Bula vinaka everyone - please find several stories on Pacific women that made it to PACNEWS in the past week. It's bits and pieces from here and there.
To Laisa UNIFEM, out there in New York, what are the chances of getting a report on Samoa's presentation at the CEDAW summit at UN HQ this week - for inclusion in our bulletins.
Looking forward to your reply - Vinaka vakalevu and all the best
Cheers!!!! Vasiti Ritova - PACNEWS Journalist
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GUAM – WOMEN: STARBULLETIN PACNEWS 1: Thurs 13 Jan 2005
Women's business programme gets USD$50K
13 JANUARY 2005 HAGATNA (Pacnews) - The Citibank Women in Business Program through the University of Guam's Small Business Development Center received a USD$50,000 check from the Citigroup Foundation last week.
The Citigroup Foundation has donated a total of USD$350,000 to the programme since 1999, according to a Citibank press release.
The Citibank Women in Business Program is a mentoring, development and counseling service for women who own their own businesses or who seek opportunities as entrepreneurs.
The Citibank Women in Business Program has proven to be essential in the development of women's self-sufficiency through training and one-to-one counseling.” said Marie Mesa-Kerlin, director of the Citibank Women in Business Program.
Reflecting the success of the program, according to the press release, 22 new businesses were established with USD$972,000 in loans and capital investments while more than 100 jobs were created.
"For nearly 200 years, Citigroup has played an important role in the lives of people and communities around the world," Ajay Kashyap, Citigroup country officer and country business manager, said in the press release.
It is gratifying to know that the Citibank Women in Business Program has contributed greatly to Guam's economic development since its humble beginning in 1999”…PNS (ENDS)
CKI – GOVERNMENT: CINEWS PACNEWS 2: Tues 11 Jan 2005
Support councils or abolish them, says Vaka mayor
11 JANUARY 2005 RAROTONGA (Pacnews) – A local village council leader in Cook islands has called for the abolition of the Vaka Council (local council) if it cannot give the financial commitment local governments desperately need.
Mere Raita, mayor for Te Au O Tonga, says apart from an annual budget of at least NZD$100,000 (USD$69, 450), council members have not conducted meetings with their Parliamentary representatives “due to the ongoing political problems”.
Ms Raita says that government has been too absorbed into the politics of the politicians that they have shunned the Vaka councils.
She says that councils will continue to remain dormant unless government changes its attitude toward them. She has criticised the amount of money spent on allowances for council members rather than on important projects.
“My council was given NZD$100,000 and a good portion of this, NZD$70,000 (USD$48, 615), is taken up in allowance for the 14 councillors. We are left with only NZD$30,000 (USD$20, 835) and what can we do with that money?” she said.
“As it is the $30,000 pays for the cleaning and cutting of grass around the Vaka. We want to get things going at Panama, keeping the place clean but we just cannot keep doing this. It costs money and there is not enough for one financial year.
She has called for more funds, at least NZD$150,000 (USD$104, 175) for her small projects alone every year apart from the NZD$70,000 (USD$48, 615) allowances…PNS (ENDS)
SOL – EDUCATION: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Thurs 13 Jan 2005
Government commits millions for free education
13 JANUARY 2005 HONIARA (Pacnews) - The Solomon Islands Government has committed at least SBD$19.58 million (USD$2. 666m) to cater for its 2005 free Primary School Education Policy.
The Permanent Secretary at the Education Ministry, Dr Derrick Sikua, says the allocation is drawn from a total of SBD$12.98 million (USD$1. 767m) contribution from the Solomon Islands Government and SBD$6.59 million (USD$897, 558) from New Zealand Aid (NZAID).
“About SBD$2.13 million (USD$290, 106) will be made available to all primary schools next week on the basis of SBD$40 (USD$5.44) per child bearing in mind that there are about 85,000 children in the primary school system,” Dr Sikua said.
“This funding is for the first quarter only (Term1) and a similar amount will be available in the second quarter (Term 2) and so on.”
“This is an ongoing commitment by the Government so it is not a one-off assistance. We expect schools to manage these grants properly, so we do not envisage schools running out of materials before the next lot is due.”
“The cash grants will be paid to education authorities who will pay each school their entitlements according to the number of children enrolled in the school at SBD$40 per child,” Dr Sikua said.
“For rural primary schools, the grants provided by the government are intended to replace school fees so they should not be charging fees as of this year. For urban primary schools, they may wish to continue charging fees but to be reduced according to the level of assistance provided by the government per child.”
