TAKE ACTION

Self-determination. Militarization. Poverty. Globalization. Climate Change. Corruption. Resistance. Beauty. There are lots of words, lots of issues, and lots of images that capture the Pacific. But what do they all mean? And how are we to respond?

Whether through trade or climate, the clothes and food we consume and produce, television, the internet, or the novels and magazines we read, we are connected to each other in ways unimaginable only a half century ago. You can probably see evidence of this everywhere in your life, from where your food is grown to where your clothes are made to the way you live and work. But being connected means that, for better or for worse, how we choose to act, or to not act has profound implications. How can one person make sense of all of this?

Get informed!

We need to think critically about globalization – that is, about our relationships as individuals, communities and entire nations with other citizens and nations in the world. We do that by asking questions, and by looking at things with a critical eye. We ask, how is this running shoe I'm about to buy connected to people in other places? Who made it? At what cost – environmentally and socially? How did it get here and who profits from its sale? Is it fair? Do I care? Can I do anything about it?

It means asking how this government that speaks in my name is acting on my behalf domestically and in the world. Do I know what it is doing? Do I agree with its aims? How is my government being accountable to me?

It means exploring our own assumptions about our personal needs and desires, and reflecting on the impacts of our energy use and consumption patterns on others. How does driving my car affect people halfway across the world – what is my role in contributing to climate change?

For close to three decades, Pacific Peoples’ Partnership has been helping Canadians and Pacific islanders to make these connections by promoting thought and action on these and other issues. To learn more, get informed. {link to PPP issues and resources section} is a list of issues and resources that we’ve pulled together that will give you a better sense of some of the critical development issues emerging in the Pacific.

To learn more about how you can take action on some of these, click on one of our Take Action Primers and get involved!