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Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to highlight the importance of values and beliefs rooted in "non-Western" cultures in implementing global education initiatives such as education for sustainable development (ESD) at the regional and local levels. This is because many of these initiatives are often derived from "Western" cultures and values. Also to reaffirm the importance for educators to respect and use local and indigenous ways of life and knowledge systems in order to make teaching and learning more relevant and meaningful for Pacific students; and to advocate for the development of teachers' capacities to better contextualize their teaching and create more culturally inclusive learning environments. Design/methodology/approach -Informed by the findings of her research on cultural values, educational ideas and teachers' role perception in Tonga, plus her work as the UNESCO Chair in Teacher Education and Culture at the University of South Pacific, the author presents her reflections on the need to further enhance teachers and teacher educators in the Pacific region. Findings -The findings suggests that teacher education programmes that are designed to cultivate teachers' cultural competence may better contribute to making Pacific education more relevant and effective. Originality/value -The ESD discourse often attaches importance to traditional and indigenous knowledge, but there is limited literature discussing how and for what purposes indigenous ways of knowing should be integrated into teacher education. This paper challenges the neglect of teachers in the international education reform discourses; points out the vital role of teachers in facilitating educational reforms, and contributes understanding of the types of teacher capacities higher education needs to foster for peace and sustainability through the case of the Pacific region. IntroductionWe are almost at the end of UN decade for a culture of peace and non-violence, and the middle of the UN decade for education for sustainable development (DESD). These and other related UN instruments reflect the longings of all concerned people for a world that is peaceful and sustainable. It is in this context that UNESCO calls for a comprehensive system of education and training for all groups of people at all levels and forms of education. Education for peace and sustainable development needs to be holistic and participatory, focusing on peace and non-violence, human rights, democracy, tolerance, international and intercultural understanding, as well as cultural and linguistic diversity.As educators, we can appropriately ask the question: how can teachers and those responsible for their education help educate for peace and sustainable development? Because educational and other initiatives that emanate from the international community often assume the acceptance of a Western view of knowledge and value

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