New poster series in Solomon Islands, highlights the value of protecting traditional land management practices
(This article was obtained through Jubilee Australia Research Centre official website page and shared here. Link to their Home page is provided below.)
Jubilee Australia Research Centre and Mai-Maasina Green Belt (MMGB) are excited to launch our new poster series in Malaita, Solomon Islands. Malaita, a volcanic island in the Solomons Archipelago, is covered in lush mountainous rainforests and surrounded by unique coral atolls. Its people are proud guardians of their land and rich Malaitan cultural heritage. However, unsustainable logging continues to threaten this Pacific nation, placing the Malaita forests at significant risk.
The vibrant posters highlight the value of protecting traditional livelihoods and cultural land practices. They reflect valuable insights gathered from local community members during 2023 and 2024 focus group discussions on land use and bottom-up strategies for sustainable livelihoods in Malaita. The posters are in three languages – English, Kwaio and `Are`are.
This compelling poster series is the first product of Jubilee Australia and MMGB’s partnership. The imagery is based on dynamic discussions with some Malaita community members from the Kwaio Mountains, Wai-Hau, Leleigele, Takataka, and Waisisi. These insightful conversations captured local people’s wisdom and lived experience on land use and their deep connection to land and forests.
In Malaita, some community members shared how logging has degraded the land and environment and contributed to social conflict in the Solomon Islands. In contrast, traditional land management practices, which communities still implement today, protect forests and maintain Malaita’s unique culture. Participants spoke of the importance of these practices in ensuring access to essential resources like food, water, shelter, and medicine to sustain current and future generations.
The posters visually capture participant’s reflections on the negative impacts of logging and the benefits of traditional land management practices. MMGB will share the posters with participating communities. Jubilee Australia and MMGB hope the posters continue to inspire conversations about land use and the importance of sustainable livelihoods within these communities.
Download the poster series here.
The launch of this series of posters signifies the first research for action project Mai Maasina Green Belt and Jubilee Australia Research Centre have achieved through our hikuha (partnership). These posters highlight the voices of grassroots people in our communities in Malaita, aiming to raise awareness of other communities, government and broader audiences about the importance of caring for the land and our traditional heritage. MMGB is a non-profit organization that advocates for intact forest management, wildlife protection, and cultural preservation in the Southern region of Malaita Province, Solomon Islands. Mai Maasina Green Belt stands in solidarity with communities in Malaita, who are facing the threats of logging and other destructive activities, that destroy the environment and livelihoods that local people rely on. We want to inspire local communities to take action and to build a sustainable future. –Felix Naitoro, Executive Member, Mai Maasina Green Belt
The poster series highlight the Maliata people’s close relationship with their land and forest. It is their livelihood, culture, history, resources, and future. However, the introduction of logging in Malaita and the Solomon Islands has disrupted people’s relationships with their land and culture. We hope the poster series amplifies local voices about the value of their land and helps inform local communities about the benefits of protecting forests from destructive activities like logging. -Tommy Esau, Pacific Outreach Specialist, Jubilee Australia Research Centre
Solomon Islands Pijin: “Mi hapi tumas fo tok abaotim waka wea Mai Maasina Green Belt en Jubilee Australia duim fo yumi. Bik waka nao oketa duim fo yumi. If yumi no waka tugeda wantem oketa bae hem no kasim osem. Nao yumi garen oketa posters hem kam aot, en oketa putim lo lagus wea bae fitim yumi. Posters ya hem impoten nao fo tisim lo famli levol blo yumi, fo yumi teachim lo oketa pikini blo yumi fo save gud aboatim lan blo oketa en riva blo oketa, en hao yumi save luk aftarim gud oketa risos blo yumi wea stap lo graon.”
English translation: “I’m happy to talk about the work that Mai Maasina Green Belt and Jubilee Australia have done for us. It is a big task. If the community was not willing to work together with them, we wouldn’t have this outcome and resources. Now that we have these posters out and translated to our local language. These posters will be important for education at the family level; to teach our children about their land, rivers and how to take good care of our resources on the ground.” -Joy Mairi Patai, woman elder from Takataka Eco-Village, East `Are `Are
Joy urged families and communities to use these posters to teach their children now, beginning at home, about the importance of the natural environment and the value of our land, and what damages logging has done to the land. She also encouraged young people to pursue education, gain knowledge and skills, and give back to their community—rather than using their education to harm their tribal land, as shown in the posters.
Contacts:
Tommy Easu, Pacific Outreach Specialist, Jubilee Australia Research Centre
Email: [email protected]
Emma Harvey, Communications and Engagement Specialist, Jubilee Australia Research Centre
Email, [email protected]
Felix Naitoro, Executive Member of Mai Maasina Green Belt
Email via MMBG: [email protected]
Cover photo: Wai-Hau Conservation Foundation poster launch, 2025
Photo credit: Jovi Totorea
For more information about Mai-Maasina Green Belt and its initiatives, visit https://mai-maasina.org/ or https://www.facebook.com/maimaasina . You can also visit and follow Jubilee Australia Research Centre website here Latest News – Jubilee Australia to know more.
