BOX Oceania is a family of peoples that aspire to:
- boost voices and visibility of the peoples of Moana Pasifika living and loving within and beyond the rainbow and
- navigate ancestral knowledges to activate decolonising gender and sexuality work that
- imagines and create futures inclusive of QTIPOC+ peoples and their families.
Membership is based on relationships of love, respect and reciprocity. The notion of ‘teu le va’ – adorning and valuing our relational spaces – encapsulates our approach to individuals and groups around us. BOX Oceania doesn’t really follow westernised membership processes. People can jump in to whatever projects we are doing that they like and collaboration, not competition, is encouraged.
Surviving can be a struggle and we strive to operate in ways that enhance peoples’ everyday lives and try to avoid common issues such as volunteer burnout. People of colour including those of Oceania are under-served and under-represented in many of our communities. Many face racism and discrimination within rainbow communities too. Pasifika and Māori live in their home region of Oceania and are still at a greater risk of self-harm and suicide living here.
Colonisation has meant that much of our indigenous knowledge on gender and sexuality has been stolen from us by Pālagi systems that need to be more aware of the impacts, and how to stop perpetuating harmful myths about our communities.
Tapping into our indigenous knowledges benefits us more than simply copying and pasting gaystream thought onto who we are as guardians of Moana Pasifika. BOX Oceania is action to row into the opportunity to imagine and create supportive spaces of solidarity for ourselves instead of waiting for others to recognise us.
We are part of the under-represented communities that we are serving and so have some insight into what is missing for us that love within and beyond binaries ourselves. We will continue to push our paddles into the water for the people, by the people.
BOX Oceania 