Pacific People Advancing Change

Human rights issues, which cut across all levels of society and spheres of life, cannot be addressed by any single agency, but instead require a multi-level and pluralistic effort. This also demands multiple talents and knowledge, contributed not only by SPC, but also by all the stakeholders with which we work. Civil Society Organisations (CSOs), in particular, often have unique reach, access and proximity to communities, and can amplify local perspectives and priorities. Many CSOs also represent specific segments of the population such as women, youth, or people with disabilities, who often otherwise lack platforms in formal decision-making structures, and whose perspectives and interests are often otherwise overlooked.

The Pacific People Advancing Change (PPAC) programme aims to build advocacy capacity among Pacific Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) engaged with human rights issues, while also advancing those issues by supporting specific campaigns. It does this through a package of assistance that includes advocacy training workshops, ongoing mentoring, provision of small grants, and facilitating regional dialogue and exchange for advocates. The programme also produces learning materials for use in the advocacy training, and by partner organisations. Funding comes from the Swedish Government through SIDA and the United States Agency for International Development(USAID)

PPAC currently supports CSOs in seven Pacific Island Countries – the Federated States of Micronesia, Kiribati , Republic of the Marshall Islands, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu. PPAC-supported CSOs and coalitions campaign on a wide variety of issues which includes gender equality and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, rights and social inclusion for people with disabilities, social security for informal sector workers and senior citizens, protection and inclusion for the LGBTQI+ community, climate change adaption, food security, environmental waste management, and sexual and reproductive health and rights.

Current PPAC recipients

Phase Four recipients: The following 52 organisations have received funding to develop their human rights advocacy campaigns in 2021-2022.

Country:		Organization:	Campaign:
Kiribati	1	Kiribati Women and Children Support Centre	Establish a women’s NGO coalition and advocate for the national implementation of CEDAW.
Kiribati	2	Kiribati Women in Maritime Association	Strengthen gender mainstreaming in the national maritime sector.
Federated State of Micronesia	3.	Care Micronesia	Campaign to increase the minimum wage in Pohnpei state.
	4	Chuuk Kich Able United	Progress toward passage of disability accessibility legislation in Chuuk state.
	5	Enimwahn Development Association	Economic empowerment initiatives and FPA awareness for women and men in Madolehnimw municipal government
	6	Kosrae Special Parents Network	Lobby for passage of Kosrae Disability Act.
	7	Micronesian Productions	Campaign to include informal sector workers in the social security system.
	8	Madolehnimw Section 2 Food Security Project	Develop Food Security Plan for Madolehnimw Section 2 Community.
	9	U Corona Volunteers	Increase local COVID-19 vaccination rate through awareness and advocacy.
	10	Nett Indigenous Women’s Council	Campaign to formally establish Netts Senior Citizen Association and recognized women’s participation in Nett’s Municipal council.
	11	Sunset Market Project	Develop an inclusive food security policy and empower communities with local agriculture.
	12	Utwe Women’s Organisation	Advocate for Kosrae legislation to advance gender equality and social inclusion.
	13	Utwe Youth Group	Develop a strategic development plan to foster youth participation in decision-making in Kosrae.
Republic of Marshall Islands	14	Deaf Flourish	Advocate for better national enforcement of existing disability laws and policies.
	15	Jo Jikum	Promote gender equality and environmental messages through sports and clean-up activities.
	16	Marshall Islands Conservation Association	Amend the Plastic Products Ban Act to include currently excluded harmful plastics.
Solomon Islands	17	Ahetaha Water Conservation Association	Conduct gender-sensitive WASH awareness and activities in Malaita.
	18	Auki Market Vendors Association	Safe and healthy environment for Auki market vendors through better waste management.
	19	Auki Urban Disability Community Alliance	Establish PWD savings clubs in eight Malaita Communities.
	20	Dreamcast Theatre	Media campaign on cyberbullying and ending homelessness in Honiara.
	21	Family Support Centre	Amend Guadalcanal by-laws to reflect Family Protection Act principles and EVAWG issues.
	22	Fiu Youth Outreach	Youth empowerment and diversion through agriculture and climate change resilience.
	23	Literacy Association Solomon Islands	Conduct literacy training and awareness in five communities.
	24	Malaita Provincial Council of Women	Secure stakeholder MOUs on EVAWG in two Malaita wards, improve ward council response and establish safehouse for survivors.
	25	Sirubai Voku Tribe Association	Train women as rangers and campaign for their inclusion in conservation management.
	26	Solomon Islands Environmental Law Association	Campaign to train rangers on enforcing environmental laws.
	27	Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association – Auki	Young people claim their sexual and reproductive health rights in Malaita.
	28	Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association – Honiara	Empower girls in Guadalcanal to access sexual and reproductive health services.
	29	Stages of Change	Improve VAWG incidence reporting and local response in three Honiara communities.
	30	Transparency Solomon Islands	Conduct Youth Democracy Camps to prepare future leaders for increased transparency.
	31	Waihau Conservation	Strengthen youth resilience through transmission of traditional knowledge, linking to human and cultural rights.
	31	West Are’Are Rokotanikeni Association	Resolve issues affecting women in the land tenure system in dialogue with West Are’Are leaders.
	33	Women’s Rights Action Movement	Campaign for Temporary Special Measures for women’s representation in the Provincial Government Act.
Tonga	34	Ma’a Fafine Mo E Famili Inc.	Campaign to influence church leaders, town officers and parliamentarians on CEDAW ratification.
	35	Seleka Youth	Enlarging space and freedom of expression for Tongan youth through art.
	36	Tonga Letis Association	Lobbying for changes to the Criminal Offences Act to the protect SOGIE rights.
	37	Tonga National Centre for Women and Children	Campaign for gender equality, reducing VAW and improving political participation for Eua women.
Tuvalu	38	Akanda Alliance	Establish and register as Tuvalu’s first official LGBTQI+ organisation.
Tuvalu	39	Tuvalu Family Health Association	Conduct school outreach and raise awareness of sexual and reproductive health rights.
Vanuatu	40	Anglican Church of Melanesia	Train and empower youth in Santo as EVAWG advocates.
	41	Apostolic Christian Fellowship	Establish a gender policy for the Apostolic Church.
	42	Centenary Presbyterian Women’s Mission Union	Raise awareness among members on DV, human rights and services available to women and girls.
	43	Havana Tasi Vanua Environment and Climate Action Network	Establish an environment management plan for nine communities in Northwest Efate.
	44	Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance	Campaign for government endorsement of Deep-Sea Mining Ban Declaration.
	45	Sunflower Association for Women and Girls with Disabilities	Empower women and girls with disabilities with life skills training and combat community stigma through targeted awareness.
	46	Tongoa Shepherds Women’s Association	Produce local language mental health resources in the context of Covid-19 lockdowns and restrictions.
	47	Transparency International Vanuatu	Campaign to increase public access and use of Right to Information services.
	48	Vanmel Community Association	Develop climate change adaptation plan covering wider Vanmel Community area.
	49	Vanuatu Christian Council	Disseminate Biblical messaging on human rights, gender equality and COVID-19 to all provinces.
	50.	Vanuatu Internet Governance Forum	Campaign to enable women and girls to report online abuse.
	51	V-Pride	LGBTIQ+ rights mainstreaming with Vanuatu police and nursing recruits.
	52	Youth Challenge Vanuatu	Empower youth to be aware of and claim their labour rights in Santo and Port Vila.

