The poem ‘Writing’ is a gift to help navigate the lessons of our past, for our present and future generations on the importance of the interconnectedness of our environment with our humanity. The rich words of Déwé Gorodé are a legacy of her work and embodies a spirit of resilience that is present in all of the elements that she depicts and speaks beyond the page. There are echoes of defiance on the impacts of colonisation and how the ‘stone and earth’ will speak, when one cannot, which is a poignant reminder of how the power of ‘writing’ may serve as a witness to our relationship with our environment and each other, that transcends time and space for a new generation.
Pasifika Voices 2023 features a collection of gifted Pacific poets joined by indigenous artists to create an artistic, insightful, digitally enhanced offering in this curated series of three video poems.
The Mana Moana – Pasifika Voices collection of video works was created to amplify and support the Pacific to drive global action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. This collection is the third in a series that began in 2021. These poems have been gathered from our Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa to reflect the voices and experiences of our past and present Poets, providing offerings of wisdom and insight for a new generation.
This initiative is supported by Aotearoa New Zealand and coordinated by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP), Storybox, with the support of Pacific Islands poets and artists, to amplify the Pacific voice at COP28.