NEWSROOM: 02 December - 08 December 2007

NZ Specialists restoring sight in Fiji
08 December 2007 - Source: Fiji Times
 
After nine years of darkness, 68-year-old Dionisia Yagose can see thanks to a team of specialists who removed her eye cataract for free.

Mrs Yagose of Tokou Village on Ovalau could not stop crying as she was overwhelmed at seeing her grandson for the first time.

It was wonderful to see my one-year-old grandson, she said.

I was blind for nine years and I see this as a new lease of life.

Mrs Yagoses blindness was caused by a cataract.

I never thought Id see again. Im very happy and thank God for working through the doctors to make me see.

I was so happy after the surgery I cried and cried.

Her nephew Inoke Vuivuwa, 44, thanked the doctors and nurses for giving his aunt her sight back.

We were so happy and could not believe it when she returned last Friday, he said.
We called all the family and had a feast to celebrate. Mr Vuivuwa said Christmas would be wonderful for them.

This is an early Christmas for everyone. We spent nine years guiding her and now shes walking around on her own.

She knew people by their names and voice only. The day she came out of the hospital she kept asking whos this, whos that, when she met someone.

Pacific Eye Institute director Doctor John Seeto said Mrs Yagoses condition was related to age.

Everyone who reaches that age will suffer from cataract, he said.

She was totally blind, incapacitated. Cataract is one of the main causes of blindness.

Mrs Yagose was among 400 people on Ovalau who benefited from the Fred Hollows Foundation team of ophthalmologists led by Dr John Szetu.

The team was able to restore the eyesight of 40 people.

Foundations executive director Carmel Williams says there is a severe shortage of eyecare professionals in the Pacific which must be remedied in order to reduce blindness. More than 80,000 people are blind in the Pacific Islands.

In Fiji there is a backlog of about 6000 cases needing surgery.

This will continue to grow by about 800 new cases each year, unless we have more eye doctors and nurses available in the country.
 

Foreign Minister visits Papua New Guinea
07 December 2007 - Source: New Zealand Government Press Release
 
Foreign Minister Winston Peters left yesterday for a four-day visit to Papua New Guinea, where he will hold talks with his new counterpart Sam Abal, and with Prime Minister Sir Michael Somare.

Mr Peters will also travel to the Highlands provinces of Enga and Western Highlands, where he will meet with local authorities and community leaders.

“Papua New Guinea has a significant influence in the Pacific, and it plays a central role in developments shaping the future economic progress and stability of the region,” Mr Peters said.

“PNG has also shown leadership on regional challenges such as Fiji and RAMSI mission in the Solomon Islands, both of which will be on the agenda during our talks, along with a range of other economic, political and security issues.

“New Zealand and Papua New Guinea also share common views on a number of global interests, with PNG being a leading voice on international climate change initiatives, which New Zealand strongly supports.”

Mr Peters said he would be express New Zealand’s sympathies to Sir Michael over the recent floods in Oro province, which killed at least 160 people, and have affected over 100,000 others.

The government, through its international development agency NZAID, has already committed $100,000 to initial relief efforts, and provided generators, tarpaulins, blankets and water containers.
 

Commander Joint Forces in talks with Pacific nations
06 December 2007 - Source: New Zealand Defence Force Press Release
 
Major General Rhys Jones was on a Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF) P3-K Orion as it touched down in Niue, Rarotonga and Samoa during scheduled maritime surveys this week.

Maj Gen Jones has already met heads of state and key personnel in Niue and Rarotonga, and will do the same in Samoa today in what has become an annual series of talks.

The goal is to ensure that support from the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is well tuned to the needs of these countries.

“In order to be certain that we know the real needs of the Pacific Island nations it is important that we maintain contact and personal relations with the key personalities. My visits are part of this ongoing programme of engagement," said Maj Gen Jones.
The NZDF has supported disaster relief operations, assisted in the building of infrastructure, and patrolled the economic zones of the Pacific countries for many years.

Less known is the help that the NZDF provide in the training and support to local military and police forces, both in their home locations and in New Zealand.

