This paper will explore social change in contemporary Samoan society with respect to the traditional expectations of the church and kinship conflicting with the modern needs of an urbanising population. In the Samoan way of life – the fa'aSamoa – religion, matai (chiefly system) and reciprocal ‘gift‐giving’ kinship arrangements among the aiga (extended family) are fundamental and closely related elements. However, pressures from continued integration into the global economy, the importance of remittance income and related migration of well‐educated and highly skilled Samoans overseas are presenting several challenges to the strongly held traditions of kinship and church obligations. Among these challenges, low‐income households are increasingly placing the material well‐being of the immediate household first, thus ‘opting out’ of the culturally defined primary obligation to the church and risk alienation from beneficial familial ties. As a result, settlement patterns are shifting towards leaseholds in urbanising Apia, with consequences, we will speculate, that may have deeper cultural implications. Our research revealed that the church has been slow to accept that, increasingly, Samoans are seeking relief from hardships that spirituality alone cannot address. However, given its influence, strengths and resources, the church is well positioned to take a lead role in facilitating opportunities for ‘bottom‐up’, alternative development in Samoa, as well as providing lessons for church‐led participatory approaches in the Pacific Island Region.

An influential underlying driver of human-induced landscape change is civil war and other forms of conflict that cause human displacement. Internally displaced persons (IDPs) increase environmental pressures at their destination locations while reducing them at their origins. This increased pressure presents an environment for increased land cover change (LCC) rates and landscape fragmentation. To test whether this hypothesis is correct, this research sought to understand LCC dynamics in the Western Area of Sierra Leone from 1976 to 2011, a period including pre-conflict, conflict, and post-conflict eras, using Landsat and SPOT satellite imagery. A trajectory analysis of classified images compared LCC trajectories before and during the war with after the war (2003)(2004)(2005)(2006)(2007)(2008)(2009)(2010)(2011). Over the 35-year period, the built-up land class rapidly increased, in parallel with an increase in urban and peri-urban agriculture. During the war, urban and peri-urban agriculture became a major livelihood activity for displaced rural residents to make the region food self-sufficient, especially when the war destabilised food production activities. The reluctance of IDPs to return to their rural homes after the war caused an increased demand for land driven by housing needs. Meanwhile, protected forest and other forest declined. A significant finding to emerge from this research is that landscape fragmentation increased in conjunction with declining forest cover while built-up areas aggregated. This has important implications for the region's flora, fauna, and human populations given that other research has shown that landscape fragmentation affects the landscape's ability to provide important ecosystem services.

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Civil society organisations, including those that are faith-based, are increasingly viewed as key stakeholders that can influence government policies, advocate on behalf of poor people and contribute to service delivery and development. This paper discusses interactions between religious groups and the state and how they influence society in the ethnically diverse Asia-Pacific region. Through case studies of Indonesia, Fiji, and Samoa, the paper discusses various aspects of the political relationships between religious groups and states, the roles of religion in society and the engagement of religious groups in welfare and development. It concludes that while religious organisations are socially and politically influential in all the countries considered, certain aspects of their relationships with governments pose challenges for the achievement of stability, equality, and development.Donateurs et gouvernance : le potentiel du développement basé sur la foi dans la région AsiePacifique Les organisations de la société civile, y compris celles qui ont une base religieuse, sont de plus en plus considérées comme des parties prenantes clés qui peuvent influer sur les politiques gouvernementales, mener un travail de plaidoyer au nom des pauvres et contribuer à la prestation de services et au développement. Cet article traite des interactions entre les groupes religieux et l'É tat et de la manière dont ils influent sur la société dans la région d'Asie-Pacifique, où la diversité ethnique est très importante. À l'aide d'études de cas d'Indonésie, de Fidji et de Samoa, cet article traite de divers aspects des rapports politiques entre groupes religieux et É tats, des rôles de la religion dans la société et de la présence des groupes religieux dans le bien-être social et le développement. Il conclut que, bien que les organisations religieuses soient influentes sur les plans social et politique dans tous les pays étudiés, certains aspects de leurs rapports avec les gouvernements soulèvent des problèmes quant à l'obtention de la stabilité, de l'égalité et du développement. Doadores e governança: o potencial do desenvolvimento baseado na fé no Pacífico AsiáticoAs organizações da sociedade civil, incluindo aquelas que são baseadas na fé, estão sendo cada vez mais vistas como stakeholders cruciais que podem influenciar políticas governamentais, advogar em nome das pessoas pobres e contribuir para a implementação de serviços e desenvolvimento. Este artigo discute as interações entre grupos religiosos e o estado e como eles influenciam a sociedade na região etnicamente diversificada do Pacífico Asiático. Através de estudos de caso da Indonésia, Fiji e Samoa, o artigo discute vários aspectos da relação política entre grupos religiosos e estados, o papel da religião na sociedade e o engajamento de grupos religiosos no bem-estar e desenvolvimento. O artigo conclui que, embora as organizações religiosas sejam socialmente e politicamente influentes em todos os países considerados, certos aspectos de suas relações com os governos impõem ...