LocationsCommunities Open Fiji’s 3rd National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives on Environmental Sustainability
September 24, 2025
The symposium is providing a national platform for communities to showcase innovative projects, exchange lessons, and collectively amplify grassroots voices in shaping Fiji’s sustainable development agenda.
Suva, Fiji – The 3rd National Symposium for Community-Led Initiatives on Environmental Sustainability opened today at the Jovili Meo Mission Centre, Pasifika Communities University, bringing together community leaders, practitioners, and partners under the theme “Share Your Story”.
Organised by the UNDP GEF Small Grants Programme (SGP) Fiji, in partnership with WWF Pacific and cChange Pacific, the symposium is providing a national platform for communities to showcase innovative projects, exchange lessons, and collectively amplify grassroots voices in shaping Fiji’s sustainable development agenda.
Delivering the keynote address, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Deputy Resident Representative Abduvakkos Abdurahmanov reflected on lessons from previous symposiums and reaffirmed the unique role of Pacific communities in driving change.
“In the Pacific, storytelling or talanoa is more than communication. It is a philosophy of connection, trust-building, and shared understanding. Some of the most impactful environmental solutions are rooted in grassroots efforts, guided by vanua, lotu, and loloma — the deep ties to land, spirituality, and care for one another. People may see these grants as small, but the impact is great, and they change lives, and they influence policy,” he said
He added: “The Small Grants Programme has proven that when we invest in communities, we invest in solutions that last. This symposium provides a vital space to showcase these homegrown solutions, to learn from one another, and to scale up what truly works.”
UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji Deputy Resident Representative, Abduvakkos Abduramahnov.
World Wildlife Fund’s Asia Pacific Policy Expert on People Powering Biodiversity, Alfred Ralifo.
Also delivering opening remarks, World Wildlife Fund’s Asia Pacific Policy Expert on People Powering Biodiversity, Alfred Ralifo, stressed the importance of empowering Indigenous Peoples and local communities as custodians of biodiversity.
“Real, lasting change begins with people. Indigenous Peoples and local communities are the world’s best custodians of nature, yet too often their voices are excluded. When we empower communities to lead, innovate, and collaborate, we unlock solutions that are locally rooted and globally significant,” he said
Community representatives underscored the importance of grassroots leadership on the first day, as inspiring sessions led by women, youth, and indigenous groups shared success stories and challenges from the frontlines of environmental action.
Throughout the discussions, participants highlighted how women-led initiatives are moving from day-to-day survival to thriving enterprises, including securing their first government grant to open a bakery and restaurant in Suva, with support, partnerships, and the strength of the vanua giving women the confidence to lead and inspire others.
Youth voices reminded the gathering that passion, collaboration, and the blending of traditional and institutional knowledge are powerful drivers of change, while indigenous representatives reaffirmed that our relationship with the environment is one of kinship, calling for the re-mainstreaming of indigenous knowledge through talanoa and lived practices.
Over the next two days, the symposium will explore waste management solutions and policies, and also provide space for collective drafting of a national outcome statement.
The statement will be presented to the Government of Fiji on the final day, consolidating grassroots perspectives to inform Fiji’s sustainable development pathways.
The symposium is made possible through the support of the Global Environment Facility, WWF Pacific, cChange Pacific, Biodiversity Finance Initiative and the Government of Fiji, whose commitment has enabled this collaborative journey towards a sustainable future.
For more information please contact:
Risiate Biudole, Communications Analyst, UNDP Pacific Office in Fiji, risiate.biudole@undp.org
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