Celebrate: 27 July – 2 August
Embracing a culture's language is a means to strengthening its cultural identity, preserving its heritage, and building a sense of belonging.
Bislama Language Week in New Zealand is brand new! In collaboration with the Ministry for Pacific Peoples, it is a week-long celebration that focuses on the Bislama language, one of the official languages of Vanuatu. Bislama is a creole language that originated from English and various Melanesian languages, and it serves as a lingua franca for many people in Vanuatu.
The theme of the 2025 Bislama Language Week is “Tokabaot klaemet jenj – hemi tru mo yumi maslukaotem gud laef,” which translates to “Talk about Climate Change – it is true, and we must look after life.”
According to the World Risk Report 2024, Vanuatu is ranked as the world’s most at-risk country to natural disasters and extreme weather events. Climate change is the greatest ongoing threat to the well-being and livelihoods of the Ni Vanuatu people and their ecosystems.
Just like other Pacific Language Weeks supported throughout the year by the Ministry, Bislama Language Week is part of New Zealand’s broader effort to celebrate and acknowledge the growing cultural diversity of Pacific Island communities. Bislama joins Rotuma, Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands Māori, Tonga, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue, Tokelau, and Solomon Islands, bringing the total to 12 Pacific language weeks.
For more information about this and other language weeks, including a calendar of events, social media graphics, and posters, please visit the Ministry for Pacific Peoples website:
mpp.govt.nz/programmes/pacific-language-weeks/
