HISTORICAL Hon. Ralph Regenvanu’s Opening Speech VPride Fashion Show

Oct 29, 2021 | Initiatives and Projects | 0

Honorable Ralph Regenvanu delivering his speech at the beginning of the event

V-Pride is a Vanuatu community-based, Non-Government Organization founded in 2007 to help educate, advocate, and mobilize diverse sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and sex characteristics (SOGIESC). The organization has been supported by the United Nations Development Fund (UNDP) through the Global fund and has maintained longstanding partnerships with various government agencies such as the Ministry of Health, the Ministry of Education and Training, the Ministry of Justice through the Gender Protection cluster within the Department of Women’s Affairs and the diplomatic representations in Vanuatu.

As part of the organization’s annual work program, VPride hosted their annual “Runway Fashion Show”; an event that aims to advance the cause of SOGIE through promoting local talents, creating cultural designs and celebrating the authenticity and inclusiveness of the Vanuatu’s fashion industry. Six designers were selected to showcase a collection of over 80 outfits and over 500 guests attended this much anticipated event.

A particularly historic component of the VPride Fashion Show on October 9^th was the opening speech by the Leader of the Opposition, Honorable Ralph Regenvanu. Long known for his deep commitment to human rights and inclusion for all, Hon. Regenvanu addressed the crowd, talking about the importance of acknowledging the contributions of VPride in the area of fashion and other key parts of society. Hon Regenvanu emphasized the importance about Vanuatu meeting its international and national obligations to make sure no one is left behind.

Hon. Ralph Regenvanu’s speech:

“GUD EVENING LONG YUMI EVERIWAN!

MI KAT PLEASURE MO ONA IA BLONG MEKEM WAN SMOL TOKTOK TEDE LONG NAET LONG BIHAF BLONG VPRIDE KOMITI. TUNAET, YUMI SELEBRETEM WOK WE VPRIDE I STAP MEKEM, BLONG SAVE PUTUM TUGETA WAN FASHION SHOW WE EMI REFLEKTEM MO PROMOTEM CREATIVITI MO SKILLS BLONG SIX LOKOL FASHION DISAENA. KOMITI I BIN STATEM WOK IA BLONG OVA SIX (6) MANIS NAO MO OLI RILI KLAD BLONG SAVE SHEREM FRUT BLONG HADWOK BLONG OLGETA WETEM YUMI TUNAET.

VPRIDE EMI WAN NON-KAVMAN OKANAESESEN WE I BON LONG 2007 LONG VANUATU, MO OFIS BLONG HEM I STAP LONG TAGABE AREA, CLOSAP LONG WAN SMOL BAG THEATRE. WOK BLONG VPRIDE EMI BLONG EDUKETEM, ADVOKETEM MO MOBALAEZEM DIVERSE SEXUAL ORIENTESEN, GENDA AEDENTITI, EXPRESEN MO SEX KARAKTERISTIC, WE FULAP LONG YUMI TEDE I KOLEM OL “SOGIESC” LONG INKLIS LANWIS.

VPRIDE I STAP MEKEM PLANTE AWENESS KAMPEN INSAED LONG OL KOMUNITI, OL JEJ, OL INSITUSEN MO OL BUSNIS LONG SAED BLO TOLERENS MO AKSEPTENS I KO LONG OL KOMUNITIS, INSTITUTIONS MO OLO JIOJS. TEDE, YUMI STAP REFER LONG OLGETA PLANTE OLSEM OL “ VULNERABLE OR LGBTQ’ KOMUNITI : “LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER MO QUEER.” FROM OL GUDFALA WOK BLONG VPRIDE, TEDE YUMI LUKIM PLANTE LGBTQ MEMBA OLI PLE SAM KEY ROLE LONG EKONOMI MO DIVELOPMEN BLONG VANUATU, AFTA 40 YIA BLONG INDIPENDENS.

LONG TUNAET, YUMI KAT SIXFALA LOKOL DISAENA, EVRIWAN OLI MEMBA BLONG LGBTQ KOMUNITI LONG VANUATU.

MI WANTEM KONGRATULETEM:

CLIFFORD PAKOA,
2. ALBERT KALONUK & SAMSEN KALOPONG,
3. NEIL STEPHENS,
4. NICKSON KAMMY,
5. GILBERT MERMER, MO
6. GILLIO KALEEZY BAXTER,

MBAE YUMI NO MAS FOKETEM SE OL LGBTQ KOMUNITI OLI STIL WAN “MARGINAL” POPULESEN LONG KANTRI TEDE, MO YUMI STIL NID BLONG MEKEM FULAP MOA WOK BLONG SAVE PROTEKTEM HELT,
SEFTI MO SEKURITI BLONG OLGETA, MO SAPOTEM EQUAL OPOTUNITI BLONG OLGETA. ROD EMI LONGWAN YET BE MI MI HOPEFUL SE MBAE WAN DEI BAE YUMI SAVE KASEM FAENEL DESTINESEN.

