Apisalome Rakarawa Naisoso Movono

The aim of this paper is to discuss how community relational economic practices in virtual spaces are effective in building resilience because they are borne of and sustained by familiar traditional Fijian values of collective work and social interdependence. The researchers adopted a pandemic‐induced methodology, conducting online‐based talanoa (fluid conversations between two or more people) with a number of people leading, or involved in, these initiatives. We also engaged with online community groups behind a number of initiatives. Examples are provided of online crowdfunding, livestreaming of concerts to solicit donations, and bartering facilitated by social media sites. To conclude, we stress the enduring nature of communal bonds and traditional systems which Pacific people readily adapt and translate into different forums and forms in the face of challenges such as the restrictions and financial …

In April 2021 Fiji made international news with stories of ‘horrific’ health care conditions, including hospital staff and patients without food, hospital operating theatres out of service, and shortages of beds, medicine, equipment, and blood. While Fiji appeared to be relatively well-prepared to respond to COVID-19 and had successfully avoided a major outbreak in 2020, a rapid increase in the number of cases in 2021 quickly overwhelmed the public health system. In this working paper, we draw on the health systems resilience framework of tangible hardware, tangible software, and intangible software to explore the impacts of COVID-19 in Fiji, the underlying causes of the resulting crisis, and the response of the Fijian health sector. We contend that the 2021-22 crisis was no accident, but that over two decades of political instability, multiple smaller crises, chronic under-resourcing, and neglect left the system with limited ability to cope with the pandemic, and potentially insufficient resources to enter a recovery phase post-pandemic. However, this research also highlights the role of intangible resources, including the adaptive practices, collective labour, and sacrifices of health workers drawing on solesolevaki and communal cultural values. We argue these were not only vital to the Fijian pandemic response but may offer a path towards resilience-building in the health system, and for the radical innovation and adaptions necessary to provide a healthy environment and best quality care for Fijians both in ‘normal’ circumstances and in the face of future crises.

Using case studies from Indonesia, Australia and Fiji, this chapter presents an alternative model for operationalising resilience. It takes a holistic approach and argues that islands and the communities that live on them are interconnected; thus, they are subject to both internal and external influences. The chapter argues that the forces that shape islands extend beyond local boundaries connecting islands socially, financially and ecologically to the global system. It also argues that resilience is non-linear and may exist in many different forms; this supports the agency that exists within communities and which can be resistant to monetary influence.

COVID-19 isolated island states from international tourism, which is a primary provider of employment and driver of economic development for the Pacific region. Most governments lacked the finances to provide sustained assistance to tourism businesses and workers, thus one might assume that these people’s wellbeing was very low during the pandemic: in fact, this research found the opposite. Utilising the Frangipani Framework of Wellbeing, a survey was utilised to investigate 6 dimensions of wellbeing in tourism-dependent communities in Samoa, Fiji, Vanuatu and Cook Islands during periods of border closures. Results found that while people faced financial struggles, their mental, social, physical, spiritual and environmental wellbeing had improved in many cases. Respondents indicated that they felt more connected to one another and their spiritual beliefs, were able to utilise communal resources to support their livelihoods, and that the pandemic provided a well-needed break for both themselves and the environment. This research demonstrates that people can successfully adapt and show resilience in the face of significant shocks and financial challenges if they have access to a range of cultural knowledge and systems, strong social connections and natural resources.

This article aims to examine how the border closures due to Covid-19 have impacted the well-being of Pacific peoples. Many women, men and children living on islands around the South Pacific live in households that depend on tourism income to provide for the majority of their cash needs, thus the pandemic has delivered a devastating financial blow to them. Nevertheless, an online survey combined with interviews in five Pacific countries shows that many people have drawn on their traditional skills combined with cultural systems, social capital and access to customary land to ensure that their well-being is maintained despite major decreases in household income. Others, however, have been more vulnerable, struggling with reductions in their mental health and increases in household conflict, for example. As well as this, the research data reveals that there needs to be a consideration of the spiritual aspect of …

This paper argues that although Covid-19 has had problematic consequences, it must spur a selfdetermined and collective approach to resilience-beyond merely bouncing back to the way things were. It touches on how tourism development and its disruption by Covid-19 can inspire action that enables resilience building to withstand future shocks. The Tourism Resilience Framework is proposed, as offering a Pacific-centred approach that can guide a cohesive multi-stakeholder model grounded in action research. More importantly, this paper accords power and agency to local stakeholders, supporting the notion that resilience building must be part of a self-determined and inclusive process if tourism is to be reimagined sustainably.

•Citizen social science positions citizens as co-researchers at all stages of research.•A new framework for implementing citizen social science within tourism is offered.•The article offers a means by which research may empower citizens.

Tourism has long been acknowledged as a tool by which the developmental ambitions of small islands states can be operationalized (Movono and Becken 2018; Prasad 2014). Recently, more attention is being given to tourism because of its potential to accomplish the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals at the localized community level (Scheyvens 2018). In Fiji and in other parts of the Pacific, tourism projects an ideal economic alternative, appealing to the deficiencies typical of Pacific Island states (Movono et al. 2015; Prasad 2014). However, there remains much debate, as the body of literature about Pacific Island tourism and its relevant policies remain fragmented. Although tourism policy and its examination has gained momentum amongst scholars in developing countries, very few studies have yet fully explored this area in the context of a specific tourism-dependent country in the Pacific. The examination of tourism-related policies becomes an important point for debate, as these are now usually contextualized as part of a sustainable development meta-discourse. The impacts of tourism policies are complex in nature and are foremost in influencing tourism development and its impacts at all levels within a country. As such, it is essential to explore how tourism policy development evolved in a country such as Fiji, especially to better understand how tourism policies are implemented and the extent to which they are actionable. This study will provide a contextual background to the study area by outlining the history of tourism policy development and the implementation challenges in the Republic of Fiji. Ultimately, this chapter will …