“For 2005, urban primary schools should reduce their fees by about SBD$178 (USD$24. 24) per child, whilst rural primary schools should not charge any fees at all because the 2005 allocation per child is already more than the school fess they usually charge each child per year.”
“All primary schools, including public and private primary schools run by provinces, churches, NGOs and individual education authorities are entitled to receive this assistance”, he added…PNS (ENDS)
PACIFIC/NZ – ENVIRONMENT: PACNEWS PACNEWS 2: Tues 18 Jan 2005
Strong NZ presence at UN disaster reduction conference
18 JANUARY 2004 WELLINGTON (Pacnews) – With the Pacific Islands in her mind, New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark says her government is sending a strong delegation to the United Nations World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan.
Ms Clark believes the Kobe talks will look at ways to protect the world from devastating natural disasters like the recent Indian Ocean tsunami, which has killed at least 160, 000 people in South Asia.
“The New Zealand delegation leaves this Sunday for the UN World Conference on Disaster Reduction in Kobe, Japan, where there will be discussion of how best to provide tsunami warnings for the Indian Ocean,” she said.
“These talks will also provide opportunities to look at improving tsunami protection for New Zealand and the South West Pacific,” she added.
“The conference has taken on new significance in light of the tsunami affecting the Indian Ocean region. At a meeting convened by ASEAN in Jakarta on January 6, it was agreed that the Kobe conference would address specific concerns about gaps in tsunami warning systems.”
“The conference, which also marks the tenth anniversary of the devastating Kobe earthquake, will identify ways to increase awareness of the importance of disaster reduction policies, and increase the reliability and availability of disaster-related information to the
public and to disaster-management agencies.”
The eight-strong New Zealand delegation comprises experts and senior officials from New Zealand’s Ministry of Research, Science and Technology, the PM’s Office, NZAID, the Institute of Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS), the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research and International Services.
New Zealand also had a strong representation at the United Nations Summit on Small Islands Developing States (SIDS)…PNS (ENDS)
TONGA – POLITICS: TBC PACNEWS 3: Wed 12 Jan 2005
Six women try their luck at Tonga elections
12 JANUARY 2005 NUKUA’LOFA (Pacnews) – Six women are vying for seats in Tonga’s Legislative Assembly in the island kingdom’s March state elections.
Reports from Nuku’alofa say the women are among eight of the current sitting MPs, a former government minister, former parliamentarians and pro-democracy and pro-government candidates.
There are a total of 64 hopeful candidates wile thousands of voters will elect their nine representatives to the 2005/2007 Legislative Session in about 2 months time.
Supervisor of Elections, Pita Vuki says 13 more candidates are contesting this year than the last election in 2002.
When registration of candidates closed yesterday afternoon, the largest constituency, Tongatapu fielded 31 candidates, almost double the number in the last election. It was followed by 18 in Vava'u, 7 in Ha'apai, four in 'Eua and another four for the two Niuas combined.
The women are from Tongatapu (3) and one each in Ha'apai, Vava'u and the Niuas.
Tonga's former minister of police, Clive Edwards is one of the Tongatapu candidates of Tongatapu, as well as the former head of the Human Rights and Democracy Movement, Lopeti Senituli. Of the nine incumbents, only the Pita says the number of hopefuls for Vava'u increased by 6, a drop of 3 in Ha'apai and the Niuas, while the number for 'Eua remains the same
The supervisor also reminds that candidates should be free of all debts incurred. He said the registration form clearly states that all candidates should clear any debt directed by a court of law.
Pita says they’ll be working closely with the justice ministry to make sure all candidates are complying with the law...PNS (ENDS)
FIJI – SPEED FUNERAL: PACNEWS PACNEWS 3: Thurs 13 Jan 2005
Adi Kuini’s resolve praised at her funeral service
13 JANUARY 2005 SUVA (Pacnews) – The late Adi Kuini Speed was farewelled at a packed Centenary Methodist Church in Suva, Fiji this morning with a deluge of eulogies that spoke of her profound faith and courage in seeing that “her beloved country” recovered from its political tribulations.
Seven presenters, representing the 55-year-old former Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Fijian Affairs’ chiefly connections, close families, friends, political affiliations and career, were one on her great belief and devotion to working hard for Fiji and getting everyone to live harmoniously with one another.
Adi Kuini was admired for her general display of good manners so characteristic of chiefly etiquette and subsequent eloquence in expressing the need for chiefs and the people to treasure what Fiji and its significance as a nation stood for. She had fought, in her numerous speeches and criticisms of what Fiji went through during the political turmoil, for multiracialism and won many friends for her belief in extending the wealth of this nation to people who wanted a part of it.
