We just received a belated thank you from the Free West Papua Campaign for our coverage of The Pacific Youth Festival in Tahiti last year, so thought we’d pass it on!

I knew that my going to the PYF would be a liberating home-coming of sorts, to a place in Polynesia which is a significant part of both my family heritage and cultural identity.

For myself personally, the Pacific Youth Festival was a chance to reflect on my own culture and identity, and to think about my place both in the Pacific and in Aotearoa.

Tahiti. Sun, sand and… socio-political activism? This may not be the most likely combination, but for over 1000 youth from around the Pacific region, it seemed to do the trick.