“We used the concept of “sautu” an indigenous (iTaukei) philosophy of prosperity and wellbeing to discuss the simplified Fiji budget with our network of community representatives. Using this framework, identifying priorities became easier. It allowed us to tackle big questions, such as the type of economy and development we want for Fiji. We compiled a budget submission for three Fiji division groups reflecting the needs of marginalized groups and communities experiencing new levels of poverty due to COVID-19. One priority is access to loans for women informal workers.”

“On the Tongan outer islands of Vava’u, we had organized a community dialogue. The dialogue included the Governor and local Parliamentarians of the constituency. We used the citizens budget as a tool to get the communities to have a better understanding of the budget timelines, when and how to identify priorities, and entry points for budget submissions. The communities were able to develop a disaster response plan that had identified their priorities. With that in mind, during the dialogue one of the community leaders took the mic and with their community plan in hand voiced that a tractor was a priority and not a boat in relation to food security. This is participatory budget: The Parliamentarian responded positively and the tractor has been delivered at the time of this publication.”

“Working on the Solomon Islands Citizen Budget Guide, we looked at the Public Finance Management Act and thought: Really? Is this what should be happening? This looks really good! We discovered all the mechanisms and rules are in place for citizens to participate in the budget process. So, we decided to get ready. We set up a civil society budget committee and we are working with citizens groups across all provinces to document needs.”