Vice President, Ratu Joni Madraiwiwi, spoke of a niece, through her Bau connections to her paternal grandmother, Adi Teimumu Vuikaba, sister of Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna, who once confronted him for speaking out against the appointment of the late Ratu Sir Kamisese Mara’s as Prime Minister when Mara lost the elections in 1977 to the Indian-dominated National Federation Party.
But who faced equal consequences when her late former husband, Dr Timoci Bavadra’s leadership was wrenched from him in a military coup in 1987.
Prime Minister Laisenia Qarase, spoke of his admiration for “a lady” who had a devotion to her country and God in her life, of one who had a vision for leaders to excel and set good examples.
“She was an inspiration to Leba and me,” said an emotional PM.
Former Minister for Education, Taufa Vakatale, spoke of a born leader when the late Adi Kuini became head girl of Adi Cakobau School (ACS), a government school for Fijian women, when through her leadership, the institution experienced one of its better days.
Her ACS principal had even predicted that Adi Kuini would become Fiji’s first Fijian woman Prime Minister, a prediction that came so close to reality if not for a military coup.
Adi Kuini’s body has been taken to her chiefly village in Korolevu, on the topmost Province of Navosa in the upper reaches of western Viti Levu, for another night and a village church service in a church she had built for her people before she gets laid to rest beside her father, Ratu Aseri Qoro Latianara, at the chiefly burial grounds…PNS (ENDS)
FIJI – EDUCATION: TIMES PACNEWS 3: Mon 17 Jan 2005
Senior Education Ministry official calls for the rod
17 JANUARY 2005 SUVA (Pacnews) – A senior Fiji Ministry of Education official has called for the reintroduction of corporal punishment in schools in order to discipline students with behavioural problems.
Education Ministry Acting Chief Executive Officer, Filimoni Jitoko, made the suggestion after reports last week of a man who was fined by the courts for the arrest and trial of his two sons for burglary, housebreaking and sacrilege.
Mr Jitoko said children committed crimes because they lacked proper teaching at home and that sparing the rod at home and in schools did not help the younger generation in any way and instead created criminals out of them.
He said most parents relied on teachers to discipline their children and the concern now would be as who should be responsible for children’s discipline if parents and teachers were not allowed to use the cane.
The Ministry of Education allows corporal punishment but only to an extent and teacher organisations in Fiji had often gone against it and were instrumental in a bid against it, encouraging discussion and a subsequent high court decision against it.
But Mr Jitoko said the Ministry of Education believed corporal punishment should be allowed.
“We have a regulation where only head teachers should give corporal punishment because students have behavioural problems like stealing and bullying,” he said. “We don’t give corporal punishment for academic problems like not doing homework or not performing in schools.”
Mr Jitoko said the court should change its stance on children and parents’ rights.
“The rights issue is the problem here,” he added. “If parents are not allowed to use canes when disciplining their children, why are they being fined when children wrong?” He said the courts should give a good definition of discipline and how it wanted it done.
“Most of us can't differentiate between discipline and abuse. If the courts started fining parents who failed to get their children on the right path especially when using the cane was prohibited,” he said.
“When teachers are banned from using corporal punishment, parents are expected to do it. But they don't because many children are aware of their rights,” Mr Jitoko added. “The court should seriously look into it.”
The father of two 16-year-old boys who appeared in court for sacrilege of a Hindu temple was fined FJD$130 by the Suva Magistrates Court at the weekend for failing to be a good father.
Juvenile Court magistrate Ajmal Khan said the twin boys’ father was directly responsible for their actions as he did not bring them up to respect other people’s religions and belongings...PNS (ENDS)
PACIFIC – BUSINESS: RNZI PACNEWS 3: Tues 18 Jan 2005
World Bank says Pacific governments need to prioritise disaster management
18 JANUARY 2005 PACIFIC (Pacnews) - The World Bank’s Natural Resource Economist for the Pacific says the regions governments need to place disaster risk managememt at a higher level.
Sofia Bettencourt says the Boxing Day Tsunami has added urgency to the fact that Pacific countries are not prepared for major disasters.
Ms Bettencourt says there needs to be an attitude change in the highest levels of government so that countries think more about the long-term situation.
She says there are some simple measures include using underground powerlines, having higher building standards and managing coral and mangrove belts so they can withstand strong waves. However Ms Bettencourt says responsibility also lies with donors.
“Donor agencies have a very high responsibility in making sure that they do not create perverse incentives by always rushing in after disasters but not funding prevention measures because they are less appealing to their own political constituencies”…PNS (ENDS)