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Born in Papua New Guinea and raised in Australia, award-winning writer and filmmaker Alana Hicks has built a career weaving resilience, humour, and identity into unforgettable stories.  From her prize-winning essay Medium Beige to her acclaimed short film Chicken, Alana reflects on growing up between two cultures, surviving moments of violence and racism, and turning those experiences into art.  In this episode of Stories from the Pacific, Alana speaks with Bobby McCumber about family, legacy, comedy as resistance, and what it means to call “home” a foreign country.

When Lesley Wengembo was just 10 years old, he picked up a pencil and drew a portrait of his grandfather. His grandfather looked at it and made a prediction that would shape the young Lesley's life forever. Years later, Lesley received an invitation that could have launched his career onto the world stage. He packed his bags, left Papua New Guinea and flew to Sydney. But that's when everything changed.

Monica Paulus is a human rights activist and co-founder of both the "Highlands Women Human Rights Defenders Network" and "Stop Sorcery Violence". Monica is a protector of women accused of and affected by sorcery and witchcraft accusations. Hailing from the Highlands of Papua New Guinea from the village of Aregol, Monica takes us on a journey through her life – sharing the struggles, hopes and her fight against sorcery accusations and the extreme violence that follows such accusations.

Maohi scholar and anti-nuclear testing activist Tamatoa Tepuihiari’i grew up in French Polynesia and had a humble childhood, but something sinister had occurred on his island three decades before he was born. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: [email protected]

Lydia's story of her marriage with her first husband details 12 years of significant abuse, but she's using it to educate others who may be experiencing something similar.

For Thomas Manglona, journalism is life. Hailing from the island of Rota, Thomas is a native Chamorro multimedia journalist, whose work in covering government, social justice and environmental issues for TV, has solidified him as a trusted and respected figure within his local community. For Thomas, he has always loved journalism and storytelling and he has always known what the final goal would be. The founder of the Pacific Islander Journalism Taskforce, Thomas' work has extended into the advocacy space, where he champions journalists and coverage across the Oceania region. Today Thomas shares more on the journey he has taken through his career and the next step he takes into the future.

Agapetos Aia-Fa'aleava has always been compelled to speak up against social injustice, and when she learned a law in Queensland had let pubs and clubs deny entry to Pasifika people with facial tattoos, she spoke up once again. She did this in the form of a documentary and a PhD, Illegal Ink, which explores culture and tattoos and considers who should and shouldn't be allowed to wear the malu. This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 28 February 2024

LLane Munau is a filmmaker from Bougainville. The Crisis began she was 10 years old and her father decided to move the family inland to escape the brunt of the violence. In the bush they spent about half of the decade-long civil war, which killed 20,000 people. And for a while, Llane was protected from the harsh realities of the conflict.  This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 6th December 2023

There is a children’s book that can be found in schools across Kiribati called Teaote and the Wall. It’s about one woman’s quest to build her own sea wall to protect her home in Tarawa from rising sea levels. The book is based on the story of i-Kiribati woman Teaote Davies and introduces children to the human impacts of climate change. Teaote also happens to be the Aunt of Stories from the Pacific host Bobby Macumber.   This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 26th July 2023

A big mining company. A small island. And a lawyer just two years into practice. William Kadi from the Solomon Islands’ western province took on the case on behalf Wagina’s 2,000 residents, who were opposed to the idea of digging up 60% of their land for bauxite. Throughout the gruelling process, William’s escape was music. And he soon found himself going from a huge legal battle to a huge hit song.

When Tau'ili'ili Alpha Maiava plays the nose flute, he is transported back in time. He knows it is the same sound his ancestors heard 400 years ago. But this sound, along with many others, have almost been lost to history. Tau'ili'ili is travelling across the Pacific Islands to gather stories of extinct and endangered instruments like the nose flute. He hopes sharing this traditional knowledge will help people connect with who they were and who they are today.

When Visila Koliqaqaru Lagilagi started boxing, she didn't know where it would take her. She just knew it made her feel strong. It's a strength that she has had to draw on many times, particularly five years ago, when a chance accident paralysed her husband.

Matt Howard was excelling in his career as a paralegal in the military, but after falling in love with the storytelling tools of a camera, he risked it all to follow this new found passion.  Living on the beautiful island of Pohnpei, Matt was raised by matriarchs and says his childhood was rich, full of imagery, stories and memories that should be captured for all to see.  Later in his childhood, Matt's move to Hawai'i with his family revealed the uniqueness of his island home and he now uses the work in his co-founded production company, Soused Life to give people a window look into everything he loves about his home. Do you have a story idea for this program? You can email us on: [email protected] This edition of Stories From The Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 17th July 2024

Kumu Michelle Manu teaches her students to live a life of "intentional movement". These students are learning the ancient combat martial art of Lua which was once practiced by many Hawai'ian women warriors before it went into hiding in hula dancing. By reviving this practice Kumu Michelle hopes to break the stigma that femininity could only ever mean fragility. She hopes to encourage others to bring out the warrior spirit within them, the way our ancestors did.  This edition of Stories from the Pacific was a repeat of the program broadcast on 19th June 2024

Each week Stories from the Pacific will hear from a unique and extraordinary Pacific Islander.