Phase Two recipients: The following 37 organisations have received funding to develop their human rights advocacy campaigns in 2019-2020.

Country		Location	Organisation
Vanuatu	1	Port Vila	Nakororiki Park Association
	2	Port Vila	Tongoa Shepherds Women’s Association
	3	Port Vila	Vatu Mauri Consortium
	4	Port Vila	Ntalpuk Ning Epang Faum Association
	5	Port Vila	V-Pride Foundation
	6	Port Vila	Vanuatu Christian Council
	7	Port Vila	Vanuatu Widows Association
	8	Luganville	Vanuatu Disability Promotion & Advocacy
	9	Luganville	Vanuatu Agricultural College
Solomon Islands	10	Honiara	Family Support Centre
	11	Honiara	Literacy Association Solomon Islands
	12	Honiara	Vois Blong Mere Solomon Islands
	13	Honiara	Ahetaha Water Conservation Society
	14	Honiara	Wai Hau Conservation Foundation
	15	Honiara	West Are-Are Rokotanikeni Association
	16	Honiara	Transparency Solomon Islands
	17	Honiara	Dreamcast Theatre
	18	Honiara	Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood Association
	19	Auki	Auki Urban Disability Community Alliance
	20	Auki	Malaita Provincial Council of Women
	21	Auki	Auki Market Vendors Association
	22	Auki	Malaita Christian Care Centre
	23	Auki	Malaita Women in Business Association
	24	Auki	Auki Planned Parenthood Association
FSM	25	Chuuk	Chuuk Conservation Society
	26	Chuuk	Chuuk Kich Able United
	27	Pohnpei	Care Micronesia Foundation
	28	Pohnpei	Enimwahn Development Association
	29	Pohnpei	Micronesian Productions
	30	Pohnpei	Youth4Change
RMI	31	Majuro	Marshall Islands Conservation Society
	32	Majuro	Jo Jikum
	33	Majuro	KIJLE
Tonga	34	Tongatapu	Tonga National Centre for Women and Children
	35	Tongatapu	Seleka Youth
	36	Tongatapu	Tonga Leitis Association
	37	Tongatapu	Tonga Community Development Trust

