“…the cultural heritage of the Pacific is an invaluable treasure, bound up with SPC’s history and key to our region’s future”
What we do
The SPC Social Development Programme works to ensure that Pacific people are empowered to attain their development potential and improve their wellbeing, through progressing gender equality, youth development and promoting cultural diversity.
The work areas that fall under the Social Development Programme, namely gender, culture and youth, are crosscutting. They have a strong impact on all programming and operations and they are an integral component of SPC’s multi-sectoral work to support the achievement of development goals for Pacific communities.
Why it matters
The cultural heritage of the Pacific is ones of its richest treasures. Included in this heritage of traditional knowledge and practices are elements of medicine, sustainability, ocean management, agriculture and more- knowledge that is being increasingly recognized for its potential to advance modern science. The protection of this heritage is a priority for all people of the Pacific, and offers unique insights into traditions that could prove invaluable in our common quest for a more sustainable planet.
People are at the centre of all development. The way people interact in society, and the norms that facilitate such interaction, shape development processes and often will be the determining factor in the success and sustainability of any project. Women, men, young people and children including those with disabilities have each have different strengths and different vulnerabilities. How these differences impact them are important considerations in the context of policy and programme interventions at all levels in Pacific countries and territories.
