Candidate in Session Three - Perspectives from across the environment, presents “Rifts & Reconnec… https://t.co/vRXATQf6EX
04:39 PM Nov 24thPhD Candidate Nita Alexander in Session Three - Perspectives from across the environment, presents “(In)Action: Har… https://t.co/ec2rBGbBT6
04:06 PM Nov 24thMPhil Candidate Ellie Bock opening Session Three - Perspectives from across the environment by presenting “Biocultu… https://t.co/ehwtclWmTm
03:49 PM Nov 24thPhD Candidate Elizabeth Smyth finalizing Session Two - Beyond Language, Identity and Narratives by presenting “Writ… https://t.co/SvTg2K4hER
02:59 PM Nov 24thPhD Candidate Dom Orih finalizing Session One ‘Navigating Wellbeing’ theme by presenting “The feasibility of the Fa… https://t.co/D3VXkvujkn
01:09 PM Nov 24thPhD Candidate Rebekah Lisciandro kicks off Session One ‘Navigating Wellbeing’ by presenting “The Unbalanced Researc… https://t.co/kGANHi7kR9
11:49 AM Nov 24thToday!!! To register for this event, please use the link https://t.co/VAQqetiVTL All welcome #coralspawning #abctv… https://t.co/iSap7R1xp3
08:55 AM Nov 17thScan the QR to reserve your seat or use the link https://t.co/fub2HCWYKX https://t.co/zvYOOOla1Y
11:01 AM Nov 11thDr Musliharti presenting today in D3.063 - 1500h AEDT https://t.co/SgsY6x6TxT
02:00 PM Nov 10thTuvalu is the smallest Pacific Island state, with a population of less than 13,000 people, predominantly Polynesian, located to the north of Fiji and immediately south of Kiribati. The former British colony is a series of nine coral atolls, of which eight are inhabited. None is more than 1.5 metres above sea level. Consequently, Tuvalu is extremely vulnerable to rising sea levels.
Cairns Institute Post Graduate Fellow Betsy Misiaga is a Tuvaluan student working on a Masters in Global Development degree to help her home country, supported by Cairns Institute Director, Distinguished Professor Stewart Lockie, and Adjunct Research Fellow, Simon Towle. While her project Toku Fenua Tuvalu has been disrupted by COVID-19, Betsy has been able to maintain relationships with the Tuvalu government via Zoom, partnering with the Queensland Children’s Health Good Start program to produce a resource for schools in the Tuvaluan language.
Toku Fenua Tuvalu is a community-led project founded on three research themes; Olaga lei - Health, Tuu Mo aganu – Culture and education and Atufenua – Environment. The main outcomes of the research will result from collaborations with the people of Tuvalu in a climate adaptation project designed to improve health and nutrition, preserve culture, raise awareness of climate change, and improve environmental management. An important component of the project is to provide mentoring to empower young Tuvalu (and other Pacific Island leaders) to assist them to make informed decisions to better prepare for an uncertain future.
Olaga Lei - the health and nutrition component of the project – is designed to reduce the incidence of non-communicable diseases such as diabetes and cardiac issues. It will also focus on healthy children and healthy families, and will involve developing culturally appropriate resources in language. The project uses traditional Tuvaluan motifs, such as Pulaka the taro leaf, which will feature in a guide to healthy eating, health and physical activity, and diabetes management.
Atufenua - the environmental theme - incorporates a focus on waste management, addressing the issue with a zero-waste philosophy, re-purposing waste material wherever possible, and seeking low cost solutions and better policy outcomes wherever possible.
Education and Culture - Tuu mo Aganu – comprise the third element of the project, embracing a culturally appropriate health and nutrition framework, the Leadership Program for young people, and strengthening, recording and preserving cultural heritage.
Toku Fenua Tuvalu is a long-term project designed to assist the island nation’s leaders to prepare for a cultural transition to new homes in response to rising sea levels, while enhancing health and environmental literacy and numeracy in the meantime.
Another important feature of Toku Fenua Tuvalu involves strengthening relationships between the people living on Tuvalu and the diaspora of Tuvaluan communities living in Australia and New Zealand. The aim is to raise the profile of Pacific Island issues in Australia and New Zealand. It is a long-term project that will involve collaborations with many partner organisations. Future collaborations will likely include CSIRO, the New Zealand Government, International and Pacific NGOs, Pacific universities and agencies, such as the South Pacific Regional Environment Program (SPREP).
Toku Fenua Tuvalu will involve a series of collaborations with the Tuvalu Government, Queensland Health (in the development of Olaga Lei resources in Tuvalu language), The Cairns Institute and JCU Connect.
Due to COVID-19 travel restrictions, Betsy is currently exploring the possibility of trialling a pilot Toku Fenua project in the Torres Strait, which also has issues with rising sea levels. As with the Tuvalu proposal, this would be a community-led project in three Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander groups with resources in local languages. Potentially this project could include Thursday Island and inner Torres Strait islands with resources in Kaurareg language, Badu Island in the western Torres Strait with resources in Kala Lagaw Ya, and Murray Island with materials produced in the Meriam Mir language.
The Toku Fenua Tuvalu project is still in its planning phase and we are seeking funding; detailed funding proposal is currently being prepared, and if successful, the pilot project could commence early in 2021.
Images are courtesy Matt Howard (Betsy in traditional dress) and Venu Pedro (photos from Tuvalu)
The Tropical North Queensland Drought Resilience and Innovation Hub (TNQDRIH) has engaged with two leading industry experts Professor Roger Stone and Bob Shepherd to build a series of v...
Young people are frequently relegated to a state of waiting; expected to passively absorb and learn an adult culture that actively damages the earth. Governments persist in relying on h...
The TNQ Drought Hub, Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise (SATSIE) program are pleased to partner with the Western Cape Chamber of Commerce, Aurukun Shire Counci...
James Cook University Associate Professor and The Cairns Institute Fellow Robyn Glade-Wright is passionate about climate change and seeks to communicate with the greater public about en...
The Oceania region has an incredible array of ecosystems and biocultural diversity along with many threats to those. Safeguarding and effectively managing such ecosystems and the liveli...
Tyá Dynevor is a proud Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander mixed-race woman; born on Dharawal Country, Campbelltown, Greater Western Sydney but had grown up between Darwin, Larrakia&nb...
Ellie Bock has been awarded a Masters degree after completing her Master of Philosophy (Society and Culture). Ellie’s primary advisor was Professor Allan Dale and her secondary advisor...
Allan Dale heads the TNQ Drought Hub team that sits within The Cairns Institute and delivers the Sustainable Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Enterprise (SATSIE) program. The SATSIE&nbs...
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