Director of Pacific Connections Felicity Bollen joins some of the Manaaki Scholars at Pasifika Festival 2025.
Pacific Connections Director Felicity Bollen is staunchly proud of both her Kūki ‘Airani and New Zealand heritage, which gives her, she believes a distinctive perspective on “Pacific Connections”, and the work she and her small but agile team achieve across Te Moana-nui-a-kiwa.
For the past five years, Felicity has led the Auckland-based Pacific Connections team, which plays a unique Pacific engagement role within the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade (MFAT) Pacific and Development Group.
The team’s presence at the recent Pasifika Festival in Tāmaki Makaurau reinforces the role it plays in strengthening ties between Aotearoa New Zealand and the Pacific region, while providing the opportunity to connect with Pacific communities throughout Auckland and the motu.
“Our team works across the country through a range of strategic engagements that inform, educate and strengthen the quality of the relationship between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Pacific diaspora, Pacific groups, individuals, businesses and New Zealanders with links to the Pacific,” Felicity says.
Collaboration is key in the Pacific, and Felicity and her team work alongside various partners to ensure the success of initiatives in the region.
Partners including Pacific Cooperation Broadcasting Limited (PCBL)/Pasifika TV, Pacific Trade Invest New Zealand (PTINZ), the British Consulate, Volunteers Service Abroad (VSA), MFAT’s Pacific Innovation Hub and Pacific Cooperation Foundation (PCF) Manaaki Scholars joined the Pacific Connections team at the MFAT pavilion during the two-day Pasifika Festival.
“We were very lucky to be joined by some of our partners this weekend,” Felicity says.
“One of those is Pacific Trade Invest…MFAT supports their work here to bring imports from Pacific countries into shops and supermarket shelves in New Zealand.
“We also have the Pacific Innovation Hub, which is a new initiative by the Ministry, working with private sector businesses to connect New Zealand businesses to the Pacific – it is so important to support businesses and entrepreneurs for continued economic growth of the region.”
Another important initiative is the MFAT Manaaki Scholarship programme.
This year in partnership with the Pacific Cooperation Foundation, the Ministry supported work-placed summer internships for Pacific students.
“This weekend we are delighted to have scholars from six different Pacific countries across the region with us, sharing their stories with the public and at the same time getting a taste of home,” Felicity says.
Pasifika Festival has signaled the start of the Ministries’ annual Pacific Update series – talanoa staged in 14 locations around the country designed to inform, educate and share views on the Ministry’s work (and some partners) in the Pacific.
Driving Felicity and her team is the desire to embed the deep commitment MFAT and the Government of New Zealand has to the Pacific region.
“Aotearoa New Zealand is in and of the Pacific and the Ministry remains committed to supporting our Pacific communities in the region maintain strong linkages with Aotearoa New Zealand.
“We will continue to work for and with the Pacific by investing in our relationships, growing the prosperity of the region and strengthening regional security and the resilience.”
Follow the MFAT Pacific Connections team on Facebook.
