Ralph Regenvanu facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Ralph Regenvanu
Regenvanuga in 2018
Minister of Climate Change
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 November 2022
Prime Minister	Ishmael Kalsakau
Preceded by	Bruno Leingkone
Minister of Foreign Affairs and Trade
In office 19 December 2017 – 20 April 2020
Prime Minister	Charlot Salwai
Preceded by	Bruno Leingkone
Succeeded by	Marc Ati
Minister of Lands and Natural Resources
In office 11 February 2016 – 19 December 2017
Prime Minister	Charlot Salwai
Preceded by	Paul Telukluk
Succeeded by	Alfred Maos
In office 23 March 2013 – 11 June 2015
Prime Minister	Moana Carcasses Kalosil Joe Natuman
Preceded by	James Bule
Succeeded by	Paul Telukluk
Minister of Justice and Social Affairs
In office 26 June 2011 – 16 January 2012
Prime Minister	Sato Kilman
Preceded by	Bakoa Kaltonga (interim)
Succeeded by	Charlot Salwai
In office 13 May 2011 – 16 June 2011
Prime Minister	Sato Kilman
Preceded by	Yoan Simon
Succeeded by	Bakoa Kaltonga (interim)
In office 10 March 2011 – 24 April 2011
Prime Minister	Sato Kilman
Preceded by	Yoan Simon
Succeeded by	Yoan Simon
Minister of Lands
In office 18 February 2011 – 10 March 2011
Prime Minister	Sato Kilman
Preceded by	Harry Iauko
Succeeded by	Alfred Carlot
Minister of Cooperatives and ni-Vanuatu Business Development
In office 2 December 2010 – 18 February 2011
Prime Minister	Sato Kilman
Preceded by	Dunstan Hilton
Succeeded by	Esmon Sae
Member of the Vanuatu Parliament for Port Vila
Incumbent
Assumed office September 2008
Personal details
Born	Ralph John Regenvanu (1970-09-20) 20 September 1970 (age 54) Suva, Fiji
Political party	Independent, then Land and Justice Party

Ralph John Regenvanu was born on September 20, 1970, in Suva, Fiji. He is a well-known person from Vanuatu who works as an anthropologist (someone who studies human societies and cultures), an artist, and a politician.

Ralph Regenvanu has been a Member of Parliament for Port Vila since September 2008. He has also served as a minister in the government several times. From 1995 to 2010, he was the Director of the Vanuatu National Cultural Council. In this role, he helped protect and promote Vanuatu's rich cultural heritage.

He is known for his work in preserving traditional knowledge and promoting sustainable development. He has also represented Vanuatu's culture on the international stage, especially through UNESCO. In 2010, he started his own political group, the Land and Justice Party. From December 2017 to April 2020, he was Vanuatu's Minister for Foreign Affairs. Since April 2020, he has been the Leader of the Opposition in Parliament. More recently, he served as the Minister of Climate Change starting in November 2022.

Early Life and Family

Ralph Regenvanu was born to Dorothy and Sethy Regenvanu in Fiji. His father, Sethy Regenvanu, later became an important politician in Vanuatu after the country gained independence. He served as Deputy Prime Minister in the 1980s. Ralph's mother, Dorothy Regenvanu, is a pastor in the Presbyterian Church.

Ralph was three years old when his family moved from Fiji to Australia, and then back to Vanuatu. At that time, Vanuatu was known as the New Hebrides. He has four younger brothers.

Work in Culture and Heritage

Ralph Regenvanu studied anthropology, archeology, and development studies at the Australian National University. He earned an Honour's degree in development studies in 1991. After his studies, he became the curator of the National Museum of Vanuatu. He is sometimes called "Vanuatu's first anthropologist."

In 1994, he helped create the Pacific Islands Museums Association. He was also a member of its first executive board from 1997 to 2009.

The Vanuatu Cultural Centre, where Ralph Regenvanu was director for eleven years

From 1995 to 2006, Ralph Regenvanu was the director of the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. He later helped oversee Vanuatu's "Year of the Traditional Economy" in 2007 and 2008. This project aimed to preserve and revive traditional ways of life and indigenous economics. He also helped create the Vanuatu Cultural Research Policy in 1992. He has always supported protecting the country's unique plants and animals.

He believes that customary law, which is based on local traditions, should be used more. He thinks it is important for young people's justice. He has worked to show how important indigenous customs are today. Many people see him as a leading expert on "kastom" (traditional customs).

