Pacific church leaders

PACIFIC church leaders gather in Suva, Fiji, this week to discuss issues affecting regional congregations.

Top of the agenda will be development models designed by international donor agencies and forced upon small island governments and their people.

On Saturday the leaders will have a closed session with their counterparts from churches in Australia and officials of Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade.

This is part of Australia’s increased engagement at community level, specifically with Pacific churches, as part of its regional Step Up initiative.

The Pacific Conference of Churches-organised annual event will also discuss educational development, climate change, increased violence in the community – particularly against women and children – and human rights abuse in West Papua.

Political self-determination in Bougainville, Kanaky (New Caledonia) and Maohi Nui (French Polynesia) will also be discussed.

Leaders from Pohnpei and the Federated States of Micronesia arrived early on Wednesday and they were joined by colleagues from the Cook Islands, Niue, Maohi Nui (French Polynesia), Samoa, Vanuatu along with a strong delegation from West Papua.

Delegates from Papua New Guinea, Tonga and the Solomon Islands are expected today with their counterparts from Fiji.