Main description

The ocean is a shared space for all Pacific Island States and the common element that renders Pacific identities unique. Today, low-lying atolls are potentially exposed to rising sea levels threatening their very existence. Instead of precise borders, the ocean that washes Pacific shores could be considered as a blurry and inclusive space. Pacific identities are shaped by a network of relations unfurling across the ocean. This is echoed in Epeli Hau’ofa’s regional identity, Maurer’s Océanitude, and Titifanue’s grassroots regionalism. This paper rethinks Pacific grassroots regionalism in the wake of climate change and its impacts in Oceania. In addition to contesting the Western narrative and raising awareness among local communities, the Pacific Climate Warriors are trying to reconnect traditional inter-island links through a transnational network.