‘Anamatangi Hosts U.S State Department Rep. Ahead of 2023 APEC Forum
(1 March 2023) On January 26, ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices hosted U.S State Department Deputy Assistant Secretary (DAS) Mark Lambert for a community luncheon that invited local elected officials, school administrators, key community leaders and youth to the Four Seasons Hotel (East Palo Alto, Ca).
The special lunch convening, catered by Joanne’s Catering and hosted by EPA Vice Mayor Antonio Lopez, served three purposes: to introduce DAS Lambert to the local Pacific Islander community in the Silicon Valley-Bay Area, to create a space that connected federal and local government bodies and institutions, and to begin building an awareness around the functions of the State Department as it relates to the policies and programs implemented by the U.S government in the Pacific region.
The local convening comes at an unprecedented time during the Biden Administration. Following the legislative footsteps of former President Barack Obama, President Biden has re-prioritized the efforts of the U.S State Department to build out domestic public diplomacy. In accordance with the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act (2012), agents and representatives of the U.S State Department look to communities and grassroots organizations to build out domestic constituencies across America to hopefully nurture relationships and dialogue on issues that pertain to foreign policy and U.S presence in those countries.
Broadcasted live on our Facebook page, the historic gathering also included special remarks from a selection of guests, including Sequoia Union High School District Board Trustee Shawneece Stevenson, Jefferson School District Board Trustee and Samoan Chief Papali’i Manufou Anoa’i, and Executive Director of Climate Resilient Communities, Violet Saena.
Ahead of the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum hosted in Palm Springs, CA, DAS Lambert along with fellow U.S State Department colleagues are prioritizing local voices to collect experiences to be shared at the global summit. The rest of 2023 will see national heads of state, U.S elected officials and corporate executives touring the country around matters of economic relations and foreign affairs and the final convening will be hosted in San Francisco in November 2023.
APEC 2023 Website: www.apec.org
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices Website: www.anamatangi.org
Written by: Tonga Victoria
The special lunch convening, catered by Joanne’s Catering and hosted by EPA Vice Mayor Antonio Lopez, served three purposes: to introduce DAS Lambert to the local Pacific Islander community in the Silicon Valley-Bay Area, to create a space that connected federal and local government bodies and institutions, and to begin building an awareness around the functions of the State Department as it relates to the policies and programs implemented by the U.S government in the Pacific region.
The local convening comes at an unprecedented time during the Biden Administration. Following the legislative footsteps of former President Barack Obama, President Biden has re-prioritized the efforts of the U.S State Department to build out domestic public diplomacy. In accordance with the Smith-Mundt Modernization Act (2012), agents and representatives of the U.S State Department look to communities and grassroots organizations to build out domestic constituencies across America to hopefully nurture relationships and dialogue on issues that pertain to foreign policy and U.S presence in those countries.
Broadcasted live on our Facebook page, the historic gathering also included special remarks from a selection of guests, including Sequoia Union High School District Board Trustee Shawneece Stevenson, Jefferson School District Board Trustee and Samoan Chief Papali’i Manufou Anoa’i, and Executive Director of Climate Resilient Communities, Violet Saena.
Ahead of the 2023 Asia Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) Forum hosted in Palm Springs, CA, DAS Lambert along with fellow U.S State Department colleagues are prioritizing local voices to collect experiences to be shared at the global summit. The rest of 2023 will see national heads of state, U.S elected officials and corporate executives touring the country around matters of economic relations and foreign affairs and the final convening will be hosted in San Francisco in November 2023.
APEC 2023 Website: www.apec.org
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices Website: www.anamatangi.org
Written by: Tonga Victoria
‘Anamatangi Scores Historic Global Partnership and Sends Second Plane of Donations to Tonga for March Distribution
(1 March 2023) During the 2022 statewide campaign To Tonga With Love, ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices secured the support and partnership of Airlink, a global humanitarian organization delivering critical aid to communities in crisis by providing airlift and logistical solutions to nonprofit partners. The opportunity to partner with Airlink stems from the grassroots efforts of California communities to collect $1.2 million in food, medical supplies and water filtration systems that were transported to Tonga on an aircraft plane thanks to UPS Foundation.
The impressive work spearheaded by ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices garnered the attention and support of elected officials on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, as well as international donors seeking to assist local families and villages most impacted by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.
