The Vanuatu flag is proudly flying at Western Bay of Plenty District Council’s Barkes Corner offices this week, to mark Vanuatu Bislama Language Week.
This year is the first time that Bislama, the national language of Vanuatu, has been included in the 2025 Pacific Language Weeks series, after qualifying for government recognition and funding from the Ministry for Pacific Peoples (MPP).
Vice President for Ni-Vanuatu Bay of Plenty Association, Ritchie Aru, presented Western Bay Mayor, James Denyer with the flag at a small ceremony yesterday.
Joseph Toara, who is national chair of the Vanuatu Bislama Language Week working party, says the flag raising was a very special moment.
“I would see all the other Pacific Island flags flying, and hoped one day the Vanuatu flag would be up there flying too,” says Joseph, who works at Council as an IT Support and Systems Administrator.
“Driving to work and seeing that every day, it’s really good. I feel very proud for our flag to be seen, and I hope it encourages other Pacific Island countries to get on board too.”
Bislama is a creole language spoken across Vanuatu’s 80+ islands, bridging over 100 local dialects, and is known for its expressive simplicity and warmth.
Vanuatu 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.
The 2025 theme for Vanuatu Bislama Language Week is ‘Tokabaot Klaemet Jenj – hemi ril mo yumi mas lukaotem laef – Talk about Climate Change – it is real, and we must look after life’.
