Epeli Hau’ofa Memorial Lecture 2025: “Alternatives in Development Narratives and Practice? Insights from Pasifika Faith and Indigenous Perspectives” with Rev. Dr. Cliff Bird
The Australian Association for Pacific Studies (AAPS) is delighted to announce that Rev. Dr. Cliff Bird will be delivering the Epeli Hau’ofa Memorial Lecture 2025 at the “Pacific Discourses and Destinies” biennial conference at the University of Sydney.
Alternatives in Development Narratives and Practice? Insights from Pasifika Faith and Indigenous Perspectives
This presentation advances the position that both faith and Indigenous perspectives in Pasifika are rich repositories that have sustained multiple generations of Islanders, and these embody the experiences, knowledge and wisdom that can both challenge and enrich development narratives and practices in our time. This position is further elaborated in the following approach: firstly, by weaving what could be argued as a pan-Pasifika conceptualisation of sea-land-sky web of living with the concept of “home” (Greek “Oikos”) as a way to reconnect economics, ecology and ecumene (in terms of its human constituents); secondly, by bringing to mind the significant ways in which faith-based organisations and churches in Pasifika have engaged in development-related advocacy since the 1980s; and thirdly, by introducing the Reweaving the Ecological Mat (REM) Framework for Development, which is an alternative vision and framework for a more ecologically-responsible, economically-just and culturally-sensitive-relevant approach to development as envisaged by the faith and academic community through the Pacific Conference of Churches, Pacific Theological College and the University of the South Pacific Oceania Centre for Arts, Culture and Pacific Studies.
Rev. Dr. Cliff Bird is one of Oceania’s leading theologians, a critical interdisciplinary thinker, a highly regarded regional and community leader, and a sought-after voice on social, economic, and ecological justice. Cliff is passionate about the intersectionalities of theology and faith with broader developmental issues and trends. He currently leads the Uniting Church’s response to the Pacific Australian Labour Mobility (PALM) program, and his most recent published work is Reweaving the Ecological Mat (2020) co-authored with Arnie Saiki and Meretui Ratunabuabua.
Rev. Dr. Bird has spent many years serving the church throughout Oceania, including as head of the Department of Theology and Ethics at Pacific Theological College, head of the Council for World Mission in Fiji, and Regional Coordinator of the Uniting World Pacific Office. Prior to that, he worked for the Solomon Islands Government, including as acting CEO of the National Provident Fund. In his current role he is responsible for resourcing the Uniting Church, including local churches and PALM scheme workers, to provide pastoral care and create genuine and inclusive communities.
Cliff initially studied economics and politics at the University of the South Pacific, followed by theology at Pacific Theological College. He completed his doctorate at Charles Sturt University in Canberra with the thesis Pepesa -The Household of Life: A Theological Exploration of Land in the Context of Change in Solomon Islands. He is married to Rev. Siera Bird, is a keen and knowledgeable fisherman, and belongs to Marovo Lagoon of Solomon Islands.
Event information:
Time: 5.30pm
Date: Tuesday, 3 June 2025.
To register for the Epeli Hau’ofa Memorial Lecture (which is free), visit the event registration webpage here.
To register for the entire conference with a wonderful set of keynotes, panels, papers and posters visit the conference website here.
To register for the post-graduate and ECR workshop that same afternoon, send an EOI to our postgraduate representatives, Romitesh Kant and Sarouche Razi at Romitesh.Kant@anu.edu.au and Sarouche.Razi@anu.edu.au.