Paper short abstract:

Climate change and its consequences are driving the spread of numerous social movements contesting the environmental disruption. In this paper, I analyze the narratives and tactics of the Pacific Climate Warriors in relation to local ecologies in Ouvéa, an island off the coast of New Caledonia.

Paper long abstract:

Climate change and its consequences, especially in Oceania, are driving the spread of numerous social movements contesting the politics of the present and the actual environmental disruption. In this paper, I analyze the narratives and tactics of the Pacific Climate Warriors, a transnational organization with strong ties to international association 350.org; and local ecologies in Ouvéa, an island off the coast of New Caledonia. While the Pacific Climate Warriors rhetoric tries to regain agency for its militants, contesting the victimization of the Pacific islands and islanders, the Warriors are strongly demanding international action to stop the process of climate change. On the other side, there is no official climate movement in Ouvéa (nor Pacific Warriors fighting against climate change) despite the consciousness of the ecological ravage that takes place on the island: the environmental issues in Ouvéa (broadly in New Caledonia) are strongly tied to politics and to the colonial regime under which New Caledonia is still governed by France today. These two different modes of protesting and organizing, while analogous and simultaneous (they share the same vindications), are not communicating between them due to the diverse languages they are speaking. Which knowledges can the anthropologist produce to help the situation? Acting as a medium between these two realities, can he/she build a bridge to connect transnational social movements and local ecologies?