Kalesi Volatabu selected as one of 17 Indigenous changemakers for the 2025 Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program

Drug Free World Fiji founder, Kalesi Volatabu has been selected as one of 17 Indigenous and Pacific changemakers for the 2025 cohort which is part of the Atlantic Fellows for Social Equity program, hosted by the University of Melbourne.

During her fellowship, Kalesi will work to enhance the ability of Indigenous people in Fiji to address social issues, particularly drug trafficking and substance abuse, which threaten their communities.

The AFSE program supports Indigenous-led solutions to pressing challenges facing their local community.

The 17 Indigenous and Pacific changemakers come from 5 countries across the Pacific.

Fellows will work on a range of issues from the climate crisis and health disparities to child protection and youth welfare.

Building on AFSE's growth into the Pacific in 2024, which introduced Fellows from Fiji and Vanuatu, the 2025 cohort further broadens regional diversity by welcoming one Fellow each from the Cook Islands, Papua New Guinea, and Fiji, alongside four from Aotearoa New Zealand and ten from Australia.

AFSE Executive Director Damien Miller says collaboration and leadership of Indigenous peoples across the Pacific is critical for the region’s future.

The program offers Fellows a fee-free Master of Social Change Leadership, providing a year-long opportunity to immerse themselves in deep learning and self-development guided by the research, perspectives and ideas of Indigenous leaders, scholars and thinkers from across the Pacific and beyond.

After completing their studies, Fellows can apply for funding up to AUD$30,000 to implement their own social change projects.

They also become lifelong members of the Global Atlantic Fellow community – an international network of over 1,000 changemakers that offers ongoing support and collaboration opportunities with like-minded individuals, all working collectively towards creating fairer, more equitable societies.

Professor Barry Judd, University of Melbourne Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Indigenous), says that AFSE powerfully exemplifies the University's commitment to elevating Indigenous knowledge and people.