A traditional canoe carrying young Pacific activists sailed into Honiara this week, bringing a call for climate justice, peace and ocean protection as leaders gathered for the Pacific Islands Forum. The voyage was timed to coincide with the opening of the regional summit on Monday, Sept. 8.
A young Anglican woman from Polynesia, 20-year-old Kakala Tevi of Tongan and Fijian heritage, has joined other young people on the sailing mission to underline contemporary issues of importance to her generation, Anglican Communion News Service (ACNS) reported. She represents the “next generation of Pacific leaders and guardians of the ocean” and traveled aboard the Uto ni Yalo, a traditional vaka vessel, to advocate for climate justice, peace and the protection of creation.
“As one of the young crew onboard, I’m eager to learn from all of the older and more mature sailors … I can’t wait to be out at sea,” Tevi said in a video message before the vaka departed from Suva, Fiji, bound for the Solomon Islands.
The forum brings leaders from the wider region together to discuss issues and challenges of concern, with a view to agreeing shared goals. The young people on board the vessel heading to the meeting hope “to amplify the voices of Pacific youth, calling on leaders to act as true guardians of the ocean and to take this message beyond the region to the world,” according to the ACNS.
Founded in 1971, the PIFLM involves 18 members from Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, French Polynesia, Kiribati, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of Marshall Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, and Vanuatu.
The PIFLM vision is for “a resilient Pacific region of peace, harmony, security, social inclusion and prosperity, that ensures all Pacific peoples can lead free, healthy and productive lives.”
The Uto ni Yalo will sail in solidarity alongside a traditional Taumako Te Puke canoe upon reaching Temotu, honoring Solomon Islands’ historic navigation heritage and supporting the Motalava Treaty for maritime boundaries.
It is the second time Pacific voyagers have attended the forum by traditional canoe and “like the journey last year, it serves as a symbol of Pacific prosperity and unity, embracing the ancestral roots and traditional knowledge in addressing modern environmental challenges,” reported the ACNS.
The voyage carries key Pacific messages for Forum Leaders, listed by the ACNS as “the call for a fossil fuel free Pacific, the recognition of the Pacific as an Ocean of Peace, and the affirmation of Indigenous guardianship and traditional knowledge in addressing today’s environmental challenges.”
The Most Rev. Sione Uluilakepa, Archbishop and Primate of the Anglican Church in Aotearoa, New Zealand and Polynesia, led a blessing ceremony for the voyage before it left, invoking God’s protection and guidance upon the vaka and crew.
“This vaka carries with it not only the hopes of its crew but also the prayers of our Pacific peoples,” said Archbishop Sione at the ceremony.
“We are reminded by the psalmist that those who sail the seas witness the wonders of God’s creation, and they are called to give thanks for His steadfast love. May this voyage be a testimony of faith, of unity across our ocean, and of our shared responsibility to safeguard creation.”
Climate Change Commissioner for the Anglican Church of Aotearoa New Zealand and Polynesia, Fe’iloakitau Kaho Tevi, also spoke about the significance of the voyage.
“As we prepare to set sail on the Wansolwara Voyage, we are reminded that the ocean is not just our highway or our source of food—it is the heart of our identity and our survival. This voyage is a moving prayer, carrying the hopes of a generation who refuse to accept a polluted, dying ocean as their inheritance. Our message is clear: we must end plastic pollution, reject destructive practices like deep-sea mining, and act with courage to protect the blue Pacific for generations to come.”
The Anglican Diocese of Polynesia is a “proud partner” of the Pasifiki Voyaging Alliance and “joins with communities across Oceania in prayer for the safe passage of the crew, the strength of their testimony, and the success of the Wansolwara Voyage,” according to the ACNS.
