Pasifika Communities University

The PCU community farewelled the Uilis as they return to Samoa after giving their all to PCU for so many years. Dr. Afereti Uili, from Samoa, has served our community with humility and strength as a facilitator of learning in the Biblical Studies discipline at Pasifika Communities University. Through his guidance in Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies and his steadfast leadership as Head of Biblical Studies he has shaped minds, nurtured faith, and modeled the whole of life vision of PCU grounded in service.
Fa’afetai tele lava, Dr. Uili and your beautiful wife Samata for your dedication, wisdom, and the joy you have shared with us. Your legacy endures in the classrooms you’ve enriched, the colleagues you’ve uplifted, and the Toloa’s you’ve inspired. As you journey home, may God’s grace go before you and God’s peace surround you.
Manuia le malaga, and may the next chapter be filled with blessing and new horizons. Your PCU aiga will miss you indeed.

This week, PCU proudly celebrates a significant milestone in Pacific history, Tongan Emancipation Day.
Tongan Emancipation Day commemorates the historic reforms of King George Tupou I in 1862, which abolished serfdom and granted greater freedom and rights to the people of Tonga. It remains a powerful symbol of unity, leadership.

To all our brothers and sister from Tonga. Happy Emancipation Day"

This week, PCU proudly celebrates Samoan Independence Day.

Samoa Independence Day celebrates the nation's achievement of self-governance, officially attained on 1 January 1962, making Samoa the first Pacific Island nation in the 20th century to regain its independence. To allow for a dedicated national celebration separate from New Year's Day, the occasion is now observed annually on 1 June. This historic milestone reflects the resilience, determination, and enduring cultural strength of the Samoan people.

As we celebrate these important occasions at PCU, we recognize their rich heritage, faith, and contributions.

May these commemorations inspire us to cherish our cultures, honor our ancestors, and continue building a future grounded in dignity, freedom, and service.

Ia manuia le a*o Happy Celebrations!

Our Toloa highlight for today is Kiringaua Campbell Tamati Cassidy.

Kiringaua is a Professional Practice Fellow (Te Reo Māori Academic assist) whose work focuses on assessing student work in te reo Māori. He is an inaugural appointee for this role at Otago University and is currently working on completing his Masters in Indigenous Studies at Te Tumu—School of Māori, Pacific and Indigenous Studies—focusing on language revitailsation.

Kiringaua’s basket of experiences include his work at the university as a research assistant, as a Te Reo advisor at Te Rūnanga o Ngāi Tahu, and as an educator for his people of Kai Tahu.

Asides from his work and education experiences, Kiringaua is quite involved in Te Pae Māhuri, the Dunedin Māori Youth Council which he founded in 2020. Te Pae Māhuri provides a platform for young Māori to advocate for their peers, organise youth-led initiatives, and build string community connections. Its core purpose is to strategise and plan community events that celebrate Māori culture, promote and normalise te reo Māori, and expand youth leadership within te ao Māori (the Māori world).

Interesting fact, he is a certified te reo Māori translator and interpreter, the youngest in the world with this qualification. He is also a tutor, guitarist, composer and mentor for the kapa haka.

We look forward to learning from and with Kiringaua.

This morning marked the start of the Pacific Youth Journey to COP31 and Beyond, alongside the launch of the Pacific Youth Talanoa Series hosted by UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, a vibrant youth-led space where more than 200 youth voices from across the Pacific come together online and face to face to exchange stories, showcase solutions, and share their lived experiences of climate change. The talanoa was mentored by the Manu Folau.

In his talanoa addressing the youths today, Rev. Prof. Upolu Luma Vaai emphasized the importance of grounding ourselves in our identity, faith and cultural values, and spiritualities before addressing complex challenges such as climate change. "You need to know yourself first before knowing climate change." He noted that while many professionals are already knowledgeable about climate change policies, technical and scientific expertise alone is insufficient if people lose sight of who they are and what they are connected to. "Not knowing who you are can make you vulnerable to the complexity and technicalities of climate spaces."

