Three cities, fifteen meetings with politicians, seven impactful events, and national news interviews – all for our planet. Oxfam’s inspirational ‘Safe Climate, Equal Future’ tour saw three Pacific community leaders, Usaia Moli, Lavenia Naivalu, and Zedi Devesi meet with Ministers, Australian climate advocates and the public across events in Melbourne, Sydney and Canberra.
Usaia Moli, Lavenia Naivalu and Zedi Devesi have all been personally impacted by climate-induced events like cyclones, droughts, and rising sea levels, and are motivated to ensure that climate-vulnerable countries and communities are not forgotten in regional and global climate action.
Over two weeks, these leaders addressed seven public events, met fifteen politicians, including Ministers, MPs and Senators from across the political spectrum and spoke to several national news outlets
The message they had to share was clear – their communities are already facing dangerous climate change impacts including food and water shortages, unrelenting natural disasters and the devastating loss of homelands, traditions and identity through no fault of their own.
Climate justice will remain just that – empty words
Usaia Moli’s village Cakova, in the east of Fiji, has already been relocated due to climate impacts:
“Our life is centered around the sea and our community and while we live in what many may consider Fiji’s most under-developed areas, we are content and grateful,” he said.
“However, day by day, we watch as the ocean tears down our seawall, we wait with bated breath when authorities issue warning of strong winds, heavy rain and the annual cycle of cyclones.
“With little to no access to services and information, climate justice is to us, just empty words. Not until policies are translated to services, to access, to dignity of our remote island communities, climate justice will remain just that – empty words.”
Big polluters need to pay up
Those who have benefited the most from the mining and burning of fossil fuels – the big polluters – need to pay for all the loss and damage they have caused communities.
This is why Oxfam Australia is joining activists from around the world to take action. Globally Oxfam is calling on political leaders to tax the biggest climate polluters and use this money to help communities recover from the loss and damage caused by the climate disaster.
Over 90,000 people in the UK have already signed the petition and now we are launching it in Australia. Join us and call on Treasurer Jim Chalmers to tax the biggest polluters fairly.
How can Australia and the world take meaningful steps to combat climate change with fairness in mind?
Watch the thought-provoking discussion as Lavenia Yasikula Naivalu, Usaia Moli, and Zedi Vahia Devesi delve into the crucial question: How can Australia and the world take meaningful steps to combat climate change with fairness in mind?
About the speakers:
- Lavenia, is a passionate activist and advocate from Fiji’s district of Nacula in Yasawa, a region profoundly affected by climate change. She calls for greater global efforts to combat the impacts of climate change, especially in vulnerable island communities like hers.
- Usaia is a father of seven, volunteer disaster responder, and farmer. Living on Moala Island in the Lau Group, east of Fiji, he’s witnessed the devastating effects of climate-induced disasters and changes. His own village, Cakova, had to be relocated due to these impacts, and neighboring Vunuku is on the same path.
- Zedi, from the Solomon Islands, has seen first hand the impact of climate change on his communities. Zedi is passionate about engaging children in climate change advocacy in the Solomon Islands.
A more equal world is possible
One where we all have the resources to survive climate change, but only if rich polluters pay their fair share. That’s why in the lead up to global climate talks in November, COP28, we are calling on our government to make rich polluters pay.
Last year we came together to support communities in their successful mission to get world leaders to agree to a loss and damage fund. Join our global push to make rich polluters pay.
