Face 2 Face 2025: Land and Deep Sea Mining in the Pacific

Over a century of phosphate extraction has left most of Nauru a barren wasteland of limestone pinnacles. This stark reality sets the stage for the Council for World Mission (CWM) Face to Face Programme in Nauru, themed “Land and Deep Sea Meaning.”

Participants will learn about Nauru’s geopolitical dilemma: a small island’s struggle for economic survival amid climate crisis (Nauru is threatened by rising seas and a warming ocean) versus its role in potentially unleashing a new extractive frontier under the sea. This complex context will frame discussions on what “land and sea” mean for the Nauruan people – materially, culturally, and theologically – and how those meanings inform the pursuit of justice and sustainability.