Mosese Raqio 
[Photo: Supplied]
“Will Tuvalu be here when I grow up?”
That was the question asked by a Tuvaluan student, Meliani, during the launch of the “Voices of the Pacific Children: Letters Across the Blue Pacific” today at the Pre-COP31 Community Event at the University of Fiji’s Saweni Campus in Lautoka.
The question is one of the powerful messages from 126 children in Fiji, Tuvalu and Australia calling on adults to confront the climate crisis.
The publication brought together children’s letters, drawings, poetry, posters and stories reflecting their fears, hopes and experiences of environmental change.
Launched by Pacific Islands Development Forum Secretary General Arpana Pratap, the publication is an initiative of the Asia Pacific Regulatory Centre in collaboration with ESG Pacific.
APRC Executive Director Joel Abraham says children must be part of serious climate discussions.
“They are witnesses to what is happening today.”
The project involved 126 students from five schools across the three countries, with organisers preserving their original handwriting, artwork and words.
Project Lead Sunishma Singh says the aim was to let children speak for themselves rather than have adults reshape their messages.
The eight-month project was developed through the Accelerating Climate Education Program and focuses on climate literacy, environmental stewardship and cross-cultural understanding.
The publication will be presented to Fiji’s Minister responsible for Climate Change, Lynda Tabuya, for sharing with world leaders at COP31.
