{"id":19972,"date":"2022-05-02T07:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-05-02T05:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/stage.gstic.org\/?post_type=story&p=19972"},"modified":"2022-05-11T10:07:48","modified_gmt":"2022-05-11T08:07:48","slug":"livelihoods-of-small-islands","status":"publish","type":"story","link":"https:\/\/www.gstic.org\/expert-story\/livelihoods-of-small-islands\/","title":{"rendered":"Livelihoods of small islands"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
A Pacific theorist once stated that the Pacific Ocean and its tiny island nations were seen to be joined by the ocean rather than separated by it. The cultures and lifestyles of the people of these small Pacific nations are without doubt shaped by the ocean in both a physical and metaphysical sense. The animated Disney film Moana provided the world with an insight into what island life in the Pacific was like before European contact. It illustrated how the role of the ocean was critically important to all physical, psychological, spiritual and cultural aspects of its indigenous people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Today, the people of the Pacific Islands are facing exciting social, political and cultural transitions as a result of the huge influence that comes along with the international aid pouring into the area from countries such as China, USA, Japan and Germany, Australia, Papua New Guinea, and New Zealand. However, these transitions also leave them vulnerable. Interpretation and appropriation of Pacific identity is critical: through processes of colonisation and diaspora their intrinsic development has depended on mixing with other cultures.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The main export for many Pacific Islands is tourism, with physical exports including local produce such as copra, yam, taro and coconut. Presently, international aid to the islands is generally in the form of infrastructure and construction, which also provide employment for local businesses. Many expatriates who have received education abroad have returned to their ancestral Pacific homelands and are working in prominent roles within government departments and\/or establishing businesses.<\/p>\n\n\n\n