June 15th 2022
Trying Out Nature-Based Solutions
Can nature-based solutions help Fijian communities to better manage some of their most pressing natural resource management challenges, such as coastal erosion, flooding, and siltation of coral reefs? Groups of young people from communities in Vanua Levu who have participated in the Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme are conducting pilot projects to find out! Full Article
May 3rd 2022
Experiencing A Day With The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme
The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme spans activities on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, supported by the British High Commission in Suva, and the German Embassy in Wellington. This short video captures a day with participants and facilitators on Vanua Levu.
May 2nd 2022
Communities In Vanua Levu Complete A New Round Of The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme
During the first three months of 2022, as a successful vaccination campaign helped Fijians to bring life in the islands back to something like normal, Duavata launched a second round of the Conservation Leadership Programme, working with two additional communities in Vanua Levu and extending the programme to Viti Levu. This continuation of the programme was supported by a grant from the British High Commission in Fiji, supplemented by remaining funds from the earlier German Embassy grant. Full Article
December 30th 2021
A Tribute To Colin Philp
That was true for all of us within the Duavata Collective, and he was also the person we looked to for hope and inspiration. Someone that believed passionately in humanity and our collective ability – when we worked collaboratively and for a greater cause. Someone who believed that no matter how big the problem was, it was still worth trying to solve.
As a colleague, mentor, friend, and founder and co-chair of the Duavata Sustainable Tourism Collective, Colin believed and demonstrated that tourism, when done well, had the power and the potential to support the preservation of traditional knowledge and culture, to regenerate our environment, to build long-standing, respectful relationships between visitors and communities, for tourism operators to contribute to nurturing and restoring pride in Fijian food, history, art, music, and culture. And he was comfortable calling out many examples of where the industry works in the opposite way. As a collective, we were brought together by shared values, not as a specific destination or area. Colin challenged us all to maintain our belief, that even when we felt that we were on a stormy voyage with no one listening to our calls, that tourism can be transformed. He has charted a course for all of us to maintain.
Over the last two years, Colin was a rock of solidarity and sanity in a period that tested the resilience of all of us but which we’re forever grateful that, in some ways, also strengthened our determination to make tourism work better for Fiji. We launched our Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme and held the first leg of our Duavata Challenge – both initiatives guided by Colin’s vision and passion and designed to reconnect Fijians to nature and stewardship. It was his quiet leadership in so many spaces – his beloved Uto Ni Yalo Trust, the Duavata Collective, the Sustainable Sea Transport Initiative, as Leleuvia manager, a home to so many artists, musicians, poets, conservationists, that provided a space to so many that needed his guidance.
And he will remain an inspiration to all of us in tourism in demonstrating how, with sheer commitment and persistence you can transform an island into remembering its place within the ocean environment- making it plastic, chemical-free, switching to organic agricultural practices, and supporting the regeneration of the ocean around it.
As the ocean leg coordinator during EcoChallenge, Colin ensured that the production lived up to its eco-credentials by working with the production team to pay respect to Fijian culture throughout, ensure there was a strong environmental management plan for the race, that it was a single-use plastic free and waste was managed responsibly, and ensuring it contributed meaningfully to the work to revive traditional sailing by using Fijian-built vessels that could be later repurposed for use by communities and the Uto Ni Yalo Trust.
In true Duavata spirit, we all connected with Colin in different ways and spaces and it is only right that this tribute is a reflection of the many ways that he touched our lives so deeply. We are blessed to have shared time, sails, yaqona, and laughter with you and you will be missed so very much. Read Messages
September 12th 2021
Conservation Leaders In Macuata Begin Community Projects
The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme was launched on Vanua Levu, Fiji’s second-largest island. Participants were nominated from five coastal villages in the Macuata Province with connections to Nukubati Island Resort. The participants, between the ages of sixteen and twenty-five, undertook two nature-based experiences: one terrestrial, and one maritime. The experiences were led by experts from KokoMana, Nukubati Island Resort, and Ocean Ventures. Full Article
August 17th 2021
Rivers Fiji Supporting The Vaccine Rollout
Rivers Fiji’s 4WD buses, which normally transport guests to go rafting along the upper Navua River, are now transporting Ministry of Health personnel and vaccines to some of the more hard-to-reach places.
