Pacific Islands

Give Pacific democracies time to develop, says McKinnon

Sir Don McKinnon last night delivered the latest in the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association Lecture series at New Zealand's parliament in Wellington.

In his lecture 'Dark Clouds Over Democracy', Sir Don said democracy was facing big challenges but that it still offered a system everyone could participate in.

Stressing that developing democracies in the Pacific should be given time to find their feet, he said developed democracies should not adopt the approach of wielding a big stick.

First ever regional meeting on food security in disaster-prone Pacific Islands

Preparing for and responding to natural disasters as they affect access to food for millions of people in the Pacific Islands, was of the major themes at the meeting.

50 representatives from governments, non-governmental and UN organisations, jointly hosted by Food Security Cluster co-lead Coordinators: the Food and Agriculture Organisation of the United Nations (FAO) and the United Nations World Food Programme (WFP).

The three-day event was designed to foster collaboration, coordination and the sharing of ideas and experiences amongst members.

APTC graduates 132 skilled workers

The skilled workers graduated with certificates and diploma in 17 different skilled fields and join over 10,600 APTC graduates across the Pacific.

These include electrical, plumbing, construction, automotive, education support, tourism, counselling, air-conditioning and refrigerating, disability, wall and floor tiling, garment manufacturing, painting and decorating, hospitality, cookery and engineering.

APTC is committed to delivering internationally recognised Australian qualifications to Pacific islanders from 14 Pacific Island countries.

The Cartagena Protocol and the Pacific islands

Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, PNG, Samoa, Solomon Islands, and Tonga are party to the Protocol which is linked to the Convention on Biodiversity, which, helps to protect Pacific communities and biodiversity from the consequences of living modified organisms.

The Cartagena Protocol was adopted on 29 January 2000 as a supplementary agreement to the Convention on Biological Diversity and entered into force on 11 September 2003.

This protocol helps to ensure the safe transport, handling and use of these LMO's from biotechnology.

Disney film Moana appropriating Samoan culture: Arieta Rika

But some people have said the film and its merchandise are appropriating Samoan culture.

Arieta Rika, who founded a website called Talanoa as a home for Pacific stories, told the BBC how she wants her culture to be celebrated.

As a Pacific person, I can't tell you how excited I am to see this movie. Seeing faces that look like mine, telling a story that relates to me. I just don't have the words.

I haven't felt this excited about a Disney film in decades.

Research shows some Pacific islands in water stress

RNZ reports most of these islands are dependent on ground water that is replenished by rainfall.

Researchers from Simon Fraser University in British Columbia, as part of a UNESCO study, looked at the state of ground water in 43 small island states in the Pacific and the Indian Oceans.

Their study has now been published in Nature Climate Change and author, Diana Allen, said when they looked at the ability of aquifers to recharge they found many small islands in a state of water stress.

She put this down to warmer temperatures causing higher evaporation.

New Zealand Scholarship Undergraduate Student Summer Internship for 2016-2017

This is following a successful introductory programme last summer.

A group of 16 talented New Zealand Aid Pacific and Timor Leste Scholars will be using their summer to give them a professional edge before returning home to find employment.

This year the programme will include 16 scholars as drive to build with host agency engagement continues, PCF Programme Development Manager Leaupepe Taala said.

“We are excited about the summer internship as we have another group of high calibre scholars , and increased interest from the private sector,’’ Ralph says.

Report condemns PACER Plus process

According to RNZI, the report, by the Pacific Network on Globalisation, or PANG, was based on leaked negotiating texts from talks on the regional agreement, which is still being finalised.

It accuses Australia and New Zealand of aggressively advancing their own interests, at the expense of their smaller neighbours, and called for a proper impact assessment.

One of the report's chapters was written by Auckland University's Jane Kelsey, a prominent critic of free trade agreements.

ADB boosting access to clean, renewable energy in Pacific - report

“ADB is the largest investor in renewable energy in the Pacific, which is still heavily reliant on diesel for power generation,” said Michael Trainor, Energy Specialist in ADB’s Pacific Department. “We are working with governments and communities to improve the quantity and quality of energy services across the region by ramping up support for the transition to renewable energy.”

Pacific journalists strengthen understanding on human rights reporting

Government communication officers and journalists from 13 Pacific countries participated at the Human Rights and Media Forum.

Supported by the Australian Government and European Union, the Forum reaffirmed the vital role of media in highlighting human rights issues and the importance of news reporting with a human rights-based approach. 

 The Forum stressed the importance of building strong relationships between government communication personnel and journalists in sharing and disseminating information.