{"id":1591,"date":"2025-11-05T22:18:08","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T22:18:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/?p=1591"},"modified":"2026-03-01T21:19:43","modified_gmt":"2026-03-01T21:19:43","slug":"communities-consent-for-wish-pacific-project","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/2025\/11\/05\/communities-consent-for-wish-pacific-project\/","title":{"rendered":"Communities consent for WISH Pacific Project"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>At the core of the WISH Pacific Project&#8217;s ethical engagement is the <strong>Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC)<\/strong> process. To understand its importance, we must first look at the foundations of <strong>Planetary Health<\/strong> in the Pacific &#8211; a framework built on the deep connection between human well-being and environmental health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In Fiji and across the Pacific, <strong>culture and environment are inseparable<\/strong>. Fijian life is shaped by traditions, customary governance, and relational community structures. When projects use a purely Western scientific lens, they risk failing because they overlook the very systems that govern daily decision-making. The WISH Project&#8217;s approach was powerful in its simplicity: <strong>localize Planetary Health<\/strong>, root solutions in Indigenous practices, and let change grow from within.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The WISH Project was designed to address the drivers of ill-health by combining <strong>ecosystem-based interventions<\/strong> with water safety and sanitation measures. Success required a <strong>whole-of-government, whole-of-community<\/strong> approach, bringing together partners from iTaukei Affairs, Health, Rural Development, and others.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>While technical interventions are vital, how we engage is paramount. The Ministry of iTaukei Affairs required written community consent via FPIC. Lacking detailed guidance, we co-designed a robust process that generated value far beyond a simple signature.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FPIC is essential because it:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Recognizes and respects<\/strong> the rights of Indigenous communities.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Empowers<\/strong> communities to discuss and set conditions for project design and implementation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Builds trust and respect<\/strong> by ensuring active, inclusive participation and proper information sharing.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reduces risks<\/strong> and lays the groundwork for future collaboration.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>This ethical commitment was extended to all communities, including those of Fijians of Indian descent, ensuring every key stakeholder fully understood and consented to the project&#8217;s direction.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>To ensure genuine, ethical engagement, we co-designed and rolled out a <strong>3-Stage FPIC framework<\/strong> over five months across the communities. This process moved beyond simple consultation, embedding respect and participation at every level.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The three phases were:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ol start=\"1\" class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Phase 1: Engaging Traditional Leaders<\/strong> &#8211; Gaining formal entry and consent from village councils and chiefs, respecting the correct hierarchical protocols.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase 2: Awareness Consultations<\/strong> &#8211; Joint presentations with government partners on project objectives, risks, and benefits, ensuring full information disclosure.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Phase 3: Collective Consent<\/strong> &#8211; Communities formally made their decision, which was often a <strong>&#8220;Yes, with conditions.&#8221;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n<p>This conditional consent was key. Of all the households that consented, many attached requirements for additional support, such as infrastructure improvements, stronger resource management, and &#8211; crucially &#8211; that <strong>all research findings be shared back with them first.<\/strong> By honoring these conditions, the project demonstrated respect and accountability, which led directly to community ownership.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The FPIC framework built a bridge between traditional governance and scientific assessments, proving that consent is not a transaction, but a long-term relationship.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The impact of this approach included:<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Strengthened Local Governance:<\/strong> Communities enhanced their water and sanitation committees.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Empowered Leadership:<\/strong> They developed locally led Water Safety and Sanitation Plans based on their own community profiles and improvement strategies.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Increased Legitimacy:<\/strong> By working through customary governance systems, we built lasting trust and legitimacy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>Obtaining FPIC enabled communities to <strong>lead decision-making<\/strong>, respecting their autonomy and traditional knowledge, making interventions stronger and more sustainable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Working within community systems brings realities that must be embraced, not feared. We see these not as obstacles, but as considerations that guide a better way to engage:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Consideration<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Description<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>Solution-Oriented Mindset<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Hierarchy of Leadership<\/strong><\/td><td>Engagement must follow the layered structure of traditional chiefs, church leaders, and government. Bypassing a leader can break community trust.<\/td><td>Acknowledge identity and respect by following the correct order of protocols.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Government Staff Turnover<\/strong><\/td><td>High staff changes require constant re-explanation and orientation, weakening consistency.<\/td><td>Implement strong documentation and continuity plans that outlast individuals.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Community Commitment<\/strong><\/td><td>Funerals, weddings, and religious events take precedence over external engagements, reflecting the heart of community life.<\/td><td>Build patience and flexibility into timelines; respect these priorities by adjusting schedules.<\/td><\/tr><tr><td><strong>Cultural Nuances<\/strong><\/td><td>Subtle expectations regarding tone, who to address first, and non-verbal cues.<\/td><td>Practice <strong>cultural humility &#8211;<\/strong>ask, observe, and adapt to form deep bonds of trust.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>These realities remind us that the work is always <strong>people first<\/strong>. When people feel respected, engaged, and valued, lasting change becomes possible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The WISH Project experience demonstrates that <strong>Indigenous consent frameworks are vital for Planetary Health<\/strong>. Customary governance strengthens legitimacy and ownership. When science and culture walk together, partnerships are respectful, communities are empowered, and both people and ecosystems thrive.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>At the core of the WISH Pacific Project&#8217;s ethical engagement is the Free, Prior, and Informed Consent (FPIC) process. To understand its importance, we must first look at the foundations of Planetary Health in the Pacific &#8211; a framework built on the deep connection between human well-being and environmental health. In Fiji and across the [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":8,"featured_media":1593,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-1591","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1591","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/8"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=1591"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1591\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1592,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1591\/revisions\/1592"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1593"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=1591"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=1591"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/wishfiji.sydney.edu.au\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=1591"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}