In 1996, he started Fest'Napuan, an annual music festival. This festival is a major cultural event in the South Pacific. It brings together musicians from many Pacific islands. In 2010, the festival lasted five days and had over 30,000 attendees. Ralph Regenvanu remained active in organizing the festival. He led the Fest’ Napuan Association. In 2010, the festival focused on "Women in Music" to support female artists.

Since 1998, he has worked with UNESCO as a representative for Vanuatu and the Pacific Islands. He has attended many international conferences. He was also a member of the Advisory Committee of Experts for the UNESCO World Report on Cultural Diversity. He helped choose items for UNESCO's Masterpieces of the Oral and Intangible Heritage of Humanity list.

In 2004, Regenvanu started the process to make sites related to Roy Mata a UNESCO World Heritage Site. This was Vanuatu's first World Heritage Site, recognized in 2008. He also helped uncover an ancient burial site. This site contains the oldest graves found in the Pacific region.

In 2005, he worked on several projects. These included strengthening the traditional economy and using traditional wealth items. He also worked on reviving sand drawings and supporting the Pacific Islands Museums Association.

In April 2005, the Malvatu Mauri (National Council of Chiefs) banned the custom of the bride price. Ralph Regenvanu organized a meeting of chiefs to find a balance between tradition and modern life in Vanuatu's customs.

In November 2006, the government of France honored him with the title of Chevalier dans l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres. This was for his work in culture, especially with the Vanuatu Cultural Centre. A week later, he received a traditional title, Libehkamel Tah Tomat, from a chief in Malakula. This title means "Caretaker of the Sacred Nakamal."

He left his role as Director of the Cultural Centre in December 2006 to enter politics. Even as a politician, he continues to be involved in cultural work. In June 2009, he helped start MILDA (the Melanesian Indigenous Land Defence Alliance). This group works to protect traditional land systems.

In January 2010, he represented all Pacific museums at the opening of a new building at the Museum of Anthropology at UBC in Vancouver. In February 2015, he joined the advisory board of the Australian National University's language research center.

Political Career

Many people saw Ralph Regenvanu as a future leader for Vanuatu. When he decided to run for Parliament, people hoped he would bring new ideas. He was seen as a young, educated voice who could bring positive change.

First Term as a Member of Parliament

The Parliament of Vanuatu

Ralph Regenvanu was elected to Vanuatu's parliament for Port Vila in September 2008. He ran as an independent candidate. He received a very high number of votes, showing strong public support.

As an MP, he worked to be open about his activities. He discussed political issues directly with people. He also used some of his parliamentary allowance to help students with scholarships and support youth business projects.

In January 2009, he started a scholarship program for students at the University of the South Pacific. He funded this program with part of his MP allowance. In March, he also began a "Youth Solidarity Micro-Credit Scheme." This program gave loans to young people to start small businesses. He continued to fund these programs personally. In 2010, he donated money for a clean-up campaign in Port Vila. He also supported the Port Vila Town Youth Council.

In February 2009, he spoke out about how little time MPs had to review new laws. He felt this made it hard for them to represent their communities properly. He believed that the government should allow more time for public discussion on new laws.

In May 2009, he restarted his weekly radio show, "Traem Tingting Smol." This show, whose name means "try and think a little" in Bislama, discussed political topics. It allowed listeners to call in and share their views.

In November 2010, he protested against changes to how funds were given to MPs. He argued that the new system lacked accountability. He believed it was like an unfair salary increase for MPs. He was one of only seven MPs who voted against this change.

Launch of His Own Party

In November 2010, Ralph Regenvanu started his own political party. It was called the Land and Justice Party (Graon mo Jastis Pati in Bislama). The party aimed to help young people get involved in politics. He believed that older politicians often controlled existing parties.

The Land and Justice Party wanted to bring good leaders into parliament. Leaders who would put the public's interests first. The party also focused on protecting indigenous land ownership. It also aimed to help local people participate more in business.

Becoming a Minister

Minister for Cooperatives and ni-Vanuatu Business Development

In December 2010, Ralph Regenvanu became the Minister of Cooperatives and ni-Vanuatu Business Development. This happened when a new government was formed under Prime Minister Sato Kilman. These issues were important to his new party.

As Minister, he worked on a bill to create a Copyright Act for Vanuatu. This law would protect the creative work of artists. He also tried to create policies to protect local businesses from foreign competition. However, he was moved to a different ministry before these policies could be fully put in place.

Minister for Lands

In February 2011, Prime Minister Kilman changed his Cabinet. Ralph Regenvanu was appointed Minister for Lands. In this role, he started important reforms for land leases. He announced that new land lease applications would need approval from the entire land-owning clan. This was to make the process more transparent. It also aimed to protect communal lands from being sold unfairly.

