The exhibition Dance Protest, Project Banaba explores the social and environmental impact of phosphate mining on the central Pacific island of Banaba. In this talk connected to the exhibition, Banaban activist Rae Bainteiti outlines new threats posed by mining, including interests in mining the seabed of parts of the Pacific Ocean.
Environmental and social justice activist, Rae Bainteiti, will speak from personal experience about the impact of various forms of mining in the Pacific region and new threats presented by developing interests in deep seabed mining. In the 20th century, the British Phosphate Commissioners, a partnership between the UK, Australia, and New Zealand, mined 22 million tons of phosphate from the tiny island of Banaba. Briefly known as Ocean Island, this approximately 6km square island in the central Pacific, home to around 800 people, was decimated. In 1945, the population endured forced relocation to Rabi Island, Fiji. Rae is a descendant of Banaba committed to highlighting this history and the ongoing battle for recognition of community rights and the protection of natural resources across the Pacific. Rae will share his experiences working to protect the Pacific including insights from the 30th International Seabed Authority meetings he recently attended as part of his role with Greenpeace.
The venue for this talk is the exhibition Dance Protest: Project Banaba by Katerina Teaiwa
Rae Bainteiti is Pacific Political Coordinator for Greenpeace. Based in Fiji, Rae is of Banaban cultural heritage, and travels internationally as part of his advocacy for environmental and social justice. He works to address the impacts of phosphate mining on Banaba Island, focusing on human rights, policy reforms for Indigenous peoples, and sustainable development. He strives to raise awareness of the socio-environmental consequences of mining, to promote the restoration of Banaban lands, and to protect Pacific Islands, cultures, and communities, for future generations.
Header image: Banabans protesting phosphate mining on Banaba (Ocean Island), and seeking political sovereignty and independence from Great Britain and the Colony of the Gilbert Islands, 1979. Photo: courtesy Catherine Alexander.
