Civil Society Forum of Tonga

21/10/2026

🌊 The road to High Seas COP1 begins with understanding the BBNJ Agreement.

CSFT is pleased to join the High Seas Alliance, Blue Resources Trust and the Pacific Conference of Churches in supporting awareness and understanding of the High Seas Treaty across the Asia-Pacific region.

📣 Register for the BBNJ 101 – Path to COP1 webinar and learn more about the Agreement and what lies ahead.

Sign up for our Asia-Pacific BBNJ 101 webinar!

With High Seas COP1 just a few months away, we are joining forces with Blue Resources Trust, Civil Society Forum of Tonga and Pacific Conference of Churches for a deep dive into the High Seas Treaty.

BBNJ 101 - Path to COP1 is a new “Let’s Talk BBNJ” webinar for the Asia-Pacific region, breaking down the BBNJ Agreement and its pillars, and exploring the COP1 process to see how the Agreement will work in practice.

With no prior knowledge required, the webinar explores what the Treaty covers (from marine protected areas to sharing of marine genetic resources) and what to expect from the historic COP1 in January.

🗓️22 October 2026, 2pm AEDT
🔗Register: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_YCGw0D-9RcOzqsHQyMv-YA

21/10/2026

🌱🇹🇴 We acknowledge and thank the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests - MAFF for its leadership and continued support for youth participation in Tonga’s agricultural development.

Investing in young people and creating opportunities for them to lead their own initiatives is essential to strengthening agriculture, improving livelihoods and building a more sustainable and resilient agrifood system.

20/10/2026

❤️💙 Congratulations to the Tonga Family Health Association (TFHA) and Executive Director Pelenatita Kara on one year of leadership, dedication, and progress! 🌺

We value our close working relationship with TFHA and celebrate this important milestone as the organisation continues to strengthen its work and advance Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights in Tonga.

Mālō ’aupito, Pelenatita, and the entire TFHA team for your continued commitment and contributions to the people of Tonga. Wishing you continued success in the journey ahead! 🇹🇴🤝

🎉❤️💙 CELEBRATING ONE YEAR OF LEADERSHIP, TRANSFORMATION, AND PROGRESS AT TFHA! 🌺

Today, the Tonga Family Health Association (TFHA) proudly celebrates the first anniversary of Pelenatita Kara’s leadership as Executive Director, following her appointment in October 2025.

✨ One year of leadership. One year of resilience. One year of meaningful progress.

Over the past 12 months, TFHA has achieved significant organisational milestones, demonstrating a renewed commitment to strengthening governance, improving accountability, expanding programmes, and advancing Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) in Tonga.

👏 A YEAR OF SIGNIFICANT ACHIEVEMENTS

Under Pelenatita’s leadership, and through the collective efforts of the TFHA team, the organisation has made important progress, including:

✅ Addressing a three-year audit backlog.
✅ Conducting TFHA’s first Annual General Meeting (AGM) since 2022.
✅ Establishing a new Executive Council.
✅ Completing the IPPF Accreditation process.
✅ Securing and implementing five new projects.
✅ Securing additional staff benefits to support the welfare of our dedicated workforce.

These achievements represent more than organisational milestones. They reflect determination, teamwork, and a shared commitment to building a stronger, more accountable, and sustainable organisation.

❤️ OUR SINCERE APPRECIATION TO OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

TFHA extends its heartfelt appreciation to Pelenatita Kara for her leadership, dedication, perseverance, and commitment throughout this first year. Leading an organisation through change requires vision, courage, and the ability to bring people together towards a common goal. We acknowledge her contribution to strengthening TFHA and guiding the organisation towards its future aspirations.

In reflecting on her leadership journey, Pelenatita shared:

💬 “No man is an island, and I just happened to work with some of the most dedicated people in the SRH space, backed by an extremely experienced Board of Directors.”

She also expressed her gratitude to Mrs Imaima Havea, former Honourable President of TFHA, saying:

💬 “Thank you to former Hon President of TFHA Mrs Imaima Havea for seeing the potential in me to lead a committed team.”

🙏 We also acknowledge the invaluable contributions of the TFHA Board of Directors, Executive Council, staff, partners, and supporters. These achievements are a testament to the importance of collective leadership, mutual trust, and collaboration.

🌺 A LEADER, A TEAM, A SHARED VISION

TFHA is privileged to have Pelenatita Kara as its leader, colleague, and captain as we continue to strengthen our organisation and advance SRHR across our island nation.

As we celebrate this important milestone, we look forward to building on the progress achieved, strengthening partnerships, and expanding our impact for the people of Tonga and the wider Pacific.

🎊 Mālō 'aupito, Pelenatita, for your leadership, dedication, and continued commitment to TFHA’s mission. May the journey ahead bring even greater achievements as we move forward together.

❤️💙 One year of leadership. A stronger organisation. A shared commitment to a healthier future.

🚀 FORWARD AND ONWARD!

19/10/2026

Rolling Out the Citizens’ Budget Guide (CBG) 2026/2027 Outreach Awareness in Vava’u!