Resources

Pacific Style Advocacy

Sustaining Campaign Coalitions

Small grant scheme phase 2020-2021 Achievements

The Pacific People Advancing Change (PPAC) programme aims to build advocacy capacity among Pacific Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) engaged with human rights and social development issues. The issues covered vary greatly and include gender equality and Ending Violence Against Women and Girls, rights and social inclusion for people with disabilities, social security for informal sector workers and senior citizens, protection and inclusion for the LGBTQI+ community, climate change adaption, food security, environmental waste management, and sexual and reproductive health and rights. PPAC supports specific campaigns through packages of assistance that include advocacy training workshops, ongoing mentoring, provision of small grants, and facilitating regional dialogue and exchange for advocates. The programme also produces learning materials for use in the advocacy training, and by partner organisations.

In 2020-2021, 37 small grants of 8000 EUR each were issued across five Pacific Island Countries[1]. Of these, 26 campaigns fully achieved their objectives, and ten registered significant progress toward their goals.

2020-2021 highlights:

FSM:

Care Micronesia raised public awareness on Age of Consent legislation passed in the previous campaign, and secured commitments from the courts and churches to deny underage marriages.
Micronesian Productions established a municipal senior citizen association and gained congressional support for legislation to enable senior citizens to access social security at the age of 65.

Solomon Islands:

Family Support Centre successfully influenced the Moli Ward Chief Council in Guadalcanal to incorporate the principles the of Family Protection Act of 2014 into existing local ordinances to protect women and family members from domestic violence.

Moli ward by law reviewed.

Auki Market Vendors Association successfully influenced the provincial government to provide rubbish collection services; Ambu ward incorporated safe waste management provisions in ward ordinance.

Malaita provincial government extending rubbish collection services to remote areas.

Ahetaha Water Conservation Association trained women on eight local WASH committees.
Auki Urban Disability Community Alliance designed and secured approval for a disability-friendly water and sanitation tank for use in Malaita.
Solomon Islands Planned Parenthood (SIPPA) secured commitment from the Ministry of Home Affairs to progress the amendment of the Islanders Marriage Act; SIPPA Auki took pledges from 50 community leaders to support SRHR services.
Stages of Change established GBV committees and referral links in three Honiara communities.
West Are’Are Rokotanikeni Association held a Land Summit which yielded important recommendations for women’s access and ownership.
Solomon Islands Environmental Law Association trained 46 rangers and 52 conservation members on a rights-based approach.
Women’s Rights Action Movement contributed to a Cabinet Paper to include TSM in provincial government elections.

Tonga:

Tonga Leitis Association in partnership with the Ministry of Justice and Police successfully developed a referral system to strengthen inclusive data collection and reporting of discriminatory practices against the LGBTIQI+ community.
Ma’a Fafine mo Famili Inc. established a network of church leaders and government officials to hold dialogues to advance CEDAW ratification.
Tonga National Centre for Women and Children secured pledges from chiefs, church leaders and district officers in four communities to work to end violence against women and girls.

Republic of Marshall Islands:

Jo Jikum obtained support from the Government and installed trash receptacles in three main parks[2] in Majuro to reduce littering and ensure a healthy environment.

Trash receptacles installed at Airport Park in Majuro.

Marshall Islands Conservation Society received support from the Nitijela’s legal counsel and Marshall Islands Mayors’ Association to amend the 2017 Styrofoam and Plastics Ban to include single-use plastic straws and cutlery. Further, three local business houses[3] in Majuro now using alternative products that reduce single use plastic waste.

Tide restaurant now using paper straws

Vanuatu:

Vanuatu Disability Promotion and Advocacy influenced the provincial government to review its building code and incorporated social inclusion principles. As a result, three new public buildings in Lugainville constructed ramps to ensure reasonable accommodation for people with mobility impairments.
SISTA secured a commitment from the Vanuatu Law Reform Commission to organise nationwide consultations and facilitate the reform process of the Maintenance of Children Act.
Tongoa Shepherds Women’s Association trained people in five Port Vila communities on mental health and providing psycho-social support.

[1] Federated State of Micronesia, Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Republic of Marshall Islands.

[2] Katoj, Airport and Peace Park

[3] Tide Table Restaurant, Wellness Center, Lazy J’s and Jittak Likatu Bar and Restaurant.