42 Leaders Selected to Attend the 2022 Young Pacific Leaders Conference
The U.S. Department of State, in partnership with Cultural Vistas, is pleased to share that 36 Delegates and 6 Alumni Mentors were selected to attend the 2022 Young Pacific Leaders Conference in Honolulu, Hawaii, over the dates July 18-21, 2022. The leaders were selected from a competitive application process open to applicants ages 25-35 from Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Islands of French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and the American-affiliated Pacific including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii.
The eighth Young Pacific Leaders Conference will focus on the theme Pacific Engagement 2.0: Carving New Paths for Regional Cooperation and will bring together leaders from throughout the Pacific region to develop new connections, advance leadership skills, and create opportunities for collaboration in solving regional and global challenges connected to YPL’s four programmatic themes: Education; Environment and Resource Management; Civic Leadership; and Economic and Social Development. Following the Conference, participants and the larger YPL community will participate in YPL LEADS, a month-long event in August 2022, highlighting the YPL program through community service activities in the Pacific.
For a list of the 2022 YPL Conference Delegates and Alumni Mentors, please see below:
Mary Cheung-Fuk (American Samoa; United States)
Zhanae Dodd (Australia)
Mark Munnich (Australia)
Mary Maselina Harm (Australia)
Nakita Irvin (Fiji)
Adi Ma’aka Amelia Bosenituraga, Caucau (Fiji)
Ratu Semisi Rakuro Seruitanoa (Fiji)
Rosite McGowan (Fiji/Kiribati)
Jayne Jasmin de Guzman (Guam; United States)
Landon Chinen (Hawaii; United States)
Courtney Choy (Hawaii; United States)
Océane Lorphelin (Islands of French Polynesia; France)
Niga (Isaiah) Haulangi (Nauru)
Kim-Lou Cargnelli (New Caledonia; France)
Marie-Eve Perrin (New Caledonia; France)
Findlay George Jacob-Sauer (New Zealand)
Asena Tolungamaka (New Zealand)
Sulu-Danielle Aso Sarai Joshua (Tokelau; New Zealand)
Winona Ngaro (Niue)
Ashleigh Vialesana Pihigia (Niue)
Ianthe B. Douglas (Palau)
Elchung Gladys Hideyos (Palau)
Kim Allen (Papua New Guinea)
Phillie Julai (Papua New Guinea)
Raylance Mesa (Papua New Guinea)
Emilson Brayan (Republic of the Marshall Islands)
Bedi Racule (Republic of the Marshall Islands)
Orion Tiatia (Samoa)
Mary Lucy Suimae (Solomon Islands)
Sheila Therese Babauta (Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands; United States)
Maru Mariri-Tepou (The Cook Islands)
Axel Defngin (The Federated States of Micronesia)
Lutimila Fatai (Tonga)
Tuitala Lasifo (Tuvalu)
Torika Kalman (Vanuatu)
Kiesha Dais, (The Cook Islands)
Yolarnie Amepou (Alumni Mentor, Papua New Guinea)
Elsie Bong (Alumni Mentor, Vanuatu)
Akshay Deo (Alumni Mentor, Fiji)
Michael Dyer (Alumni Mentor, Australia)
Natalia Fareti (Alumni Mentor, New Zealand)
Nathan Robert Chong-Nee (Alumni Mentor, Samoa)
The Young Pacific Leaders (YPL) Initiative focuses on strengthening leadership development for emerging leaders in Australia, the Cook Islands, Fiji, the Federated States of Micronesia, the Islands of French Polynesia, Kiribati, the Marshall Islands, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu, Wallis and Futuna, and the American-affiliated Pacific including American Samoa, Guam, the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands, and Hawaii. For more information on the Young Pacific Leaders Initiative, please visit https://nz.usembassy.gov/young-pacific-leaders/.
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