The Commonwealth Poet Laureate gives voice to personal histories and narratives of those who might otherwise remain unheard and invited Vepaiamele Grace Trief to feature on adda. This poem was written as a testimony shared in The People’s Museum for Climate Change in the Hague, the Netherlands.

My ancestors passed down their knowledge through word of mouth, art, and song.
I find easy expression through spoken word and I hope you’ll listen along.

I live in the Vanuatu. I live in the heat.
It’s hot, it’s humid, but life is sweet!
Whatever the weather, the sun always beams,
And glistens and shines, over luscious greenery.

My Bubu is from Ambae, an island in Vanuatu that rises up, up up out of the sea,
Brimming with rich kastom, culture, and boiling volcanic activity!
Here, mats are created using pandanus, holding exceptional cultural value,
Used in all family affairs- they are a true currency, through and through.
These mats are a part of our cultural heritage, passed down through generations,
Artefacts like these, woven into the rich tapestry of our nation.
But without our land, what is our identity, our history?
Without tangible elements, what be our culture, but a distant story?

2nd December, 2024
I found myself 18,000 kilometers from my homeland shores
There I was, right in the Hague,
The voice of Pacific youth as oral proceedings took place
For an Advisory Opinion from the world’s highest court,
To demand climate justice, built on international rapport.
During my time there, I visited a beach on the North Sea
Beneath my feet, were grains of sand pumped in from the deep.
There, coastlines are eroded and immediately replenished,
Here, islands drown, and in an instant, vanished.

Across the Pacific, climate change is wrecking havoc, and it is true
That we are resilient people, but now justice is due!
Action must be taken before we lose our own history,
Before more plants disappear, along with traditional proficiencies,
Before more of our lands erode, and higher become our seas.
Before more children miss out on their rightful education,
Academic, but also concerning cultural communication.
Before we cannot fish our seas for fish to eat,
Or marvel at vibrant underwater canopies.
Before we rid ourselves of what future generations have a right to see,
Our beautiful, stunning islands, earth, land and sea.

So let us act now, before we lose any more,
Of our culture, history, stories and lore,
No more compromises, that we disallow,
We demand climate justice, and we need it now.
Legal protection and support, that is what we plead,
To ensure our right to survive, and thrive, is truly guaranteed.