Fiji placement enlightens aspiring climate change journalists
A two-week journalism stint in Fiji, dubbed “Bearing Witness”, has lent new perspectives on the effects of climate change on AUT journalism student Ami Dhabuwala and graduate TJ Aumua.
The project, sponsored by AUT’s Research and Innovation Office (RIO), gave the two aspiring journalists a chance to meet Pacific climate change experts, and experience first-hand themselves the impact of climate change on everyday lives in Daku, a small village in Fiji.
TJ says witnessing climate change’s impact on Daku Village was heart-breaking. “I was aware that climate change was happening before but I didn’t realise it’s devastating impacts.”
Ami believes that climate change is a human rights issue that demands urgent action today. She says,“It’s not just about rising sea levels or other environmental effects, it’s also a physical and mental health issue."
“For many Pacific countries, climate change is a way of life. When we were there, somebody said something that struck me – you can’t stop climate change, you can only adapt to it.”
Both students worked on multimedia stories focusing on what Pacific youth are doing to stem effects of climate change, published on the Pacific Media Centre’s new website Asia Pacific Report.
University of the South Pacific’s Pacific Centre for Environment-Sustainable Development Communications Officer Sarika Chand praised TJ and Ami as a delight to work with.
She says, “There are so many different issues that need media attention – the Pacific Media Centre team was more than willing to oblige. Especially with the Daku village trip. A big vinaka to TK and Ami for following traditional protocol and being respectful of the local culture.”
Pacific Media Centre director Professor David Robie thanked AUT’s Research and Innovation Office (RIO) for providing a funding grant to enable the PMC team to go to Fiji.
He says, “This is the start of a regular Pacific “Bearing Witness” project linking in with USP’s climate change and media research and local Pacific publisher Little Island Press. It is an enterprising awareness and communication programme about the impacts of climate change and how Pacific communities are adapting.”
The trip has also changed the trajectory of TJ and Ami’s careers. Both girls says that not enough is done in New Zealand to highlight these issues, and hope to do their part.
Ami says she plans to be a climate change journalist. She says, “This is what is happening to our neighbours. New Zealand is not immune, it will affect us too.”
TJ says, “The topic of climate change in the Pacific will always be close to my heart wherever my journalist endeavours take me.”
The RIO grant also helped fund a special climate change department on Asia Pacific Report and climate change research.
See and watch the Fiji Bearing Witness reports here.