What do human rights mean for the people of Vanuanui? We know that human rights have existed for as long as people have existed. Most of the world’s philosophies, religions and cultures have recognised for centuries what we now refer to as ‘human rights concepts’ in one form or another. So too, the Vanuanuians have long traditions of behaving toward each other based on foundations of strong community values and sense of the collective good. While these traditions have adapted over the centuries, including finding ways to operate alongside external value systems, they are fundamentally important to the realisation of the community’s human rights. Specifically the community of Vanuanui is based on cultural values and principles that promote: • family, relationships and belonging • collectivity and consensus decision-making • reciprocity, including the fulfilment of mutual obligations • spirituality, including the integration of Christian beliefs • respect, for each other, their ancestry and for their environment • humility and service. It is not difficult to make the link between these values and the characteristics of human rights outlined above. The human rights community-led development approach recognises ‘human rights’ as those which are outlined by the international human rights framework in combination with those values and principles that are inherent in the cultural frameworks of the community or society in which the community operates. APF HRCLD Guide 13