[pima.nius] Letter to Pacific Island artists

 

Kia Orana All

 

We have agreed to pass This letter on to you  because this is an issue that we know many of you will have concerns about, however, please be aware that Tautai is not involved with any ongoing arrangements and all inquiries should be directed to Susi Newborn, a Climate Change Campaigner for Oxfam susi.newborn@oxfam.org.nz

 

Kia Manuia

 

Nooroa Tapuni

 

 

 

 

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Dear Pacific Island artist

 

 

As you are probably aware, 2009 is a crucial year for this planet.  It is the make or break year in terms of guaranteeing a safe and equitable future of the planet.  Unless we tackle climate change immediately, global poverty and injustice are set to deepen with catastrophic effects around the world.

 

In our own backyard, people of the Pacific Islands face the grave threat of displacement and increasing poverty, despite being amongst the lowest carbon emitters.  You have probably heard about what is happening now in the Carteret Islands, where ancestral homelands are disappearing, their islands swamped by seawater making them uninhabitable.  Even a small rise in global temperature results in significant human costs, millions of people exposed to coastal flooding, up to 40% of species facing extinction, millions and millions exposed to malaria, water shortages and hunger.  Just last week the Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) called for global temperatures to be limited to well below 1.5°C and for emissions to reduce by more than 40% of 1990 levels by 2020.  At the moment, scientific predictions put global temperatures as rising well above this.

 

We would like to invite you to participate in an exhibition "Voices of the Vulnerable:  Pacific Artists speak out about Climate Change" which we want to hold towards the end of (September/October) to coincide with one of the global days of climate change action in the lead up to the conference in Copenhagen and/or a Pacific speakers tour and climate hearings we are organising.   As artists from the Pacific you are peoples of the lands that are being affected first and worst by climate change.  We wish to ensure that the voices of the vulnerable are heard loudly and clearly along the road to Copenhagen – those who contributed the least to climate change because of substantial traditional livelihoods and lifestyles are the ones who are heavily impacted by it.

 

I would envisage auctioning off the paintings and giving the proceeds to indigenous NGOs in the region working on climate change issues.

 

Perhaps you could let me know by e-mail if this is something with which you would like to be involved.  It would possibly mean producing 1 or 2 artworks by a certain date on the climate change theme.  Before this, however, I would invite all participating artists to a hui to discuss the exhibition in greater detail.  I do hope you will seriously consider participating, not just for the sake of your communities back home, but also to give a message to the New Zealand government that Pasifika communities in Aotearoa/New Zealand want him to take urgent, fair and strong action on climate change.

 

For a user-friendly report on climate change, please have a look at this document below published for the indigenous summit on climate change which is taking place at the moment.  Below is a link to a report which focuses on climate change in the Pacific.  Oxfam will be producing its own report on climate change and the Pacific towards the end of the year. 

 

For additional information, please go to our website www.oxfam.org.nz

 

http://www.indigenoussummit.com/servlet/content/introduction.html

http://www.csiro.au/resources/pfkd.htm

 

Do not hesitate to contact me if you wish to discuss this further

 

With very grateful thanks

 

Susi

 

Susi Newborn

Climate Change Campaigner      

(Maternity Leave Cover)

Oxfam New Zealand

susi.newborn@oxfam.org.nz

Tel:  64 9 355-6852

Fax: 64 9 355 6505

Mob: 027 3234030

www.oxfam.org.nz

 

 

 

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pacific islands media association
pima.nius@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
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