HONOLULU — The East-West Center’s Pacific Islands Development Program created a one-stop shop for news roundups, analysis and multimedia that focuses on the Pacific Islands region. 

What You Need To Know

  • Pacific Islands Report was started in 1997 and had long been a source for information about political, economic and social issues across the Pacific

  • However, PIR went on hiatus in 2017 because of financial constraints

  • During an event on May 23, 2024, at the East-West Center, officials with the Pacific Islands Development Program announced the relaunch of PIR, which will continue to produce news roundups and will now publish more original stories

  • The new PIR also incorporates multimedia elements, such as the podcast Oceania Currents, and a dedicated section for videos featuring in-depth interviews

Pacific Islands Report was started in 1997 and had long been a source for information about political, economic and social issues across the Pacific. However, PIR went on hiatus in 2017 because of financial constraints. During an event on May 23, 2024, at the East-West Center, PIDP announced the relaunch of PIR, which will continue to produce news roundups and will now publish more original stories. 

“This important occasion celebrates the fulfillment of our objective to amplify Pacific voices and expertise by revitalizing a credible, inclusive Pacific Islands Report,” said East-West Center President Suzanne P. Vares-Lum at the event. 

The updated PIR curates news items with a focus on the themes of the “2050 Strategy for the Blue Pacific Continent,” a strategic plan for the future endorsed by Pacific heads of governments in 2022. These themes include political leadership, regionalism, peace and security; people-centered development; climate change and disasters, ocean and environment; and resources and economic development, technology, and connectivity.  

“For years, the Pacific Islands Report provided a platform for voices across the Pacific to be heard. This re-envisioned Pacific Islands Report is not just about staying informed on current events in the Pacific Island region, it’s also about creating a platform for voices that are not typically heard outside the Pacific Islands,” said PIDP Director Mary Therese Hattori at the event.   

The new PIR website includes commentary and analyses by contributors as part of its quarterly periodical, titled Visions & Voices. The inaugural issue features articles on plastic pollution in Fiji, shipping problems in the Pacific, Tuvalu’s new constitution, and more. 

PIR also incorporates multimedia elements, such as the podcast Oceania Currents, which is produced by the University of Hawaii’s Center for Pacific Island Studies, and a dedicated section for videos featuring in-depth interviews with leaders and influential figures from the Pacific.

PIDP is creating a searchable archive from its 20-year history, and in the meantime, people can explore a limited set of archives on the website. 

Michelle Broder Van Dyke covers the Hawaiian Islands for Spectrum News Hawaii. Email her at michelle.brodervandyke@charter.com.

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