She is not your rehab: How one barbershop sparked a global conversation for men

Meet the man using technology to fight for his homeland's future

Aselu Vaguna O'Brien is a draftsman, climate advocate, and a man of many talents—though if you ask his friends, he's also just 'Strawberry,' the guy who won't stop talking about rugby or his love for fresh fruit. Born in Fiji and raised in Tuvalu, Aselu's journey has taken him from engineering to media, from construction sites to mapping coastlines that are disappearing before his eyes. Today, he's using technology to document Tuvalu's changing landscape and fighting to ensure his homeland has a future. This week's episode of Stories From The Pacific is a repeat of the show broadcast on 16th April 2025

She is not your rehab: How one barbershop sparked a global conversation for men

What if healing didn't begin with blame, but with responsibility? Matt Brown's journey from a complex childhood in Aotearoa New Zealand to a barbershop chair sparked an unexpected global movement. What began as conversations between men hiding their pain became She Is Not Your Rehab, a call for men to stop outsourcing their emotional wounds to the women in their lives. Matt shares a powerful story of survival, courage and generational honesty, challenging long-held ideas about masculinity, trauma and accountability. This is a conversation about what happens when men choose to face their own wounds — and how that choice can transform families, communities and futures across the Pacific and beyond. Listen to this conversation with Stories From the Pacific host Bobby Macumber on ABC Radio Australia.

Finding power in voice

This is Namila Benson as you've never heard her before. One of the few Melanesian women to occupy space on mainstream television in Australia, Namila reflects on how her voice became her power. In this powerful conversation with fellow Wantok and Stories from the Pacific host, Wendy Mocke, Namila reflects on her childhood shaped by diaspora to a career spanning hosting, writing, mentoring artists and shaping media from the inside. She speaks candidly about identity, belonging and the courage it takes to stand fully in your own truth. This is a conversation about visibility, creative sovereignty and what it means to carve space when none is offered — and to use that space to lift others with you. Listen to this episode on ABC Radio Australia.

Samoan clown Tommy Misa on art, satire and finding home

On Stories From the Pacific, host Wendy Mocke sits down with the brilliant Tommy Misa, a storyteller who reminds us that some of the deepest truths arrive wrapped in laughter.  From the queer bars of Sydney to the global stage of the Biennale, Tommy's work has carved out space for the misfits, the hard workers and anyone who has ever felt out of place under theatre lights. A master of the Samoan Clown, a former nutritional medicine student who followed a literal dream to the stage, Tommy creates art that is as fiercely funny as it is profoundly moving.  Together, they talk about finding home, the power of satire, and why the most enduring art is always about connection. Stories From the Pacific, on ABC Radio Australia.

From Oʻahu to Utah: Policing, Pacific values and purpose

Jennifer Faumuina leads some of America’s most demanding work - overseeing crime scene investigations and critical domestic violence programs - yet her journey into law enforcement began far from the mainland, in the tropical islands of Oʻahu, Hawaiʻi.  Now a sergeant with the Utah Department of Public Safety, Jennifer brings Pacific values of service, family and community into a profession where calm leadership, clarity under pressure and everyday courage are essential. As one of only a handful of Pacific Islanders in a large US police force, she carries both responsibility and representation on her shoulders.  In this episode of Stories From the Pacific, Jennifer shares how she found her path into policing, what it means to work at the intersection of justice and compassion, and why she views law enforcement not simply as a career — but as a profound commitment to protecting others.  Listen to this episode on ABC Radio Australia with host Bobby Macumber.