VPRIDE EMI KAREM BIGFALA SAPOT I KAM LONG UNITED NATIONS DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM (UNDP) THRU LONG GLOBAL FUND, MO EMI SETEMAP SAM GUDFALA RELESENSIP WETEM PLANTE AID DONORS,
WE YUMI SAVE LUKIM OLGETA LONG PLES IA TEDE LONG NAET.

TANKIU BIGWAN I KO LONG OL MEIN SPONSA BLONG 2021 VPRIDE RUNWAY FASHION SHOW:

WAN SMOL BAG THEATRE, TRU LONG GLOBAL FUND2. OXFAM INTANASONOL
3. HUMAN CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT INTERNATIONAL (HCDI)
4. OSTRELIEN HAE KOMISEN,
5. NIU ZILAN HAE KOMISEN,6. AMBASSADE DE FRANCE,
7. ANZ BANK
8. MS. STEPHANIE SENEI MAHUK
9. MR. JUSTIN NGWELE MO MS. MARLENE KALSAKAU LONG
INDIGENE LAWYERS
10. MR. EIMANTAS KAZLAUSKAS LONG PASIFIK BANK, MO
11. MRS. LISA TRANNE LONG ADORA SPA

TANKIU TU I KO LONG OL NARA SAPOTING PATNA OLSEM:

1. VANUATU TOURISM OFFICE,
2. CLIPPER CITY,
3. TITAN FX,
4. DYAMICS SUPPLY,
5. PARIS SHOPPING,
6. VODAFONE,
7. BSP BANK, MO
8. PANDANUS SHOP VANUATU

LONG BIHAF BLONG VPRIDE MO ORGANIZING KOMITI, MIFALA I STAP TALEM BIGFALATANKIU LONG SAPOT BLONG YUFALA. VPRIDE MBAE EMI KONTINU BLONG WOK TUGETA WETEM MINISTRI
BLONG HELT, MINISTRI BLONG EDUKESEN MO TRENING, MINISTRI BLONG JUSTICE THRU LONG GENDER PROTECTION CLUSTER LONG DEPARTMENT BLONG WOMEN’S AFFAIRS, MO OL DIPLOMATIC
REPRESENTATIONS LONG VANUATU.

WOK BLONG VPRIDE MBAE I BENEFITIM FULAP OL NEKIS JENERSEN WE MBAE I KAM, MO MBAE I HELP BLONG IMPRUVUM OL MENTALITI MO BEHAVIOR LONG OL KOMUNITI, BLONG I KAT MOA AKSEPTENS
LONG OL HOMES, OL JEJ, OL PLES BLONG WOK MO LONG PABLIC IN GENERAL. MI WANTEM TEKEM TAEM IA TU BLONG ACKNOWLEDGEM OL FOUNDERS BLONG VPRIDE WE OLI STAP TEDE WETEM YUMI. TANKIU LONG VISEN MO SPIRIT BLONG UNITI BLONG YUFALA, WE TEDE OL YOUNG GENERESEN I STAP TEKEM OL WOKBAOT BLONG YUFALA I KO LONG WAN NARA LEVEL. MI WANTEM ASKEM EVRI FOUNDERS BLONG VPRIDE BLONG YUFALA I STANAP.

BLONG CLOSEM TOKTOK BLONG MI TUNAET, MI WANTEM ACKNOWLEDGEM MRS LITIANA KALSRAP OLSEM CHAIRLADY BLONG BOARD OF DIRECTORS BLONG VPRIDE, WETEM TIM BLONG HEM.

TANKIU TUMAS LONG ORGANIZING KOMITI, MI SALUTEM PASSION MO PERSEVERENS BLONG YUFALA DESPITE OL CHALLENGES. EXPERIENS BLONG YUFALA TEDE WETEM OKANAESESEN BLONG
EVENT IA, MBAE I HELPEM FULAP MAN, WOMAN MO OL NON-BINARIES BLONG OLI SAVE INSPIRE MO KONTINU BLONG WOK BLONG ADVOKETEM RAETS BLONG OL LESBIAN, GAY, BISEXUAL, TRANSGENDER MO QUEER LONG FUTURE, LONG VANUATU. MI STAP NAOA TEKEM TAEM IA BLONG WISHIM ERVIWAN WAN VERI ENJOYABLE NAET TEDE, MO MI STAP OFISOLI OPENEM 2021 VPRIDE RUNWAY FASHION SHOW.

GOD MBAE I BLESEM YUMI EVRIWAN MO YUMI KALA, YUMI KO!”

“This was the first time in Vanuatu history that a well-known and well-respected political leader publicly stepped out to support human rights for SOGIE diverse people, a courageous and much appreciated contribution”. – Vpride Executive Director Gigi Baxter.

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