The concept of Melanesian socialism was first advocated by Father Walter Lin̄i of the New Hebrides (now Vanuatu), who became the country's first Prime Minister upon its independence from France and the United Kingdom in 1980.
Lin̄i was an Anglican priest and believed that socialism held close similarities with Christian values and sought to combine the two as part of a Melanesian way.
Although he admired Nyerere and his government sought rapprochement with countries such as Cuba and Libya,[1][2] Lin̄i believed that socialism should not necessarily entail an alliance with the Soviet Union or the Eastern bloc.
Indeed, he preferred for Vanuatu to remain non-aligned and to develop closer ties with its fellow Melanesian nations (such as Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands).
In New Caledonia, the Kanak Socialist National Liberation Front (FLNKS), an alliance of pro-independence parties, advocates the implementation of socialism along with accession to sovereignty.