Pacific Cooperation Foundation

The call comes from the Pacific Cooperation Foundation which has just carried out its first-ever survey about New Zealanders' perception of the Pacific​.

PMN News reports the Foundation's Executive Director David Vaeafe says the report based on the survey gives a mixed picture of knowledge about the Pacific, with only 29 percent of those surveyed saying they had a good understanding of Pacific cultures.

PCF Co-Board Chair Christine Nurminen said, “This partnership aligns with one of the PCF’s four focus areas - Promoting Our New Zealand Pacific Identity’ to bring a greater awareness and appreciation by the people and communities of the Pacific Islands and New Zealand, of their shared Pacific identity, history and culture.”

For the past 11 years Strong has been based in Suva, Fiji where he has held general management positions of significant Fijian trading companies, most recently as General Manager of Pacific Agencies (Fiji) Limited.

He will return to New Zealand to take up the role at PCF in or about November this year.

Strong was born and raised in Suva, educated at Kings College, Auckland and Massey University in Palmerston North, graduating with a Bachelor of Business Studies.

He says it went beyond a work placement to a cultural experience and kiwi journalists should be the voice of the Pacific people.

In many ways, it was the Pacific herself that helped guide Brandon Ulfsby’s career direction, with the Cook Island Kiwi seeing journalism as a platform for his pacific people.

“As a young brown person from South Auckland it isn't hard to see that often my communities were unheard by the rest of New Zealand and that we need change,” he says.

The 21-year-old University of Canterbury student is part of a 16-strong cohort of NZ Aid Pacific Scholars who have been selected for the 2016-2017 NZ Scholarships Undergraduate Student Summer Internship programme.

The programme, facilitated by Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF), started last summer and it was received very well by both scholars and NZ-based host organisations.

“It’s a difficult question to answer – while I haven’t lived in New Zealand, I’ve visited family here often – both my parents were brought up here,” Caleb explains in a thick English accent.

The 19-year-old also feels a strong connection to Samoa and wants to explore his Samoan culture more too.

Caleb, a University of York History student is in NZ during his summer break and has joined the PCF family to complete a six-week internship.

Part of his reason of coming to NZ is to explore his cultural identity as well as firming up his future career aspirations.