Home Mentees and Mentors Sevanaia Sakai, University of the South Pacific

Sevanaia Sakai, University of the South Pacific

Sevanaia Sakaia, Teaching Assistant and PhD Candidate | Grant Recipient and Mentee, 2022

Seva’s Manuscript Title – The Impacts of the Bainimarama Land Reforms on iTaukei landowners

The DevNet Pacific research initiative comes at a critical time when our regional university needs assistance to navigate the journey of young scholars and for that I would be always grateful. The research grant makes my academic lifeworld a reality, it allows me to locate myself within Oceania and contemplate the various problems and opportunities associated with it. It gives me the space to voice my views and my people, the indigenous people of Fiji and the Pacific region. The iTaukei, like the First People elsewhere, want a fair playing field  for dialogue so our voices are heard on issues concerning ourselves the most: our land, culture, environment, and future. At this juncture, I want to convey my appreciation to DevNet for hearing our stories and helping us to help ourselves because our future lies in this cordial intercourse.

I would like to give my sincere gratitude to my mentor, Dr Apisalome Movono, a former USP colleague and alumnus for his unwavering support during this write-up experience. We click, speak the same language,  understand the same problems and try to find the antidotes to issues endemic  to the region.

Hopefully our article ‘The Impacts of the Bainimarama Land Reforms on iTaukei landowners’ will finally find its space in the Journal of Pacific Studies soon.

Vina du riki Api and DevNet 2022!

Sevanaia

Seva’s Mentor

It was an absolute pleasure to be able to work with Sevanaia Sakai, who was not only a delight to mentor but also to learn from and grow as a colleague and USP Alumni. I wish to thank DevNet for the opportunity to engage in meaningful discussions with Seva, who is in the final stages of his PhD journey. Seva is a very capable indigenous Fijian researcher with many unique, cross-cutting insights from his years of experience and embedded research in Fiji.

The DevNet mentorship program has provided Seva and I with a platform to work on a joint journal article which the Journal of Pacific Studies is currently reviewing. The program has indeed been a worthwhile endeavour, paving a practical way to empower emerging researchers and allow for cross-country and cross-university partnerships.

Foremost, I have learnt a lot and continue to learn from Seva and others within the DevNet community. I look forward to DevNet2022 and continuing these rich exchanges that will empower us to navigate the troubled waters of development.

Vinaka Seva and vinaka saka vakalevu DevNet!

Api

Senior Lecturer, Apisalome Movono, Massey University

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