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The Pacific Budget package this year has a strong focus on young people - with funds going towards education, job opportunities and a push to promote Pasifika languages.
Up to $51 million has been announced for targeted initiatives set to support Pacific communities around the country over the next four years.
The fight to keep Pacific languages alive
Among the projects is $13.3m to implement the Pacific Languages Strategy which includes $9.2m for Pacific media entities to deliver Pasifika language programming.
The rest of that funding ($4.1m) will go to the establishment of an online hub and public information campaign to create a new platform for Pacific language learners and speakers.
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds. Photo / Mark Mitchell
Minister for Pacific Peoples Barbara Edmonds said the package of initiatives is focused on getting “the basics right” and also about promoting cultural connections.
“These new initiatives will provide community-led employment and training courses, internships, business support and Pacific language programmes to help promote well-being and prosperity within Pacific communities.
“We know that young Pacific people who are strong in their language and culture, are more likely to succeed in education, secure higher paying jobs, build greater personal resilience, and contribute greatly to their wider community.”
Pacific Cooperation Foundation executive director, David Vaeafe, said in the wider scheme of things, this was an important investment; given a number of Pacific languages are in danger of being lost.
“You lose a language, you lose a culture,” he said.
“A lot of the small island states - their languages are vulnerable. Their people move offshore for a better life. Then you look at that aspect of climate change and what’s happening to those low-lying states and atolls, well...
“When you look at it from the development aspect, it’s part of that aid development - ensuring that the culture lives and doesn’t become history in a textbook.”
Jorja Ahio (front) leads a Samoan action song. Celebrating Samoan Language Week at Born and Raised Pasifika Early Childhood Centre in Aramoho, 2018. Photo / Stuart Munro
UNESCO has classified several languages in the Pacific region as being vulnerable or endangered. They include Tokelauan, Tuvaluan, Cook Islands Māori and Rotuman.
Last week, Rotuman Language Week kicked off the first of the Pacific Language Weeks in Aotearoa - an initiative by the Ministry for Pacific Peoples.
Other key investments include $14.1m going towards the introduction of a Pacific Community Wellbeing and Resilience Fund.
The aim for that is to strengthen the capability and leadership of the Pasifika workforce through targeted programmes and tools.
Supporting the Pasifika workforce and early childhood
Up to $12.8m will go to implementing another project dubbed the Pacific Employment Action Plan; which will be divided in three ways:
A total of $2.6m going to a Tupu Tai summer internship programme supporting young Pasifika to gain policy experience in the public sector, $9.3m goes to a contestable fund for community-led employment and training initiatives and $857,000 will be put aside for workers’ toolkits.
A total of $3.1m will go towards supporting Pacific businesses; while $1.7m has been put aside for initiatives to enhance Pacific data and digital inclusion efforts and a Pacific data equity work programme for one year.
Another $1m will be invested in the Tupu Aotearoa Programme - for one year - to enhance employment and education pathways for young Pasifika.
Edmonds also announced a separate $5m that will specifically go towards supporting Pacific Early Childhood Education.
Edmonds emphasised the importance of upholding Pacific languages and cultures in New Zealand; as that sense of identity led to success among the Pacific community.
“This Budget supports Pacific peoples of all ages, in all sectors, and will see our communities thriving in Aotearoa New Zealand.”
