Your voice will be heard- opening message at inaugural Pacific

By Gustava Esther Pavihi

Thursday 7th August, 2025, Taumeasina– More than twenty young people from across the Pacific are in Samoa this week for the first Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage with the theme ‘Providing our Pacific youth with the safe space to navigate our Pacific future”.

Pastor Junior Gaia of the SDA Church delivered a poignant message to start the two day dialogue calling on young people to “Be the Noahs of our time’’ a biblical story familiar to every Pacific island child. Through this message, Pastor Gaia encouraged the participants to not just be informed, but to transform because climate change is a present emergency and it touches every facet of our daily lives from language and culture, to mental health.

In her opening remarks, SPREP Climate Change Director, Ms Tagaloa Cooper promised the young delegates “Your voice will be heard”, a message that was well received by the participants.

Charlotte Magatogia from Niue said “I think that the message that came out today is that our opinion and our thoughts going forward are valued by those in leadership currently and it really does again reflect the assurance that we will be heard and change will be made and things that we want to see in place, and solutions that will help shape our future and relevant to our island realities”

Japheth James Gai from Papua New Guinea said “This is the voice of the Pacific, not only in our local community level but basically going international, the youth voice as a collaborative voice for the Pacific islands and what we can bring to the international stage. And tell them that the Pacific, we are not only small nations, we are a collaborative and powerful voice as well”

Pacific island cultures and traditions are at stake says Kenley Kenneth “It is very important that young people are aware of just how important loss and damage is, not only for the Pacific region but in a global scale as well. Loss and damage refers to the economic and non economic loss which refers not only to economic livelihood but our cultures and traditions at stake”

At the end of discussions tomorrow, the youth delegates will select representatives to deliver any outcomes positions or messages from the youth dialogue to the first Regional Dialogue on Loss and Damage and the Pacific Climate Change Roundtable next week.—ENDS

This report has been generated as part of a Pacific media news partnership with SPREP Pacific Youth Dialogue on Loss and Damage, on 7-8 August, at Taumeasina, Samoa