Diplomacy begins with listening, says Sabrina Khan
The Pacific Voices & Leadership exhibition brought communities, students and delegates together during Fiji’s pre-COP31 meetings.
Thursday 08 October 2026 | 13:30
Updated 08 October 2026 | 15:11 FJT
Red Cross staff Livai Movelufu, Fiji Rural Women’s Empowerment Network founder Sabrina Khan and Seini Railala, Rusiate Bhura at the Red Cross Booth at Crowne Plaza Hotel Nadi Bay.
Photo: Waisea Nasokia
Before nations negotiate, people must first talk.
That principle was on display at the Pacific Voices & Leadership exhibition during Fiji’s pre-COP31 meetings in Nadi yesterday, where community groups, students, humanitarian workers and delegates met face to face.
Among those taking part was international human rights lawyer Sabrina Khan, founder of the Fiji Rural Women’s Empowerment Network and recipient of the New South Wales Human Rights Medal and the Fiji Medal of Honour.
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Ms Khan’s work in Fiji has long focused on community dialogue, mediation and women’s empowerment. At the exhibition, she came to listen to communities whose experiences help shape the Pacific’s voice on the international stage.
She wore a black dress of her own design, featuring tapa-inspired patterns on the sleeves and neckline — a tribute to a traditional craft rooted in women working together.
“I had meaningful dialogue with the Fiji Red Cross Society, Return & Earn Fiji, a Pacific women’s rights group and the Fiji National University team,” she said.
“Diplomacy does not begin in negotiating rooms. It begins with listening to communities.”
Her discussion with the Fiji Red Cross Society focused on disaster preparedness, including pre-positioned containers of emergency supplies and early warning systems.
Ms Khan said such preparedness depended not only on infrastructure but also on trust built through sustained dialogue between communities, governments and humanitarian partners.
At the Return & Earn Fiji stand, the conversation shifted to waste infrastructure and regional cooperation, including partnerships that enable recyclable materials to be processed in Australia.
For Ms Khan, it was diplomacy in practical form, with neighbouring countries working together across borders while strengthening local capacity.
At the Fiji National University stand, the conversation came full circle.
Ms Khan reunited with a woman she had previously supported through one of her community initiatives aimed at empowering women. Seeing her now thriving offered a personal reminder of what sustained community engagement can achieve.
“Dialogue builds the trust diplomacy depends on,” Ms Khan said. “When we listen at the grassroots, Pacific voices carry further.”
