15 Pacific Climate Warriors and Local Narratives on Climate …
293
this, I moved to the island of Ouvéa to carry out a participant observation on the steps
of the project conducted by Le Duff and Dumas on coastal erosion monitoring (Le
Duff et al. 2017).
The methodology used in this study is that of discourse analysis combined with
interviews with strategical respondents and activists to examine and understand
indigenous strategies and narratives regarding climate change in the Pacific Islands
region. It is also supported by bibliographical research in New Caledonia and by
information gathered through online sources such as 350.org, the 350 Pacific official
website, as well as Facebook and Instagram. Social activism and its peculiarities in
Oceania are now analyzed, focusing attention on the international movement 350.org
and its regional branch, 350 Pacific which gave birth to the Pacific Climate Warriors.
Social Movements and Indigenous Activism in Oceania
The political inaction in addressing climate change in the past few years has led to
significant growth in grassroots involvement, especially amongst indigenous peoples.
These movements have been acknowledged by different sectors, from governments
to institutions and local associations and have acquired significant social relevance.
Obtaining wider attention has enabled the different communities strongly impacted
by the environmental change to strengthen their connection.
In the recent past, several newly founded associations have given their views about
climate-driven environmental changes, drawing the attention of the public by using
the media and social networks. New technologies are used as megaphones to make
local stories heard by the public, especially in times of crisis, through what has been
called digital storytelling (Cunsolo Willox et al. 2012; Otto 2017).
Instead of dissolving local peculiarities as feared by many, globalization has
caused the emergence of grassroots ‘social forms’ that are questioning and contesting
the reality they are facing through social mobilization. As stated by Appadurai (2000),
this new dimension is called ‘grassroots globalization’, an idea that requires domestication of modernity and its languages. Such demands of political acknowledgements are daily claimed by grassroots movements which are strongly (but not exclusively) linked to climate justice and environmental welfare protests. As observed by
Dhillon and Allooloo (2016) regarding the Canadian and American reality, “indigenous peoples are leading the struggle for environmental justice worldwide”. These
kinds of protests unravel the unequal power and impact that indigenous communities
and multinational corporations have on the environment and highlight the discrepancy of views that these two actors have with regards to human domination over
nature. The connection between nature and spirituality found in the tradition of local
communities cuts to the heart of the diverse indigenous responses to climate change
in regions like the Pacific Islands (Fair 2018; Schlehe 2010).
Social mobilization for the climate and the environment is invariably inspired
by a political claim, the targets of protests being the fossil fuel industry and the
293
this, I moved to the island of Ouvéa to carry out a participant observation on the steps
of the project conducted by Le Duff and Dumas on coastal erosion monitoring (Le
Duff et al. 2017).
The methodology used in this study is that of discourse analysis combined with
interviews with strategical respondents and activists to examine and understand
indigenous strategies and narratives regarding climate change in the Pacific Islands
region. It is also supported by bibliographical research in New Caledonia and by
information gathered through online sources such as 350.org, the 350 Pacific official
website, as well as Facebook and Instagram. Social activism and its peculiarities in
Oceania are now analyzed, focusing attention on the international movement 350.org
and its regional branch, 350 Pacific which gave birth to the Pacific Climate Warriors.
Social Movements and Indigenous Activism in Oceania
The political inaction in addressing climate change in the past few years has led to
significant growth in grassroots involvement, especially amongst indigenous peoples.
These movements have been acknowledged by different sectors, from governments
to institutions and local associations and have acquired significant social relevance.
Obtaining wider attention has enabled the different communities strongly impacted
by the environmental change to strengthen their connection.
In the recent past, several newly founded associations have given their views about
climate-driven environmental changes, drawing the attention of the public by using
the media and social networks. New technologies are used as megaphones to make
local stories heard by the public, especially in times of crisis, through what has been
called digital storytelling (Cunsolo Willox et al. 2012; Otto 2017).
Instead of dissolving local peculiarities as feared by many, globalization has
caused the emergence of grassroots ‘social forms’ that are questioning and contesting
the reality they are facing through social mobilization. As stated by Appadurai (2000),
this new dimension is called ‘grassroots globalization’, an idea that requires domestication of modernity and its languages. Such demands of political acknowledgements are daily claimed by grassroots movements which are strongly (but not exclusively) linked to climate justice and environmental welfare protests. As observed by
Dhillon and Allooloo (2016) regarding the Canadian and American reality, “indigenous peoples are leading the struggle for environmental justice worldwide”. These
kinds of protests unravel the unequal power and impact that indigenous communities
and multinational corporations have on the environment and highlight the discrepancy of views that these two actors have with regards to human domination over
nature. The connection between nature and spirituality found in the tradition of local
communities cuts to the heart of the diverse indigenous responses to climate change
in regions like the Pacific Islands (Fair 2018; Schlehe 2010).
Social mobilization for the climate and the environment is invariably inspired
by a political claim, the targets of protests being the fossil fuel industry and the