Who is Leading the Pacific Islands, as a Region?
Canterbury Law Review Vol 18, 2012
10 Pages Posted: 22 Jan 2016
Date Written: January 22, 2012
Abstract
It is often remarked that Pacific Islanders identify more with their place of birth and ethnic group than with their nation or with Oceania as a whole, and that more encompassing identities such as a "Pacific Islander" are only established among those who travel abroad, whether for work, education, or other purpose. The Pacific nations have had many prominent leaders at national level, but even in such cases, many of these leaders have worked for constituency-level good more than they have striven for national good; even fewer have served the interests of the Pacific as a whole. This paper thus explores the question "Who is leading the Pacific, as a region?" Global institutions and processes are looking for regionally coherent responses from the Pacific Islands, but whereas some coordinated response is being achieved, countervailing and separatist trends continue to remain significant.
Keywords: regionalism; Pacific Islands studies
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