PEOPLE PROFILE: Meet Gaualofa's Female Assistant Captain

Fealofani Bruun, Assistant Captain, Va'a Gaualofa

By Kevin Dayonga, Member of the Pacific Emerging Environment Leaders Network at the World Parks Congress.

She’s known as Fani to most of her friends, a young female voyager from Samoa. I met Fani when we were in Apia in October 2010, forming the Pacific Emerging Environmental Leaders’ Network (PEEL), an initiative of SPREP, which comprise of young professionals who have a shared vision for improved environmental management and sustainable development.

In 2012 I met with Fani in Honiara for the Festival of Pacific Arts other voyagers. She was among the many voyagers that sailed in to Honiara harbour to be part of the festival. I was privileged to get on board the Gaualofa, which is Samoa’s voyaging canoe.

Like any Pacific islander, Fani’s front or backyard is a beach and she always finds enjoyment in this particular spot any time of the day.

“As an Islander, it’s imbedded in my DNA, the smell of the ocean, the sounds of the birds, the flowers and vegetation that colour the beach front – this is paradise.”

She started sailing when she was 5 years old and grew up on a yacht. In 2009 she joined the Samoan Voyaging Society as one of the crew members. The Voyaging Society has the aim of promoting positive Samoan cultural values, respect for the ocean and nature, individual and social responsibility, discipline and integrity. This is what Fani aspires to do.

During our short chat she said, “The reintroduction of traditional sailing in Samoa will provide opportunities for youth development (sports, leadership), environmental awareness, cultural development and, potentially, tourism opportunities such as whale watching and adventure tours.

”Fani is keen to develop hands-on educational and training programmes in traditional sailing and navigation for young Samoan youth including school children, school leavers and other interested groups. The task of learning traditional sailing and navigation skills also develops leadership and discipline among the youth, leading to well-rounded young people capable of contributing positively to the growth of her beloved nation.

PEEL members with Voyagers

Voyaging has changed her as a person and within a few years she rose from a normal deckhand to one of the senior members of her vaka; not only that but being one of the captains in a male dominated field as perceived by many, she says, ”It’s a privilege and honour and very challenging. The lives of people are in your hands, you have to think about everyone else and not yourself. I’m very honoured to have such a great crew’’. 

The crew that she’s currently with is made up of Tongans, Samoans, Fijians, Cook Islanders and an American.

Coming to Sydney is part of her role as an environmental advocator. As an islander whose life revolves around the ocean and the little land she has.

“From my personal opinion, it is about inspiring the leaders to think for a moment and be proactive of what they are doing. The message that is brought is for them - I may not think like a scientist or talk eloquently like a politician but I and other members came with our hearts, we bring with us the voices of our people with the sails – with the backing of our ancestors. We are front liners, we will be affected first with sea level rise, ocean acidification is happening and we would like our voices be heard.”

But there are always challenges and it’s never easy.

“One of the challenging places is Australia especially when delivering climate change or environment related issues – maybe because of their mindset and how they see these issues differently. From where we are, it was not as challenging as when we were in the Californian coastline or in Mexico, but in Australia I was challenged by a yachty, who asked ‘you believe in climate change?’ and I was bit taken aback as they seem to think it’s a theory thing. I turned around and said I’m here. That’s why I came.”

With such a strong self-determination and will, she has moved mountains of waves to come to where she is now.

”My challenge to others is take ownership of what you have, be proud of it, look forward don’t look back, your ancestors will help guide you into the future. To young women, nothing is too high...like the waves, you don’t go through the wave you go over the wave. To my crew that I came with especially Samoans, I trust that they will return with a different mindset and new approach and attitudes towards their environment’.

Pacific Emerging Environmental Leaders’ symposium starts in Apia, Samoa

Reposted 17 October 2011, Apia Samoa - The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) is hosting its first symposium for young professionals who are emerging as environmental leaders in the Pacific islands.

The Symposium, being held in Apia, Samoa from 16-20 October, was officially opened this morning by SPREP Director-General, David Sheppard.

Twenty young Pacific Islanders, hailing from a diverse range of professions, are participating in the Symposium, which will set the stage for the Pacific Emerging Environment Leaders’ (PEEL) Initiative, a longer-term programme aimed at supporting action by young professionals for environmental management and leadership.

Mr Sheppard congratulated participants on their selection and highlighted the value of young minds in developing innovative solutions to today’s problems. He made reference to the Pacific’s “youth bulge” and noted that in the region, the age group of 15-29 years accounts for a third of the working age population.  

“You are arguably the most important sector of the populations, particularly as you move into leadership positions in our Pacific countries over the next few years,” he said.

“You are the ones who will be influencing and setting policy which will determine how well our environment is managed in the future.”

The Director-General referred to pressing issues in the Pacific region, which included biodiverisity, waste management and climate change as an environmental issues cutting across all sectors. He observed the range of different work sectors from which participants hailed and stressed that this bode well for addressing environment in a multi-sectoral manner.

The 20 participants to the week-long Symposium were selected from over 100 applications received from across the Pacific islands region. Seema Deo, SPREP’s Education and Communications Adviser, and organiser of the initiative, explained that participants were selected on the basis of drive, commitment, ability to nurture the growth of others and on their written vision statements.

“All applicants were of an exceptionally high calibre, which made the selection process a challenge for the four-person panel,” she said. “We are however, confident that we have a dynamic, self-motivated group, capable of thinking beyond barriers and who can contribute to good decision-making that integrates environmental thinking in the development framework.”

“We also hope to be in a position to engage those who missed out on this Symposium through an electronic forum and, potentially, through face-to-face interactions as the PEEL gains momentum.”

The Symposium participants have a wide range of interests, including energy, health, marine conservation and agriculture and come from media, government, civil society and the private sector. They will spend the week developing leadership skills, identifying clear pathways for action and developing a framework for a capacity building programme for young professionals in the region.