His decision to investigate thousands of land leases was popular with the public. However, it also led to legal challenges. The Opposition party praised his appointment. They believed he would handle land dealings fairly.

Minister for Justice and Social Affairs

In March 2011, Ralph Regenvanu was moved to the Ministry of Justice and Social Affairs. He announced plans to reform several systems. These included the Customary Lands Tribunal system and improving support for women, children, and people with disabilities. He also wanted to reform the national constitution.

He also called for descendants of "blackbirding" victims living in Australia to receive Vanuatu citizenship. "Blackbirding" was a practice in the 19th century where Pacific Islanders were taken to work in other countries, sometimes against their will. He also hoped Australia would offer seasonal work visas to Vanuatu citizens.

In September 2011, he announced that the Customary Land Tribunal would stop hearing new cases for a while. This was to allow for reforms. He wanted to give more power over land matters back to traditional authorities and village courts. This was in line with Vanuatu's Constitution, which says land ownership should be based on custom.

In November 2011, he voted against Vanuatu joining the World Trade Organization (WTO). He did this even though he was a government minister. He explained that many of his constituents opposed it, and he had always been against it himself. He was later removed from his ministerial position in January 2012. He believed it was because of his loyalty to his constituents and his opposition to certain government decisions.

Second Term as a Member of Parliament

In the October 2012 general election, Ralph Regenvanu was re-elected as MP for Port Vila. He received the most votes of any candidate in the country. His Land and Justice Party won four seats in Parliament.

In March 2013, he criticized the government's spending priorities. He pointed out that there was not enough funding for local development or student scholarships. Yet, ministers and MPs still had their foreign travels paid for. He highlighted the country's trade deficit and the struggles of local businesses.

In June 2015, he and other MPs from his party shared how they used their parliamentary funds. They mainly used the money for community projects and student scholarships. This was something they had promised to do during their election campaign.

Appointment to Cabinet During Second Term

Ralph Regenvanu became the Minister for Lands, Geology, Mines, Energy, and Water Resources in March 2013. He stated that he had been preparing for this role. He planned to continue the reforms he had started during his earlier, brief time as Lands Minister. He wanted to improve how public lands were leased and sold.

He proposed a new system where land leases would be reviewed by a committee. This would prevent any single minister from approving land deals without checks. This reform aimed to fight corruption. His proposals also sought to clarify rules about customary land ownership. The Customary Land Management Act was passed in December 2013. This law states that customary institutions, not ordinary courts, determine land ownership.

In May 2014, he joined other MPs to help form a new government. The new Prime Minister, Joe Natuman, kept him as Minister for Lands. After cyclone Pam in March 2015, he used his own funds to buy rice for his constituents. He left office in June 2015 when the Natuman government was replaced.

Appointment to Cabinet During Third Term

In the January 2016 general election, Ralph Regenvanu's Land and Justice Party won six seats. He led his party into a large coalition government with Prime Minister Charlot Salwai. In February 2016, Regenvanu became the Minister for Lands and Natural Resources.

In December 2017, he was moved to the position of Minister for Foreign Affairs and External Trade. In July 2018, he denied rumors that Vanuatu would allow China to build a military harbor. He praised the benefits of Chinese investments in Vanuatu. In September, he urged countries at the Pacific Islands Forum to support adding West Papua to the United Nations list of non-self-governing territories. He also sought support from other international groups.

In early 2019, he became Chairman of the Task Force on the Constitutional Review. This group organized discussions for a referendum in June. The referendum aimed to make political parties more stable.

Leader of the Opposition

After the 2020 Vanuatuan general election, the Land and Justice Party won the most seats (nine). Ralph Regenvanu was a candidate for Prime Minister. However, Bob Loughman became Prime Minister. Ralph Regenvanu then became the Leader of the Opposition. He leads a group of parties in opposition.

In June 2020, he proposed a six-month 50% pay cut for top government officials. This included the Prime Minister, himself, and other ministers. This was a way to save money because the country's economy was struggling due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Artist

Ralph Regenvanu is also a talented painter and illustrator. In 1996, he wrote an article about contemporary art in Vanuatu. In 2004, he illustrated a book of ni-Vanuatu legends for the Vanuatu Cultural Centre.

In May 2006, he was an artist in residence at the British Museum. He created a painting that was shown in a traveling exhibition called "Treasures of the British Museum." His artwork has also been featured in The Contemporary Pacific magazine.

Images for kids

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  Regenvanuga in 2018

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  The Vanuatu Cultural Centre, where Ralph Regenvanu was director for eleven years

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  The Parliament of Vanuatu

See also

In Spanish: Ralph Regenvanu para niños