The University of the South Pacific (USP), in partnership with the World Bank Group, launches a new panel discussion series to debate the big development issues facing the Pacific region, with the first panel on healthy oceans set for this evening, broadcast worldwide from the university’s Suva campus.

The new series Future Pasifika will feature thought leaders, activists, private sector representatives and youth leaders from the Pacific, with each hour-long event tackling a topic at the heart of the Pacific’s future, with the aim of generating debate and new ideas.

The inaugural Future Pasifika panel on healthy oceans will feature the founder of J. Hunter pearls and oceans advocate, Justin Hunter; Coordinator of the Pacific Network on Globalisation, Maureen Penjueli; University of the South Pacific Senior Lecturer in Marine Studies, Dr. Stuart Kininmonth; and Project Survival Pacific representative, Zakiyyah Ali.

The July 15 Future Pasifika panel will be livestreamed to all USP campuses and online via World Bank Live, while the Australian Broadcasting Corporation will air the debate via their popular Big Ideas program at a later date. The panel will take place in front of a live audience, with questions invited from attendees and online viewers through Facebook and Twitter using the hashtag #FuturePasifika.