Pacific Elders’ Voice Sympathies for Tonga

His Majesty the King & Government of Tonga

We, Pacific Elders from across the Blue Pacific write to convey our heartfelt sympathies and express deep sorrow at the loss of lives and devastation caused due to the recent volcanic eruption and subsequent tsunami.

We appreciate this is a challenging and traumatic time for your government and the people, as you strive to clean up the volcanic dust, rebuild the lives of your people and the necessary infrastructure.

Our thought and prayers are with you and the people of Tonga at this critical time, and we stand ready to assist in your efforts to deal with the impacts of this terrible disaster.

This is a collective statement from Pacific Elders’ Voice. For further information please contact us.

More statements

While the world’s biggest polluters dominate the headlines this week at the UN climate summit with an array of sensationalist pledges and announcements, designed mainly to distract us all from a lack of real climate action, one of the biggest scandals of all is taking place right under our noses.

The Pacific Elders’ Voice (PEV) welcomes the hosting of 52nd Pacific Islands Forum Leaders Meeting (PIFLM52) from 06 – 10 November 2023 in Rarotonga under the theme of “Our Voices, Our Choices, Our Pacific Way: Promote, Partner, Prosper”.

Japan and Tokyo Electric Power Company (TEPCO)’s reckless decision to discharge over 1.3 million tonnes of nuclear-contaminated wastewater into our Blue Pacific is a testimony to the dangers of nuclear power.