Establishment and Evolution of PSGDN
The Pacific Sexual and Diversity Network (PSDN) was conceptualised in 2002, at the Sydney Gay Games. Four Pacific countries, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Samoa and Tonga sent delegations to attend and participate in the sports and human rights program at these Gay Games.
Three countries, Fiji, Samoa and Tonga took the initiative and informally created an ad-hoc coalition of Pacific LGBTQI organisations after the Games. In 2005, Carlos Perreira from Fiji, Ken Moala from Samoa and Joey Mataele from Tonga officially co-founded the PSDN and they sourced seed funding from UNAIDS to start the network. PSDN was not officially registered until 2007 in Samoa where it was formally recognised and launched as a regional network.
Since its official establishment in 2007, PSDN has evolved into the Pacific Sexual and Gender Diversity Network (PSGDN) when it got registered in Fiji in 2018. The focus of PSGDN in recent years has been on growing the movement across the region and advocating for dedicated resources to progress the priorities of its members.
Mission
To strengthen PIDSOGIESC+ community leadership and advocacy (including through co-ordination and capacity development of National Member Organisations) to effectively ensure the legal protection, health, safety and well-being of PIDSOGIESC+ and to empower communities to claim their agency and voice and lobby for an inclusive environment that celebrates diversity in all forms.
Vision
Pacific Islanders of Diverse Sexual Orientations and Gender Identities & Expressions and Sex Characteristics + live healthy, happy, safe and prosperous lives in fully inclusive and just Pacific societies.
Our Approach
The Pacific Way
PSGDN is a uniquely Pacific SOGIESC+ rights organisation. In practice, this means that we are strongly committed to ensuring that we engage in ways that are sensitive to and reflect our unique and diverse Pacific cultures and beliefs. We are strongly aware of our region’s unique ways of life, work and communication approaches, which are premised on the mutual spirit of respect and humility, executed with our special Pacific flare and vibrancy – our “Pacific way”
Inclusive
PSGDN is committed to proactively all working for and involving all members of our PIDSOGIESC+ family in our work. We do not favour any particular group over another and welcome all PIDSOGIESC+ to offer us their ideas, feedback and guidance. We have taken notice of feedback from members of the community that we need to work harder to be more actively inclusive of all people and cultures and will make deliberate efforts to ensure that we meaningfully represent the diverse range of experiences of PIDSOGIESC+. This will also be the role of our Advisory Committee which is part of our overarching governance structures and is made up of representatives of under-represented groups in the SOGIESC+ Pacific family, of which a nominated representative will be the collective’s representative voice on the Regional Governance Board
Transparent
PSGDN is committed to running the Secretariat as an open organisation which regularly shares information on what we do, how we operate and the activities we are involved in. In response to feedback during our last Strategic Plan cycle, we are committed to reaching out more proactively to our Members, and will use social media and our (soonto-be-launched) PSGDN website as an opportunity to share information about upcoming events and opportunities, as well as prog
Responsive
PSGDN is a member-driven network which is committed to responding to the needs of our community as expressed by our community themselves. The PSGDN Secretariat is a service-focused team, who are committed to ensuring that we listen to the feedback and advice of our members and design our advocacy and activities accordingly
Respectful
PSGDN is respectful of our members and the cultural, traditional and religious values which influence and affect PIDSOGIESC+ across the region. We are committed to a rights-based approach to our advocacy and activities, which respects the uniqueness of the Pacific communities within which we live. We are also respectful of the uniqueness of our PIDSOGIESC+ family, which encompasses diverse approaches to gender and sexuality
Accountable
PSGDN is a transparent organisation which encourages all of the PIDSOGIESC+ family to engage with what we do and hold us accountable for our approach and outcomes. We commit to being transparent – by proactively sharing information about our programmes on our new website and via social media, as well as by responding to specific inquiries from our members, partners and the public. We also call on the community to hold us accountable by asking us questions and overseeing our efforts to encourage us to try our very best to achieve real outcomes for our people
Meet the Team
Isikeli Vulavou
Chief Executive Officer
Email: isikeli.vulavou@psgdn.org
Ratu Eroni Ledua Dina
Program Analyst
Email: eroni.dina@psgdn.org
Loata T Seru
Finance and Operations Analyst
Email: loata.tucika@psgdn.org
Nasik Swami
Communications Analyst
Email: nasik.swami@psgdn.org
Anare Wacokecoke
Administrative Assistant
Email: anare.wacokecoke@psgdn.org