Pacific Islands Society’s Inaugural Nexgen Artist Invited by Top Think Tank for Emerging Leaders Panel Discussion

Alotau, Papua New Guinea, September 21, 2015 –(PR.com)– To commemorate the Papua New Guinea’s 40th Independence celebrations last week, Australia’s premiere think tank, the Lowy Institute invited young leaders from Papua New Guinea to share their thoughts on the past and future of their country. Jeffry Feeger, leading Papua New Guinean artist and inaugural member of the Pacific Islands Society’s Next Generation Artists Program, was selected to join fellow youth committed to creating a positive future in their communities and the country at large.

With over 10 years experience as an independent visual and performance artist, Mr. Feeger has used his love of the creative arts to contribute to local communities through philanthropy and social activism. As an artist, Mr. Feeger has brought Papua New Guinean art to the fore of international exhibitions and through his widely acclaimed live performance painting. With a passion for fostering creativity, Jeffry has championed the need to promote artists and highlights the role creativity plays in the growth and development of Papua New Guinea. Through various collaborative community works, Jeffry continues to push the boundaries of contemporary arts in the Pacific, while leading domestic and international conversations on the social and political concerns of our time.

About the Islands Society

The Islands Society is an independent, non-partisan, non-governmental organization that develops and implements projects that inspire and empower islanders around the world. These projects are currently organized around two main themes: community projects and next generation leaders. The community projects centre on ten issue areas, including charity, conservation, democracy, disaster relief, education, equality, health, innovation, security, and sustainability. Meanwhile, the next generation leader projects support artists, athletes, chefs, incubators, musicians, policymakers, storytellers, and technologists.

About the Pacific Islands Society (PacSoc)

The Pacific Islands Society is a constituent society of the Islands Society. Its mission is to respect, inspire, and empower Pacific Islanders around the world, especially women and the next generation of leaders. PacSoc is the oldest and most active of the Islands Society�s constituent societies. It currently runs a number of high-profile programs, including NexGen Pacific Artists, Pacific Security Scholars, and Pacific Young Leaders on Disarmament. The society also has almost 4,000 followers on Facebook.

About the 2016 Pacific Next Generation Artists Program

Through the Pacific Next Generation (NexGen) Artists Program, the Pacific Islands Society (PacSoc) provides talented young artists from regional island communities who are online members of the Pacific Islands Society with a global stage to showcase their talents. Pacific NexGen Artists will be given their own virtual gallery on the PacSoc website as well as marketing and communications support to create global awareness for their art works. They will also be provided the opportunity to publish articles and blog posts to build their brand.

Website: http://islandssociety.org/projects/next-generation-leaders/next-generation-artists/

Testimonial: http://islandssociety.org/testimonials/jeffry-feeger-papua-new-guinea/

2016 NexGen Artist Program: http://islandssociety.org/projects/next-generation-leaders/next-generation-artists/future-nexgen-artists-programs/2014-2015-nexgen-artists/

2014 NexGen Artist Program: http://islandssociety.org/projects/next-generation-leaders/next-generation-artists/2013-2014-nexgen-artists/

The Lowy Institute
The Lowy Institute is an independent, nonpartisan international policy think tank located in Sydney, Australia. Ranked as Australia’s leading think tank, it provides high – quality research and distinctive perspectives on the international trends shaping Australia and the world.
http://www.lowyinstitute.org/

The full podcast of the panel discussion can be heard here: http://www.lowyinstitute.org/events/sydney-event-celebrating-40-years-papua-new-guineas-independence