Upon completing the on-island distribution of donated items to over one thousand families in December 2022, ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices coordinated an additional impact project to send thirty four pallets of antibacterial wipes to the Kingdom for another round of distribution expected to arrive to Tonga in March 2023. Our on-the-ground partners, Palu Aviation and the Ministry of Health, are prepared to accept the new donation from our California donor, Korbex Health.
Similar to the first round of international transit, donated items are shipped via air cargo to either Fiji or Australia, and then shipped by ocean freight for a seaport arrival in Tonga. To date, Airlink has served over thirty-nine million people, moved over 7.5 million pounds of supplies and works with over 150 non-governmental organizations across the globe. Included in transporting medical supplies and disaster relief items to people in need, Airlink has also covered the travel of over 10,000 responders to accompany and oversee the distribution of their goods to communities in need.
‘Anamatangi looks forward to the exciting work ahead with Airlink, and to the broadened scope of opportunity to serve the Pacific region in such a critical way.
Airlink Website: www.airlinkflight.org
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices Website: www.anamatangi.org
Written by: Tonga Victoria
The impressive work spearheaded by ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices garnered the attention and support of elected officials on both sides of the Pacific Ocean, as well as international donors seeking to assist local families and villages most impacted by the Hunga Tonga Hunga Ha’apai volcanic eruption.
Upon completing the on-island distribution of donated items to over one thousand families in December 2022, ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices coordinated an additional impact project to send thirty four pallets of antibacterial wipes to the Kingdom for another round of distribution expected to arrive to Tonga in March 2023. Our on-the-ground partners, Palu Aviation and the Ministry of Health, are prepared to accept the new donation from our California donor, Korbex Health.
Similar to the first round of international transit, donated items are shipped via air cargo to either Fiji or Australia, and then shipped by ocean freight for a seaport arrival in Tonga. To date, Airlink has served over thirty-nine million people, moved over 7.5 million pounds of supplies and works with over 150 non-governmental organizations across the globe. Included in transporting medical supplies and disaster relief items to people in need, Airlink has also covered the travel of over 10,000 responders to accompany and oversee the distribution of their goods to communities in need.
‘Anamatangi looks forward to the exciting work ahead with Airlink, and to the broadened scope of opportunity to serve the Pacific region in such a critical way.
Airlink Website: www.airlinkflight.org
‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices Website: www.anamatangi.org
Written by: Tonga Victoria
'Anamatangi Attends Oceania Rising County Convening Hosted by Samoan Solutions
(15 March 2023) On March 2nd, 2023, ‘Anamatangi Polynesian Voices attended the Oceania Rising: Culturally Relevant Pedagogy and Environmental Education Conference hosted by Samoan Solutions, a local non-profit organization specializing in providing support and uniting the Bay Area Samoan Community. The Conference was successful, with many community-based organizations and education leaders in the building. Many environmental organizations, such as San Mateo County Parks, offered a variety of field trips for local schools with complimentary transportation for schools that qualify.
CBOs such as ‘Anamatangi and Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) were able to communicate hardships and recommendations on both culturally and environmentally friendly practices to put in place in educational settings and educate others about the effect of Climate Change on Pacific Islanders in America and in the Pasifika Diaspora.
CRC seamlessly presented slides around climate change hardships in Samoa. Their Executive Director, Violet Saena, shared her personal experience and hardships of surviving cyclones during her time of living in Samoa. ‘Anamatangi also shed light on our recovery campaign, To Tonga with Love, where we provided resources for recovery after the recent volcano eruption in Tonga that led to a Tsunami.
‘Anamatangi shared our new Youth Leadership Pipeline, which includes our Youth Elevation Campaign, Comms Core, and Take the Mic programs to voice the importance of culture instilled in youth. Our Executive Director, Tiffany Uhila-Hautau, left the audience with a thought. “We have put in 25+ years of youth development work, and our clients are still here to vouch for our work. It becomes challenging to put this into data, which is already lacking for Pacific Islanders. I urge people in power who approve grants and funding to come out and physically see the work that organizations like ‘APV are doing. In true grassroots community work like this, you can’t put everything into a showcase.”
The event was beautifully closed with a Samoan Dance by ‘Anamatangi’s Comms Core Member, Grace Mauga.
