TBC

TBC

As a Pasifika woman, and community researcher, a mother, wife, daughter aunty, niece, my work is shaped by the values, responsibilities, and relationships that anchor our ways of being. In this plenary, I share insights from more than a decade of community-led research with Pasifika women in Queensland, demonstrating how prevention is strengthened—and sustained—when it is grounded in culture, collective identity, and the relational space of vā that holds our communities together. ‘Our People, Our Way’ is the lens through which I speak, work, and stand as a Pasifika woman. Drawing from lived experience, community wisdom and culturally grounded research, I challenge mainstream prevention frameworks that often overlook or misunderstand Pasifika strengths. By centring my own positionality, I explore how Pasifika communities in Australia are reframing prevention in ways that honour spirituality, family, cultural obligation and the interconnectedness that defines our wellbeing. Drawing from Talanoa, vā theory and participatory action research, I reflect on the journey of codesigning the Pasifika Women’s Diabetes Wellness Program alongside Elders, Indigenous Knowledge Holders, and the Pasifika Women’s Alliance. This work reveals how Pasifika women lead as cultural navigators, health advocates and protectors of communal wellbeing—mobilising prevention through relationships, reciprocity and cultural continuity. This presentation highlights three interconnected pillars—community, culture and connection, as essential foundations for prevention that is not only effective but sustaining. I argue that cultural ways of knowing, being and doing are central to achieving equity and shaping prevention approaches that truly serve our communities!