The economic zone patrols are a regular task for the RNZAF Orion, usually carried out once a month and often in conjunction with Navy patrol boats to primarily target illegal foreign fishing vessels.
 

Blessing and re-dedication of Le Ageagea o Tumua
05 December 2007 - Source: eventpolynesia.com
 
Dr Seddon Bennington, Chief Executive of the Museum of New Zealand Te Papa Tongarewa and acting Kaihautu Arapata Hakiwai recently called for a blessing and re-dedication of Le Ageagea o Tumua o le Ai o le Faatoesega a le Palemia ma le Malo o Niu Sila ia Samoa. Prime Minister Rt Hon Helen Clark and the Head of State of Samoa, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi attended the ceremony at the Wellington museum yesterday evening.

The 'ie toga (fine mat) is in the exhibition Tangata o le Moana: The story of Pacific People in New Zealand on level four of Te Papa where the re-dedication will take place.

'Ie toga are the highest-ranking item in the Samoan exchange system and greatly valued. They are often used in Samoan ceremonies, and this ‘ie toga was gifted during a ceremonial apology known as an ifoga.

What is the meaning behind this gift to the Prime Minister of NZ after her public apology to the Samoan people in 2002? According to Samoan Head of State Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi, the story of Le Ageagea o Tumua and the act of gifting it are both about love, death, remorse and forgiveness between kin.

This 'ie toga is called Le Ageagea o Tumua (the substance of Tumua). Le Ageagea o Tumua was gifted to New Zealand Prime Minister Helen Clark after her public apology to the Samoan people, made in Samoa, in June, 2002. Prime Minister Clarke visited Samoa to take part in Samoa's celebrations of forty years of political independence. While there, she took the opportunity to apologise on behalf of the New Zealand Government for events that took place during New Zealand's administration of Samoa from 1914 to 1962.

The two most traumatic events which took place during the New Zealand administration were an influenza outbreak in 1918, from which thousands of Samoan people died when an infected ship was allowed to dock without undergoing proper quarantine procedures, and the fatal shooting in 1929 of nine protestors during a peaceful march by the Mau independence movement.

"The gifting of Le Ageagea o Tumua to PM Helen Clark is a gift to Aotearoa. It is akin to a gift of marriage where this marriage connects, reclaims and becomes the legacy of love between two nations, cultures, and their children - the nations of Aotearoa and Samoa", added the Head of State of Samoa, His Highness Tui Atua Tupua Tamasese Efi.
 

Pasifika writings launched at Pasifika@Massey conference
04 December 2007 - Source: Massey University Press Release
 
A philosophic meditation on leadership by a former Deputy Prime Minister of Tonga is the first in a series of inspirational writings by Pacific Island statesmen and scholars published by the University, and launched at the fourth annual Pasifika@Massey conference recently.

Sprinkled with quotes from Confucious to Kipling, Aristotle to Einstein, the 32-page document penned by Dr Senipisi Langi Kavaliku is the first in the Pasifika Leaders’ Forum.

It is the latest initiative of the Pasifika@Massey strategy, and is aimed at spreading the knowledge, ideas and experiences of respected leaders to a wider audience in education, development and community services in New Zealand.

Dr Kavaliku, the first Tongan to gain a Masterate and PhD prior to 35 years as a cabinet minister in Tonga, has held a swag of top-ranked positions in government, university and church governance throughout the Pacific.

He graduated a Bachelor of Arts from Harvard University, a Masters of Arts from Cambridge University and doctorate from Victoria University, and is currently Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific in Fiji.

His authoritative, thoughtful dissertation, titled Pasifika Leadership: An issue of Quality and Relevance, touched on personal experiences of being educated abroad and the challenges of returning to Tonga and adapting to being appointed in a leadership role.

Knowledge of culture, creating trust among colleagues and with people he represents, professionalism, education, and seeking the support of mentors were among the critical qualities needed for effective leadership, Dr Kavaliku wrote.