San Mateo County Office of Education: https://www.smcoe.org
Samoan Solutions Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SamoanSolutions/
Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) Website: https://crcommunities.org
Written by: Heleine Grewe
CBOs such as ‘Anamatangi and Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) were able to communicate hardships and recommendations on both culturally and environmentally friendly practices to put in place in educational settings and educate others about the effect of Climate Change on Pacific Islanders in America and in the Pasifika Diaspora.
CRC seamlessly presented slides around climate change hardships in Samoa. Their Executive Director, Violet Saena, shared her personal experience and hardships of surviving cyclones during her time of living in Samoa. ‘Anamatangi also shed light on our recovery campaign, To Tonga with Love, where we provided resources for recovery after the recent volcano eruption in Tonga that led to a Tsunami.
‘Anamatangi shared our new Youth Leadership Pipeline, which includes our Youth Elevation Campaign, Comms Core, and Take the Mic programs to voice the importance of culture instilled in youth. Our Executive Director, Tiffany Uhila-Hautau, left the audience with a thought. “We have put in 25+ years of youth development work, and our clients are still here to vouch for our work. It becomes challenging to put this into data, which is already lacking for Pacific Islanders. I urge people in power who approve grants and funding to come out and physically see the work that organizations like ‘APV are doing. In true grassroots community work like this, you can’t put everything into a showcase.”
The event was beautifully closed with a Samoan Dance by ‘Anamatangi’s Comms Core Member, Grace Mauga.
San Mateo County Office of Education: https://www.smcoe.org
Samoan Solutions Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/SamoanSolutions/
Climate Resilient Communities (CRC) Website: https://crcommunities.org
Written by: Heleine Grewe
The Development of the Youth Elevation Campaign
The Youth Elevation Campaign is the newest addition to ‘Anamatangi’s Youth Leadership Pipeline. Our Comms Core created and implemented this campaign to respond to an up flux of youth violence in local high schools of East Palo Alto, California. Our Comms Core youth, comprised of youth aged 17 - 23, reached a dilemma of “Who is better to connect to the youth than similar youth?”.
They were so thrilled about this idea they even secured their starting funds for this campaign independently! We want to thank Youth Leadership Institution for granting our Comms Core with starting funds from their Youth-Led grant! This sparked the idea to join a local high school, East Palo Alto Academy, and teach bi-weekly sessions to the students around basic life lessons, environmental justice, social justice, and culture. We also cannot forget one of the central norms in Polynesian traditions; we make sure we provide snacks or food for the students in order to nourish their bodies and get them up and engaged!
Fast-forward, we are now five sessions in! A diverse group of 20 students from East Palo Alto Academy has committed bi-weekly to join us, and it has been nothing less than heartwarming for our youth. Students have already learned about various Polynesian traditions and how to obtain their driver's licenses. In other sessions, we’ve held discussion circles with Mama Dee and Papa Senita around self and cultural identity. We’ve also had opportunities from the Sequoia Union School District to get students’ feedback on holding cultural graduations! We will now be joining students WEEKLY until the end of the Spring semester, and we couldn’t be any happier. We have future sessions with guests from Climate Resilient Communities, field trips with San Mateo County Parks, and mental health with Friend for Youth. As the first time starting this program, we can’t wait to see what the Youth Elevation Campaign brings in the future!
Written by: Heleine Grewe
They were so thrilled about this idea they even secured their starting funds for this campaign independently! We want to thank Youth Leadership Institution for granting our Comms Core with starting funds from their Youth-Led grant! This sparked the idea to join a local high school, East Palo Alto Academy, and teach bi-weekly sessions to the students around basic life lessons, environmental justice, social justice, and culture. We also cannot forget one of the central norms in Polynesian traditions; we make sure we provide snacks or food for the students in order to nourish their bodies and get them up and engaged!
Fast-forward, we are now five sessions in! A diverse group of 20 students from East Palo Alto Academy has committed bi-weekly to join us, and it has been nothing less than heartwarming for our youth. Students have already learned about various Polynesian traditions and how to obtain their driver's licenses. In other sessions, we’ve held discussion circles with Mama Dee and Papa Senita around self and cultural identity. We’ve also had opportunities from the Sequoia Union School District to get students’ feedback on holding cultural graduations! We will now be joining students WEEKLY until the end of the Spring semester, and we couldn’t be any happier. We have future sessions with guests from Climate Resilient Communities, field trips with San Mateo County Parks, and mental health with Friend for Youth. As the first time starting this program, we can’t wait to see what the Youth Elevation Campaign brings in the future!
Written by: Heleine Grewe
