A group of Pacific Island law students turned their fear and frustration into a historic global fight for climate justice. For Cynthia Houniuhi from the Solomon Islands, rising seas were not an abstract threat they were swallowing the land her people depend on for identity, memory and survival. Together with 26 other students, she formed Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change (PISFCC), determined to hold major polluters accountable.
Their campaign grew from a student movement into an international effort embraced by Pacific governments. In 2023, the UN General Assembly unanimously asked the International Court of Justice to clarify countries’ legal obligations on climate change. By late 2024, the world watched as arguments unfolded in The Hague, with testimonies from frontline communities gathered by PISFCC.