He shared that climate change should not just be about policy, technical, financial, and institutional frameworks, which tend to compartmentalize issues into separate silos. It should be about life, collective care, and mutual responsibility. While these approaches have value, they can overlook the interconnected and living relationships between people, land, ocean, and community that are central to Pacific worldviews.

Prof Vaai called for greater attention to the ethical memory of Pacific peoples and their responsibilities to their communities, ancestors, lands, and oceans. He warned that when discussions become overly technical, these ethical and relational dimensions can become invisible. His key message was clear: "Before seeking solutions to climate change, we must first understand and ground ourselves in who we are, ensuring that policy and technical responses remain connected to the values, relationships, and responsibilities that sustain Pacific communities."

Our Monday Profile of Toloas for PPC2026: We are pleased to introduce Dr. Rita Seumanutafa-Palala, Research Fellow at the Oceania Institute, University of Melbourne, as this week’s Monday Profile of Toloas for PPC2026. Dr. Rita brings a strong background in Pacific research, with particular expertise in Pacific research methodologies, Samoan conceptual frameworks, and traditional Samoan music.

Her doctoral work drew her into deeper engagement with Pacific philosophies and worldviews, shaping both her theoretical and practical approach to research. As a Pacific community leader based in Melbourne, Australia, Dr. Rita also brings valuable lived experience, leadership, and a deep commitment to strengthening Pacific knowledge and scholarship.

Dr. Rita offers not only academic insight but also a grounded Pacific perspective that bridges research, community, and cultural identity. Her contribution will enrich our learning journey as we explore philosophical competency through a Pasifika lens.

The Write Pasifika – Crafting Effective Writing course was the first three-day micro-credential programme offered by the School of Pasifika Philosophies, Education and Sciences. Facilitated by Rev. Dr. Upolu Lumā Vaʻai and Aisake Casimira (Dean of Strategic Visioning), the course focused on strengthening effective writing through a Pasifika perspective, with an additional session led by Koimata Kiki, Dean of Academics, Rev. Dr. Faafetai.

The photos show the Toloa cohort receiving their Certificates of Participation from Manu Folau (Vice Chancellor) Rev. Dr. Upolu and Madam Tautai (Pro Chancellor), marking the successful completion of this pioneering programme.

Our Friday Toloa profile for PPC2026. We are pleased to introduce Neihana Matiu, a PhD student, academic lecturer and researcher at Ōtakou Whakaihu Waka / University of Otago, as one of our 2026 Toloa for the Certificate in Philosophical Competency: Pasifika ‘Whole of Life’ Philosophies for New Development Consciousness.

Neihana’s career has been firmly grounded in organisations with a strong kaupapa Māori focus. Through this work, he has developed deep experience in Māori philosophies, knowledges, and ways of being, and a strong commitment to Indigenous-led education and research. Now, in his role within the university, he recognises a responsibility to professionally develop further by learning about and engaging with a broader range of Pacific and Indigenous philosophies, knowledges, and epistemologies.

While Neihana is keenly aware of the many connections and resonances between Māori and Pacific knowledges, he is equally conscious that there are important differences and distinctives that he is only beginning to fully appreciate. His participation in this course is part of an intentional journey to deepen his understanding of Pasifika ‘Whole of Life’ philosophies in their own right, and to engage more fully and respectfully with the knowledge traditions of Pacific communities across the region.

Through PPC 2026, Neihana hopes to gain not only theoretical insight but also grounded experiences within Pacific communities in the Pacific, allowing him to better understand how philosophies are lived, practised, and carried through relationships, responsibilities, and daily life. This will further equip him to contribute to Indigenous education and research in ways that honour both Māori and Pacific perspectives.

Neihana brings to the course extensive experience in kaupapa Māori spaces, a strong reflexive practice as a researcher and educator, and a genuine commitment to relational learning across Indigenous contexts. His presence will enrich our collective talanoa, strengthening the bridges between Māori and Pasifika knowledge systems and contributing to a more nuanced, interconnected understanding of Indigenous philosophies within PPC 2026.