‘Many of our partner communities within the Duavata Collective are remote communities and ensuring interior communities get access to vaccinations is critical’, shared Kasi Taukenikoro, Director of Rivers Fiji. The programme is also ensuring that they can keep core team members employed during these trying times.
“Your presence has eased a burden for us in terms of transportation”, shared Mr. Naibuka Natuna, team leader of Public Health Nadroga Navosa. “The medical team really enjoyed working with the Rivers Fiji team and they have really helped us not only in transportation but in manpower as well, out in the field. We have managed to achieve our first dose targets for the subdivision and their presence has contributed to the vaccination coverage for Nadroga Navosa subdivision.
We look forward to continuing to work with them over the next few months to support full vaccination.’
August 13th 2021
Duavata Declares A Climate Emergency
We’ve signed up for Tourism Declares, an initiative that supports tourism businesses, organisations, and individuals in declaring a climate emergency and taking purposeful action to reduce their carbon emissions as per the advice from The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030.
Like all signatories, we have committed to the following five actions:
- Develop a ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ within the next 12 months, which sets out our intentions to reduce carbon emissions over the next decade.
- Share an initial public declaration of our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’, and update on progress each year.
- Accept current IPCC advice stating the need to cut global carbon emissions to 55% below 2017 levels by 2030 in order to keep the planet within 1.5 degrees of warming. We’ll ensure our ‘Climate Emergency Plan’ represents actions designed to achieve this as a minimum, through delivering transparent, measurable, and increasing reductions in the total carbon emissions per customer arising from our operations and the travel services sold by us.
- Encourage our suppliers and partners to make the same declaration; share best practice amongst peers; and actively participate in the Tourism Declares community
- Advocate for change. We recognise the need for system change across the industry to accelerate a just transition towards carbon-free tourism.
August 4th 2021
Duavata Championing Ridges To Reef Conservation Leaders In Grassroots Macuata Communities
The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme offers nature-based educational experiences to young Fijians to build their understanding of, and for some reconnect them with, their unique natural and cultural heritage. Through these experiences and the new relationships they bring, Duavata hopes to nurture the conservation leaders of tomorrow. Full Article
August 1st 2021
Reforestation And Coastal Rehabilitation Initiatives With The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme
Reforestation And Coastal Rehabilitation Initiatives With The Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme
Our members, Nukubati Island Resort, Fiji, and KokoMana on Vanua Levu have been incredibly busy over the last few months. Earlier this year we launched the Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme which has provided opportunities for 40 young people from 5 villages and settlements along the northern Macuata coast to join educational, sustainable agro-forestry and marine management experiences and take that learning back to their communities.
They have applied that immediately in reforestation and coastal rehabilitation initiatives. Even more exciting for all of us was the impact it created among their parents and elders in the community who also wanted to visit KokoMana to learn more too.
A huge vinaka vakalevu to the German Embassy in Wellington for the support of nature-based solutions and sustainable tourism and to the Nukubati Foundation for providing additional support. This first cohort provided an opportunity to test the initiative and we are excited about scaling it up, including on Viti Levu when the time is right.
July 22nd 2021
Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme Pilot Completed
We’re so delighted that despite the current situation we’ve managed to complete our Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme pilot of 5 groups of 8 young people from Macuata as part of the first cohort.
Congratulations to KokoMana and Nukubati for the collaboration and our friends at Ocean Ventures for their support.
Vinaka vakalevu to the German Embassy in Wellington for supporting the initiative and allowing our tourism members to share their expertise, inspire the next generation of conservation leaders and build their awareness of the links between our actions on land and impacts on our marine environment.
On their return to their communities, their parents decided that they would also like to participate and will be visiting KokoMana over the next week in groups, with Nukubati’s support, so they can work together with children on implementing their conservation initiatives in the village.
Realising our longstanding dream of making our educational experiences available to young conservation leaders in Fiji. And this is just the start!