For Pacificans in leadership roles in New Zealand, he cites the importance of being sensitive to the multi-cultural, multi-ethnic society. “Emotional intelligence” was the new buzzword for good leadership generally, but has long been part of a Pacifican style of leadership, he says.

The two-day conference at the Auckland campus attracted about 30 Pasifika staff and students from all three campuses.

Director Pasifika Professor Sitaleki Finau gave an overview and progress report on achievements of the Whenua Research and Academic Pasifika Network, and Professor John Raine, Deputy Vice-Chancellor ( Auckland) offered a perspective on Pasifika@Massey as keynote speaker at the conference.

Ten research students presented progress reports for discussion and feedback on their Pasifika-themed postgraduate research, with topics ranging from the efficiency of commercial banks in Pacific nations to the relationship between spirituality and education performance among Pacific tertiary students.

Sione Tu’itahi, chairperson of the Pasifika@Massey network, said the strategy had fostered many achievements since its inception in 2003, including the creation of Pasifika fale (spaces) on all campuses, more Pasifika staff and students doing Pacific-related research, a successful pilot project in several Auckland secondary schools to encourage students to continue to university studies and an increasing awareness around New Zealand and the Pacific region of the Pasifika@Massey strategy.
 

Women’s basketball team selected for Beijing 2008 Olympic Games
03 December 2007 - Source: New Zealand Olympic Committee Press Release
 
The New Zealand Olympic Committee (NZOC) has announced the New Zealand Women’s Basketball Team (Tall Ferns) has been selected to the New Zealand Olympic Team to Beijing 2008.

The Tall Ferns, who qualified for the Olympic Games after beating Fiji in the Oceania Championships in September, have also demonstrated to New Zealand Olympic selectors they are capable of progressing beyond pool play at Beijing next year. The Tall Ferns are currently ranked 16th in the world.

“We are confident the team is capable of a strong finish in Beijing. The Tall Ferns delivered an excellent result at the Athens Olympic Games in 2004 and have improved their performance since then,’ said New Zealand Olympic Committee Secretary General and selector, Barry Maister. “They won a silver medal at the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne last year and recorded a very close result against seventh-ranked Cuba recently. “

The Tall Ferns made the quarter-finals in Athens 2004 and an intensive build-up programme is planned as the team heads for its 3rd straight Olympic Games.
Basketball New Zealand will name the individual players in 2008.

The New Zealand Olympic Committee will be making further selection announcements for Beijing 2008 as teams and individuals meet selection criteria.

Most selections will be made in early 2008.
 

New Zealand contributes to Forum Regional Security Fund
02 December 2007 - Source: Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat Press Release
 
The Government of New Zealand is to contribute NZ$500,000 towards the Forum Regional Security Fund in the coming year.

Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, Greg Urwin and the Acting New Zealand High Commissioner to Fiji, Joanna Kempkers signed documents relating to the grant in Suva, Fiji, today

“The Regional Security Fund enables the Forum through the Secretariat to respond to difficult and tense situations in the region as well as helps us to coordinate and organise regional security initiatives in keeping with the broad security mandate given us by Forum Leaders when they endorsed Biketawa Declaration at their meeting in Kiribati in 2000. We are most grateful for the generous contribution New Zealand has made to the Fund,” says Mr Urwin

“Under the auspices of the Declaration, in the past eleven months we have undertaken two successful Forum Foreign Affairs Ministers’ Meetings, an Eminent Persons Group mission to Fiji and an independent study of Fiji’s electoral process – all of which was supported by the Regional Security Fund,” he said.

The fortnightly Forum-Fiji Working Group Meetings are also supported by the Regional Security Fund.

It was the Independent Technical Assessment for an Election Timetable in Fiji that found that elections could be held in Fiji by March 2009. This date has since been agreed to by the interim administration. And through the fortnightly Working Group meetings, the Forum has been able to keep the channels of communication and dialogue with Fiji open and to work constructively with the interim administration.

“The fund has enabled us to fulfill our Biketawa mandate, and it is most important that we should continue to have the means to do so,” Mr Urwin said. 
 

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