The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) officially kicks off its CBG 2026/2027 Outreach Awareness Programme this morning at Tefisi, Vava’u, for the Western District, followed by another consultation this evening for the Leimatu’a District.

The consultations are led by CSFT’s Public Finance Management Coordinator and Project Officer, Mr. Mapa Taumalolo, alongside the Chairman of the Board of Directors, Mr. Drew Havea.

This initiative aims to bring the national budget closer to grassroots communities, promote fiscal transparency and accountability, and empower citizens to understand, engage with, and have their voices heard on how public resources are allocated and spent.

We gratefully acknowledge the Tonga Australia Support Platform (TASP) for its generous financial support, which makes this important outreach initiative possible and strengthens civil society participation in public financial management.

Making the national budget everyone’s business! 🇹🇴

18/10/2026

🌱🇹🇴 Congratulations to Tonga National Youth Congress 2026 (TNYC)!

The launch of the World Food Forum’s National Youth Chapter in Tonga marks an important step towards strengthening youth engagement and leadership in agriculture and agrifood systems.

Launched on 12 October 2026 at FAO Headquarters, the initiative is part of the World Food Forum’s Global Youth Action Initiative, with new chapters in Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea.

Olive Mafi attended the launch, joining youth representatives and delegates from across the region to celebrate this important milestone.

Agriculture and livelihoods are key priorities for TNYC, with a focus on organic farming. Through this new chapter, young people will have greater opportunities to engage in agriculture, shape their own initiatives and lead work that responds to their needs and aspirations.

Supporting young farmers means looking beyond production to the entire value chain — from building capacity and improving market access to using digital tools for marketing and ensuring young people can access the support they need to lead their own initiatives.

We acknowledge the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Forests - MAFF for its leadership and continued inclusion of young people in its efforts. We look forward to continued collaboration with the Ministry and Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)FAO Pacific to ensure Tonga’s young farmers are supported and empowered to lead their work in this sector.

Congratulations to TNYC on this exciting new initiative and its commitment to creating opportunities for the next generation of agricultural leaders! 🌾

16/10/2026

💙🇹🇴 Celebrating Inclusion and 12 Years of TNVIA!

The Civil Society Forum of Tonga (CSFT) was pleased to join our member organisation, the Tonga National Visual Impairment Association (TNVIA), in celebrating International White Cane Day and its 12th anniversary.

The celebration brought people together to recognise the abilities, talents and contributions of persons who are blind or have visual impairments, while promoting inclusion, independence and equal opportunities for all.

Congratulations to TNVIA on 12 years of dedicated service and advocacy. May your continued work help build a more inclusive Tonga where everyone has the opportunity to participate, contribute and thrive. 💙

16/10/2026

🌊🇹🇴 Protecting the Moana, Preserving Our Knowledge

“The Moana is our lifeline. Traditional knowledge is our compass, and our children are the navigators of tomorrow.”

During the Pacific Pre-COP31 side event hosted by CSFT in Fiji, Captain Aunofo Havea Funaki, speaking on behalf of the Tonga Voyaging Society, shared a powerful reminder of the connections between traditional voyaging knowledge, ocean protection and the future of Pacific communities.

Her message reflects the importance of preserving Indigenous knowledge and passing it on to future generations as we work together to protect our ocean.

When we protect the Moana, we protect life itself. 💙

Thank you to Pacific Network on Globalisation for capturing and sharing this important contribution.

16/10/2026

🌊🇹🇴 The ocean, climate and biodiversity are deeply interconnected.

During Pacific Pre-COP31 in Fiji, CSFT hosted a side event that brought together Pacific voices to discuss the connections between ocean protection, climate action and biodiversity.

Tonga’s Prime Minister, Lord Fatafehi Fakafānua, highlighted the importance of moving beyond siloed approaches in international negotiations, recognising that nature does not operate within the boundaries we create between policy areas.

As the host of this discussion, CSFT values opportunities to bring together government, regional partners, civil society and community voices to strengthen collective action for our Blue Pacific.

15/10/2026

🇹🇴🌱 Proud to be part of this story!

Again, it is wonderful to see the work of Friends of Tonga and its local partners highlighted following their recognition as the 2026 .ORG Impact Awards Environmental Stewardship winner! 🏆

CSFT is proud to be among the local partners featured in this video, sharing the importance of community-led action, meaningful partnerships, and locally driven solutions.

We are grateful for our continued partnership with Friends of Tonga and, most importantly, the communities and local leaders who are at the heart of this work.

Mālō ‘aupito to everyone involved in bringing these stories to light and showcasing the collective efforts towards a more resilient Tonga 🇹🇴❤️

14/10/2026

🌊🌏 Pacific Youth Leadership in Ocean and Climate Action

Great to see CSFT’s Program Manager, Olive Mafi, also representing the Pacific Youth Council (PYC), highlighting the important role of young people in advancing ocean and climate action during Pacific Pre-COP31 in Fiji.

Her message reinforces the need to move beyond youth consultation towards meaningful partnerships, sustained funding and greater opportunities for young people to shape decisions that affect their future.

Pacific youth are already leading change. Our responsibility is to ensure they have the support and space to continue. 💙

Thank you, WWF Pacific, for highlighting this important conversation.