Yesterday, July 21, YCAPS celebrated Japan’s Marine Day by hosting Dr. Sabrina Suluai-Mahuka of the NGOs Finafinau and Right to Democracy to discuss about how youth in American Samoa are demonstrating leadership for climate change prevention and environmental protection.
Speaking about how her small organization of Finafinau started with just seven students around a table and grew into more than 100 young people, Dr. Suluai-Mahuka showcased the various projects Finafinau youth engaged in climate protection, including local political advocacy, trash clean-ups and monitoring, and anti-deep-sea mining rallies. She reminded audience members that youth need more than just information and empowerment to lead, they also need adults to mentor and make space for them. Given the challenges that climate change places on the next generation, especially on islands like those in American Samoa, youth leadership in this space is not just natural, it is vital.
During the Q&A portion of the webinar, Dr. Suluai-Mahuka linked the discussion to our previous Pacific Connect webinar on deep-sea mining. She explained how American Samoa youth have joined and led aspects of the territory’s fight against deep-sea mining, which has continued to go ahead despite local and international protests. She elaborated more on the environmental threats that and other climate-related issues pose to island communities. She also discussed the different ways that Finafinau youth are connected internationally to other youth movements, and the ways that youth have led adults—especially their parents—into their environmental protection projects.
The webinar closed with a hope that Finfinau could partner with like-minded organizations in Japan sometime in the future.
If you missed the webinar, you can catch the full discussion on our YouTube channel.