“Rights & Religion – Considerations for Pacific
Development”
Bronwyn Fraser
Manager, Livelihoods & Peacebuilding programs (Pacific)
UnitingWorld Relief and Development is:
•Overseas Agency of the Uniting Church in Australia
•Fully accredited with DFAT
•A full member of the Australian Council for
International Development (ACFID) and signatory to
the ACFID Code of Conduct
•A member of the Action by Churches Together (ACT)
Alliance
Percentage of People Identifying as Christian across the Pacific
Region
Christian
Faith other than
Christian
Pew Research Centre (2012)
People Identifying as Christian as compared to Population Size for Pacific Nations
1000000
900000
800000
700000
600000
500000
400000
300000
200000
100000
0
8000000
6000000
4000000
2000000
0
PNG
Population
Christian
Pew Research Centre (2012)
Model of Culture
Behaviour
Values
Beliefs
Worldviews
Dr Lloyd Kwast (1992)
A Tongan Minister after attending a
workshop on Rights and Protection:
“Thank you for the workshop. Now I know
that I must ask permission before I beat my
wife”
A church leader in Vanuatu talking about the
Family Protection Act in Vanuatu:
“This is violence against men!” [when asked
to explain]: “I hear my wife is having an
affair, I come home and beat her and she
can go to the court and get a restraining
order out on me. That’s violence against
men! She should have gone to the church
minister to help sort it out.” (2013)
Solomon Islands United Church Women’s
Fellowship
When asked if women are equal, they all agreed
“yes”. When asked if husbands should beat their
wives, they answer “No”.
When asked if they could leave their husbands to
seek safety and protect themselves – they
responded “No”. It would break their marriage
vow to God and therefore they must stay.
Church Leader in Vanuatu:
“If a Minister was involved in causing abuse,
we would suspend him for a year, pastorally
care for him and then reinstate him. We
wouldn’t go to the courts” [When asked
about the victim]: “They should forgive and
forget”
Rev Dr Cliff Bird
UnitingWorld Pacific
Coordinator.
Pacific Office