Content Library

News

Curated stories and analysis from islands and sustainability leaders worldwide.

Filter by Core Theme

All Themes Circular Economy Climate Action Connectivity & Digitization Culture & Community Energy & Transport Green Finance & Economy Ocean & Biodiversity Policy & Governance Tourism & Remote Work Water & Food

Showing 9 of 385 news items in Culture & Community

Culture & CommunityJune 3, 2025

Tonga urges Pacific to halt kava extracts, but Vanuatu and Fiji push back

Image credit: Courtesy of Islands Business. Source: [islandsbusiness.com](https://islandsbusiness.com/news-break/tonga-urges-pacific-to-halt-kava-extracts-but-vanuatu-and-fiji-push-backack/) A brewing debate has surfaced among Pacific Island nations over how best to protect and preserve the cultural and economic value of kava, the region’s cherished traditional crop. Tonga is calling on fellow [Pacific kava producers to follow its lead in restricting the export of kava for extraction](https://vbr.vu/news/tonga-urges-pacific-to-halt-kava-extracts-but-vanuatu-and-fiji-push-backack/)—a move that has sparked strong pushback from Vanuatu and Fiji, the region’s two largest kava exporters. Tonga’s position, grounded in concerns over cultural erosion and potential misuse of the traditional beverage, promotes the idea that kava should only be consumed in its traditional, drinkable form—not processed into extracts for capsules, powders, or supplements abroad.

Culture & CommunityJune 3, 2025

Multi-sector approach rooted in culture key to early childhood development: Mokoroa

Mokoroa shared this insight during the Pacific ECD Forum 2025 held in Samoa, where he joined Minister of Internal Affairs Vainetutai Rose Toki-Brown to present the Cook Islands’ national statement. The forum earlier this month gathered Pacific leaders and development partners to discuss the importance of nurturing children from birth to five years old.

Culture & CommunityMay 26, 2025

Life on Scottish island of just 40 residents is ‘built on community’

It’s 3pm on a Friday, and the village hall is humming with a special kind of energy. I’m stationed at the front door, a stamp in one hand and a raffle book in the other, welcoming day trippers, locals and overnight guests alike into our community space. The group that has just entered, I had spoken to them not 40 minutes beforehand, showing them to their rooms and beds within the island’s Bunkhouse and showing them where to find the recycling bins. And they quickly made their way here, to the heart of the village, to join us in a momentous celebration.

Culture & CommunityMay 26, 2025

‘A little downer’: Pine Island music program continues despite Hurricane Ian destroying all instruments

Gregory and Warren Van Kirk, who founded the Monday Music program more than 10 years ago, lost nearly everything when the hurricane hit. Not only did it flood from the bottom, it also rained through the top. So everything we thought would might be okay kind of got everything kind of got destroyed,” Gregory Van Kirk said. Despite the setback, the brothers remain determined to keep the program running for the Pine Island community. “We can make music with sticks and snapping and clapping, so that’s not gonna stop,” Warren Van Kirk said.

Culture & CommunityMay 20, 2025

‘Become a Māori again’: Rebuilding education the Cook Islands way

A significant national event dedicated to revitalising education through culture, language and identity took place this week, drawing over 100 participants each day from May 5 to 8, at the National Sports Arena in Nikao. Te Umeia Te Maro Kura – Rebuilding Our Future: Language, Culture, and Identity in Cook Islands Education, is the first symposium of its kind and a major collaboration between Te Maraurau o Te Pae Apii (Ministry of Education) and Te Ui Ariki Ngateitei O Te Kuki Airani (UANKA), an organisation formed under the House of Ariki. Launched on Monday, the symposium aimed to reshape the nation’s education system by embedding cultural heritage and innovation into teaching and learning practices. Under the guiding theme Ranga Ia Te Kōrero, the event dedicated to honouring traditional knowledge and reawakening community pride in local language and identity.

Culture & CommunityMay 13, 2025

SXM DOET 2025 invites community to volunteer for island-wide projects

Image source: The Daily Herald, [thedailyherald.sx](https://www.thedailyherald.sx/images/2025/05/05/page6a238_large.jpg) The 2025 projects range from environmental clean-ups and school improvements to support programs for seniors, people with disabilities, underserved communities, and youth. PHILIPSBURG–SXM DOET is calling on the community to keep the spirit of unity alive by volunteering for the island’s largest annual volunteer initiative. Scheduled for May 16 and 17, SXM DOET 2025 invites individuals, families, businesses, and organisations to join hands and contribute to meaningful projects that support a stronger, more connected St. Maarten. Funded by the Oranje Fonds and the Be the Change Foundation, SXM DOET continues to serve as a powerful platform for civic engagement. Each year, the initiative mobilizes hundreds of volunteers to take part in a wide range of community projects organised by local NGOs and civic groups.

Culture & CommunityMay 13, 2025

The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) immersion to boost local innovation, livelihood in Sibuyan Island

Photo credit: Image from [Philippine Information Agency](https://pia.gov.ph/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/DOST-leads-immersion-activity-to-boost-local-innovation-livelihood-in-Sibuyan-Island-1024x768.jpg) ODIONGAN, Romblon (PIA) — The Department of Science and Technology (DOST) held an immersion activity in Barangay Danao, Cajidiocan, Romblon, to support local innovation and strengthen the livelihood of communities through science and technology. The Romblon DOST Evaluation Team visited the area to observe various local products, including tiger grass brooms, traditional delicacies like “balatsaw” and “pinais,” handmade egg noodles, and semi-precious stones crafted by local artisans. Dr. Randy Nobleza from Marinduque, a member of the evaluation team, noted that some of the featured food items are relevant to the celebration of Filipino Food Heritage Month.

Culture & CommunityMay 13, 2025

Man who runs business on remote Scottish island wants to give it away for free

Photo by Julian Paren/Geograph, via The Independent ([independent.co.uk](https://static.independent.co.uk/2025/05/06/13/36/geograph-7809558-by-Julian-Paren.jpeg?quality=75&width=1368&crop=3%3A2%2Csmart&trim=47%2C0%2C86%2C0&auto=webp)) A small business owner on a remote Scottish island has spent years building his enterprise – but now he wants to give it all away for free. Richard Irvine founded and runs the Colonsay Smokery in the Inner Hebridean island of Colonsay, which has a population of just 120 people. The 65-year-old is now looking for a family with an “entrepreneurial spirit” to take over the firm for free, in a bid to address the ageing population on the island and boost the number of children in the local school – which currently has just four pupils.

Culture & CommunityMay 6, 2025

Tremor 2025: Can a music festival change the face of Portugal’s São Miguel island?

São Miguel , the largest of the Azores island archipelago, is one of the poorest areas of the European Union. Cue the transformative power of music… Two hours from Portugal, five hours from New York, the Azores lie in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean. The clouds here are so low you feel you have to duck to avoid them. Small fishing boats hug the harbour wall while larger commercial vessels bob about in the perennial shadow of a cruise liner. Cargo ships dot the horizon and the occasional sight of a clipper evokes imaginings of the age of exploration. Fitting, then, that this place between the New World and the Old World is home to a festival that links the history of music and culture with its future, and strives to make that future brighter.