Artivism Echoing Through the Halls of Power

For generations, the people of Banaba have carried the weight of displacement and colonial extraction. Stripped of their homeland by phosphate mining that fueled agricultural industries far from the Pacific, Banabans were forcibly relocated with their island left uninhabitable. Yet, their efforts for justice have never faded.

Over the last four years, our collaboration with the Banaban Human Rights Defenders Network (BHRDN) has leveraged artivism for advocacy. The Justice for Rabi: The Story of Banaba Exhibit brought to life the lived experiences of Banaban communities through art, photography, and storytelling which communicated this complex history in a transformative manner, demonstrating the power of art as a tool for advocacy. Our latest advocacy efforts have demonstrated how artivism works not only to engage communities but also policymakers.

In 2023, the physical exhibit made waves in Auckland, New Zealand and has been echoing through our global network through the virtual exhibit. In addition to widespread awareness and mobilization of supporters, the exhibit has been an advocacy tool for our partnership. 

Visit the Virtual Exhibit

In the UN’s most significant human rights review process, the UPR, we ensured that Banaban concerns were on the agenda. Bringing together pro bono legal research, human rights reporting, lobbying, and artivism, governments were compelled to listen. Our recommendations, grounded in grassroots realities, became part of the official record. This is what it means to move from storytelling to systems change: a community’s lived experience shaping international human rights discourse.

None of this happens in isolation. The ability to connect art with advocacy, grassroots demands with global mechanisms, relies on those who believe in the power of this work. Your support enables initiatives like this to flourish — not just for Banaba, but for communities worldwide dismantling unjust systems. When we invest in artivism, we unlock new avenues for awareness, action, and accountability. Thank you for standing with us.