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Culture essential but often ignored
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The new Adviser for culture at SPC’s
Human Development Programme (HDP), Elise
Huffer, says despite its essential role,
culture is an area that is often
neglected or marginalised in governance
and development policy.
Dr Huffer says her position at SPC gives
her the opportunity to actively promote
culture and address this ‘deficit’.
Before joining SPC, she worked for 11
years in the Pacific Studies Program,
formerly known as the Institute of
Pacific Studies, as a Senior Lecturer
and then Associate Professor at the
University of the South Pacific. |
She says the main cultural
issues in the Pacific today are developing a
regional cultural strategy, promoting the role
of young people in culture, creating greater
respect for Pacific people’s cultural values,
and protecting cultural heritage and traditional
knowledge and expressions of culture.
It is also important to highlight the essential
role of women who are sometimes neglected in
discussions about culture, she says. ‘Women are
strong actors of culture and yet they are also
portrayed as being discriminated against by
culture. We need to collect and disseminate a
lot more data on women’s roles in this sector
and promote their rightful place.’
Dr Huffer, who has an American mother and a
French father, says this background has given
her a broad perception of culture. ‘Speaking
different languages and understanding different
perspectives help instil an appreciation of
culture and the importance of its diversity.’
This mixed background together with the fact
that she has visited and worked in most Pacific
Island countries and territories during the
course of her tenure with the University of the
South Pacific makes her well suited to the role
of Culture Adviser at SPC. Particularly
impressive is her experience in dealing with
culture as a cross-sectoral issue relating it to
youth, gender and community-based education and
training.
Dr Huffer’s ties with SPC go back to the late
1980s when she lived in New Caledonia. As an
interesting anecdote, before the organisation
moved premises in 1995, her house stood where
SPC is now located. Over the years she has
worked as an SPC consultant – most recently, on
culture and gender-related projects. As well as
working with other SPC programmes in her new
job, she looks forward to working with regional
associations, organisations and institutions,
and international partners.
After six years at SPC, the previous Cultural
Affairs Adviser, Rhonda Griffiths, returned to
her native Norfolk Island to take up a
consultancy role.
Background
Elise Huffer studied in the USA and France and
was based at the IRD (formerly ORSTOM) in New
Caledonia where she undertook research on the
Pacific for her doctoral thesis in political
science and international relations. Her areas
of expertise include culture, gender, politics,
international relations and governance.
Dr Huffer is a competitive sportswoman and has
played rugby at top international level,
representing the USA (in 1991and 1994) at
Women’s Rugby World Cup tournaments. She has
been competing in outrigger paddling in Fiji
since the 1998 Suva World Sprints
She is married and has two daughters.
In addition to English and French, her two
mother tongues, Dr Huffer speaks Spanish and
basic Fijian.
Contact
For more information please contact Tione
Chinula, SPC Human Development Programme
Advocacy and Communications Officer (Tel: +687
26 01 57 or e-mail
tionec@spc.int); or Elise Huffer, SPC
Human Development Programme Adviser for Culture
(Tel: +679 337 0733 ext 316 or e-mail
eliseh@spc.int)
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