“There's no future for us when we go back to Kiribati.”
Teitiota's testimony to New Zealand's Immigration and Protection Tribunal, explaining why he sought asylum for his family rather than return to a home he believed climate change had made unsafe.
— Ioane Teitiota, Kiribati
Source: Ioane Teitiota, testimony reported in Foreign Policy, "The Making of a Climate Refugee" (28 January 2015)
More Proverbs from Kiribati
Do not follow the first breeze.
A caution against acting on a first impulse; wait and think before reacting.
Our culture and knowledge are our identity.
A people's customs and accumulated knowledge are what define who they are.
Respecting the guiding hand brings spiritual protection.
Honouring the guidance of elders and those who lead safeguards wellbeing.
The maintenance of wellbeing comes from just and fair decision-making.
A community stays healthy and at peace when its leaders decide matters justly and fairly.
The person is sacred.
Every individual carries an inherent dignity and worth that must be respected and protected.
Health, peace, and prosperity.
Kiribati's national motto, borne on the Coat of Arms, expressing the nation's guiding aspiration for its people.