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<\/h1>\nJune 1-2, 2013
\nMartin Luther King Auditorium, Berkeley<\/p>\n
<\/em>(\u201cMoana Nui\u201d is Polynesian for \u201cVast Ocean\u201d)<\/em><\/p>\n The peoples of the Pacific need help. It is no longer sufficient to speak merely of working to \u201cprotect local cultures\u201d and \u201ctraditional economic practices.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Local peoples are being rapidly overrun by the larger hegemonic battles of the United States vs.<\/em><\/strong><\/em>\u00a0<\/em>China. As the saying goes, \u201cwhen elephants battle, the ants are crushed.\u201d<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0<\/em><\/strong>In May, 2013, the International Forum on Globalization (IFG), in collaboration with a broad range of indigenous and small island peoples of the Pacific, and joined by activists from countries throughout the Pacific Basin, will sponsor and produce a three-day series of public events in San Francisco. These events will be a continuation of the first Moana Nui gathering in Honolulu, November 2011, at the University of Hawaii\u2014which IFG created in partnership with several dozen Pacific Island activist groups.<\/p>\n Moana Nui #1 gathered 500 Pacific activists from 17 countries for three days of spirited public meetings, collaborative organizing, protest marches, and long term campaign planning. The events received enormous attention and praise in the Pacific region, and formed a unique bond among peoples who may live thousands of miles apart, across the sea, and had rarely attempted to join forces before. They are eager to continue.<\/p>\n The direct purpose of\u00a0Moana Nui<\/em>\u00a0is to respond to some of the greatest threats ever to face Pacific peoples. Recent shifts in United States economic and military strategies are having broad negative effects on the peoples, resources, economies and geo-politics of the Asia-Pacific region.\u00a0 These policy shifts, mostly under the Obama Administration program, \u201cThe Pacific Pivot,\u201d particularly affect the future viability and sovereignty of indigenous peoples and small nations of the Pacific, and they greatly accelerate dangerous power struggles underway between the United States and China, and potentially Russia, over trade, ocean and island resources, and economic and military domination of an 8,000 mile region.<\/p>\n Moana Nui\u00a0<\/em>is created in direct response to this dire situation. Its primary goals are:\u00a0 1) to stimulate new collaborations among Pacific Island peoples and nations, toward common purposes in behalf of their resources, cultures and sovereignty, and 2) to\u00a0wake-up<\/em>\u00a0U.S. mainland policy-makers, activists and media \u2014mostly still oblivious to the details\u2013 about what is underway in the Pacific right now, and to initiate contacts and support for the indigenous and small nation peoples as they resist domination, try to protect their environments, and to retain control of their experience. \u00a0The event will feature three days of speakers, workshops, rallies and celebration.<\/p>\n Press\u00a0Release ANNOUNCING:\u00a0 MOANA NUI #2 June 1-2, 2013 Martin Luther King Auditorium, Berkeley (\u201cMoana Nui\u201d is Polynesian for \u201cVast Ocean\u201d) The peoples of the Pacific need help. It is no longer sufficient to speak merely of working to \u201cprotect local cultures\u201d and \u201ctraditional economic practices.\u201d\u00a0\u00a0Local peoples are being rapidly overrun by the larger hegemonic battles … <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"