Community Outreach Community Outreach Activities in FijiActivities in Fiji

Joeli VeitayakiJoeli VeitayakiUniversity of the South PacificUniversity of the South Pacific

veitayaki_j@usp.ac.fjveitayaki_j@usp.ac.fj

Importance of Community Importance of Community OutreachOutreach

• Management of resources is about managing Management of resources is about managing human beings and their activitieshuman beings and their activities

• Importance of ocean, coast and islands Importance of ocean, coast and islands resources not fully understoodresources not fully understood

• Capacity building is critical due to lack of Capacity building is critical due to lack of resources and the challenges to be addressedresources and the challenges to be addressed

• Community based initiatives are critical as Community based initiatives are critical as their impact people’s livestheir impact people’s lives

• Partnerships - sum of our collective effort is Partnerships - sum of our collective effort is more than sum of individual workmore than sum of individual work

• Activities to articulate sustainable use of Activities to articulate sustainable use of ocean and island resources are required at all ocean and island resources are required at all levelslevels

Community Outreach Community Outreach ActivitiesActivities

• Chemistry Outreach to Schools (COTS)Chemistry Outreach to Schools (COTS)– Operated by Chemical Society of South Pacific Operated by Chemical Society of South Pacific – Organise open days and Science ClubsOrganise open days and Science Clubs– Produce booklets, video and postersProduce booklets, video and posters– Prepare students for seminar presentationsPrepare students for seminar presentations– Schools Cloud Observation Online (SCOOL) Schools Cloud Observation Online (SCOOL)

• Green Schools Fiji – Live and LearnGreen Schools Fiji – Live and Learn– Encourage teachers to provide sustainable Encourage teachers to provide sustainable

environment through educationenvironment through education– Promote local action to address environmental Promote local action to address environmental

deteriorationdeterioration• University of the South Pacific Student University of the South Pacific Student

Association and affiliates Association and affiliates – Organise community visits during semester breaksOrganise community visits during semester breaks– Assist with community development projects Assist with community development projects

Community Outreach Community Outreach ActivitiesActivities

• Ocean Future Society’s Sustainable Reefs Ocean Future Society’s Sustainable Reefs initiativeinitiative– promote culturally appropriate, multimedia promote culturally appropriate, multimedia

educational resources that show value of coral reefs educational resources that show value of coral reefs – show harmful human activitiesshow harmful human activities

• Collaboration in community development by Collaboration in community development by NGOs and education institutions NGOs and education institutions – WWF set up Fiji’s one and only MPAWWF set up Fiji’s one and only MPA– FSPI set up waste water treatment and Coral FSPI set up waste water treatment and Coral

GardensGardens– USP collaborate with communities to set up marine USP collaborate with communities to set up marine

reservesreserves– Coral Cay conduct coral reef monitoringCoral Cay conduct coral reef monitoring– Green Force assist with community developmentGreen Force assist with community development

Community Outreach Community Outreach ActivitiesActivities

• Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network – Fiji Locally Managed Marine Area Network – established community managed marine areas established community managed marine areas

• IOI-PI’s Women and Sea initiative IOI-PI’s Women and Sea initiative – assist with alternative sources of livelihood for assist with alternative sources of livelihood for

coastal communitiescoastal communities– support development of women and youth support development of women and youth

(workshops on leadership, project planning, (workshops on leadership, project planning, compost toilet, smokeless stoves)compost toilet, smokeless stoves)

– assist alternative sources of livelihood that include assist alternative sources of livelihood that include cattle farming, recording of music, mat marketing, cattle farming, recording of music, mat marketing, bee keeping, copra purchase, benzene outlet, bee keeping, copra purchase, benzene outlet, outboard punts outboard punts

• IOI-PI assist women activities in Samoa IOI-PI assist women activities in Samoa (workshop on MDG), Solomon Islands (women (workshop on MDG), Solomon Islands (women souvenir outlet, Vanuatu (micro finance)souvenir outlet, Vanuatu (micro finance)

Future of Community OutreachFuture of Community Outreach

• Community development is criticalCommunity development is critical

• Awareness has been created sufficientlyAwareness has been created sufficiently

• Action is being undertaken but more is Action is being undertaken but more is required at all levelsrequired at all levels

• Financial support is requiredFinancial support is required

• Mindful of failuresMindful of failures

• Partnership is more effectivePartnership is more effective

• Use of school and university students has Use of school and university students has huge potentialhuge potential

• Youths need to be engaged for future is theirsYouths need to be engaged for future is theirs