July 4th 2021
Duavata Conservation Leadership Initiative Underway This Week
We were very excited to get our Duavata Conservation Leadership Initiative underway this week.
A little later than planned and on Vanua Levu instead of Viti Levu – but hugely thankful to Lara and Leone at Nukubati Island Resort, Fiji, and Richard, Joeli, Sam, and Lina KokoMana for enabling Macuata youth to learn more about agroforestry systems this week. A big vinaka vakalevu to the German Embassy in Wellington for the support.
The first installment of the Duavata Conservation Leadership program – This week, KokoMana was very excited to help launch the first installment of the Duavata Conservation Leadership program with a group of young people from Nasea village in Northern Division, one of many communities along the Macuata coast that were severely impacted by Cyclone Yasa – and who have been supported in their recovery effort by Nukubati Island Resort, a fellow member of the Duavata Sustainable Tourism Collective.
May 4th 2021
Duavata Conservation Leadership Programme
In Fiji, we have a deeply-rooted connection to land and water as an extension of our identity. The concept of Vanua implies stewardship over land to protect it for the next generation of guardians.
As urban development intensifies we have become increasingly disconnected from our vanua. This has resulted in thousands of school-age and young adults in Fiji having experienced little beyond urban centers.
As the Duavata Sustainable Collective, we know that having a connection to nature and the outdoors early in children’s lives makes them think more deeply about their role in helping to protect their environment and ultimately our shared planet.
In partnership with NatureFiji-MareqetiViti, we have developed a series of nature-based educational experiences to reconnect young Fijians with their natural and cultural heritage and nurture the conservation leaders of tomorrow.
This year 2021, thanks to the support of the German Embassy in Wellington, we invite 75 young Fijians between the age of 16-25 from the Pacific Harbour – Suva – Nausori corridor to join the programme and access some of the six following experiences:
- Learning to sail a traditional Camakau and coral reef conservation at Leleuvia
- Learning about Fiji’s wetlands by rafting the upper Navua with Rivers Fiji
- Learning about biodiversity hotspots conservation hiking with Talanoa Treks
- Learning about traditional thatching and sago palm conservation with Namosi Eco Retreat
- Learning about mangrove ecosystem services with Uprising Beach Resort
- Learning to use art as an alternative way to communicate conservation messages
December 10th 2020
Strengthening Child Safe Community Based Tourism
Members of the Duavata Sustainable Tourism Collective were hosted by Leleuvia Island Resort for two days of training and support to develop child protection policies for their businesses.
The training was facilitated by Medical Services Pacific (MSP) from 13–15 October 2020 supported through AVI and the Child Safe Volunteering hub – Promoting Child Safe and Responsible Tourism and Volunteering in Fiji and Vanuatu.
In response to discussions during the training, MSP developed a tailored child protection policy template. A review committee made up of three participants will review this template, and members will adapt it to their individual businesses. Talanoa Treks‘ child protection policy is already in place, and others have theirs in development.
Duavata members have committed to advocating within the broader industry for wider adoption and child protection policies.
July 13th 2020
Namosi Eco Retreat – What A Journey!
Danny Sovatabua owner of Namosi Eco Retreat talks about his journey setting up the retreat on Reset Fiji, first aired on Mai TV. (Video)
June 10th 2020
World Oceans Day 2020
Today is World Oceans Day. Our region is 98% Ocean so ensuring Pacific led-solutions are locally owned and locally led is critical for the health of our planet.
“We are asking you to slow down and reflect on our past to protect our Ocean and knowledge together,” Sakiasi Karavanua, Mata-Ni-Tikina Moturiki Island, Fiji.
This is one story that shows the impact of Pacific-led solutions. Listening to Pacific people will help drive the solutions we need for the Ocean we want.
Safe, sustainable sea transport is more critical now than it ever has been for the peoples of the Pacific.
The project showcased (Video) in this documentary is the work of the Uto ni Yalo Trust in partnership with Moturiki Communities in Fiji. Their vision is to help transition back to forms of traditional navigation to reduce the reliance on fossil fuels and to drive safely at sea and sustainable ocean practices into the future.
