NEWSROOM: 22 July - 28 July 2007

Asenati Lole-Taylor Community Column
28 July 2007 - Source: Asenati Lole-Taylor

Another totara has fallen. As people of Cook Islands mourn the passing of the eminent Sir Thomas Davis, we reflect on the life of a medical graduate who led the way for Pacific peoples in 1945 at the University of Otago.

Sir Davis’ long impressive career of practising medicine took him all over the world. He was an inspiration to so many of our Pacific people.

Joining NASA after many years as a research physiologist, he did not stop there, but moved to become a politician and the founder of the Cook Island democratic political party, and then Prime Minister soon afterwards.

Sir Thomas Davis was a Pacific role model; many Pacific parents would like to see his qualities emulated in their children and our future generations.

Our Pacific peoples have received many benefits through Sir Davis’ work; our Pacific Islands have become well recognised throughout the rest of the world because of his enormous contribution and positive leadership.

Our condolences to all of Sir Thomas Davis’ families, friends, and of course the people of Cook Islands. He will be forever remembered by our communities and Pacific peoples.

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Pacific Islands Board Auckland City (PIBAC) is ready to mobilise the local communities and increase the level of their participation in local government initiatives.

We are not an ignorant or arrogant race. We come with village life experience where united communities can work together and make things happen.

The board would like to deliver on its objectives, and one of them is encouraging our people to be part of all our activities and initiatives.

We are also looking for volunteers to help with various activities, and would like to build on the database that we currently have, in order to increase the capacity of our network contacts so that important information reach our people and targeted audience.

At the next PIBAC meeting, the members will spend some time to reflect on the last 12 months; what we have achieved and are about to achieve, where we are heading, and whether we have successfully navigated our canoe towards our intended destination.

More importantly, we want our communities to have a better understanding as to why they need to be involved and how they can participate in our local activities/initiatives.

They can start by getting themselves enrolled on the electoral roll. You just need to be at least 18 years old and a NZ citizen or permanent resident. Give your local Registrar of Election office a call, or go to your nearest post office and complete the necessary forms.

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Local Government Elections; it is everyone’s responsibility to be involved, and we are all accountable for its result and outcomes.

Our community must now focus on ensuring that we are involved in this process. We need to put the right candidates forward. Those who can continue with the positive initiatives that are in place right now for our community, as well as seriously looking at what needs to be done for the future generations.

The campaign is now under way. It is absolutely vital that our community consider the profile and the credibility of all candidates, and make sure to vote for those who have the interest of many in their hearts, rather than those who are putting themselves forward for their own personal agenda.

It is not about having a degree in law or anything else, but this is about genuine commitment towards the wider community.

The Labour team and the City Vision team have selected their candidates, after much deliberation and discussions, which reflected that they have acknowledged the existence of Pacific and Asian communities as well as their growing population.

Other parties like C&R are now putting forward Pacific candidates for the sake of trying to win Pacific voters, but do not necessarily want what is in the best of our Pacific peoples.

Our communities have been exploited for too long by these tunnel-visioned C&R political parties, and it is time that we showed them that we have a voice, and we mean business.

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Do you ever wonder why we don’t get enough police resources when we ask for them? Or get the disgusting graffiti that is ruining our properties removed?

The truth is, we have to provide some kind of data or evidence before these resources can be allocated.

On the Monday just gone, the community of Otahuhu and local government agencies came together to look at recent developments, and received feedback from the community ensuring the steering reference group for Otahuhu will remain on track.

The main message from this forum for our people is; “Report everything that needs to be reported; e.g. rubbish dumping, graffiti damage, damaged road signs, cars going through red lights, and more.”

Another way of getting involved is “Say hi to your neighbour. Get to know them, and help create a united community. We have done this in our own Island nations; there is no reason why we can’t do it here.”

Start picking up that rubbish in front of your house, if everyone is doing this, we will end up with a very clean neighbourhood.

Know where your children are, and who they are with. Show interests in your children’s education by attending parents’ interviews and supporting them at their school activities.

Make the effort to attend community meetings and forums that are being held, to provide our people with information in order for you and me to be better informed about what is going on in our local area, community boards, council wards, and more.

Remember, it is only we develop others, that we may permanently succeed.
 

C&R to ditch Pasifika Scholarships and Council Cadetships
27 July 2007 - Source: City Vision

The Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Association’s C&R Now party have declared their first priority if they win majority of Council seats at the upcoming election in October this year. They are to eliminate the newly established Pacific Islands Board Auckland City (PIBAC) and abolish the Pacific Islands scholarships and cadetship programme which the Mayor’s Taskforce introduced.

The members of the Pacific Islands Board Auckland City have expressed their deep concern at the Auckland C&R Now Councillor’s totally negative response to Council’s Economic Development Committee’s decision this month.

The current Labour/City vision council supported the initiative to create 6 City Council cadetships for unemployed Auckland young people and to restore a similar number of scholarships for Pacific Island students at Auckland’s three main tertiary institutions (Auckland University, AUT and Unitec)

Auckland C&R Now Councillor Doug Armstrong said at the Committee Meeting that his Team’s policy was yet to be released but their first policy statement he would make was that both the cadetships and the scholarships are to be abolished.

Anyone who stands for the local government election under the umbrella of the Auckland Citizens & Ratepayers Association will make it their first job to stop any initiatives that have specific focus on the development of Pacific and Ethnic communities, as well as those with low income and poor economic situations.

Richard Northey responded that Labour/City Vision saw the Pacific scholarships, which were strongly requested by Council’s Pacific Island Board Auckland City (PIBAC), as bringing great value both to the Pacific Island communities as well as bringing different skills and diversity to Council itself. The Cadetships demonstrated Council’s genuine commitment to the Mayor’s Taskforce for Jobs and the Taskforce objective of getting all young people placed in work or training rather than simply complaining about the anti-social activities of some unemployed youth.
 

Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme a hit
26 July 2007 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

20 Tongans have just begun viticulture work in New Zealand under the Recognised Seasonal Employer scheme.

They are working for a Marlborough based company, Vinepower, and director, Jason Kennard, says they get full accommodation, transport to and from work, and return airfares after a seven month stint.

He says the company had originally looked to Fiji for workers, but with Fiji withdrawn from the RSE as one of the New Zealand Government’s sanctions against the interim regime, they turned to Tonga.

“On the whole the scheme is a good idea, and I think it will work and I think it will be good for the industry in the end and it should hopefully bring the contractor and grower together which hasn’t happened so much in the past, but this scheme makes this happen and it will be very good for the industry I think.”

Vinepower’s Jason Kennard.

The 2007 Forum Economic Ministers’ meeting has recommended more Pacific leaders push for some kind of labour mobility arrangement with Australia and New Zealand, at the October Forum meeting in Tonga.
 

Sir Tom Davis passes away on Rarotonga
25 July 2007 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

The Cook Islands' most famous son and former Prime Minister, Sir Tom Davis, died yesterday aged 90, on Rarotonga. He was taken to hospital two days ago.

He returned from Australia late last year to his home in Muri and had been practising medicine again. He was a high achiever in his early years and the first Cook Islander to graduate as a doctor from Otago Medical School.

Davis achieved his dream to become a doctor of medicine graduating with a Bachelor of Medicine, and a Bachelor of Surgery in 1945. He certainly took education very seriously, having graduated from three Universities: Otago, Sydney, and Harvard.

He attended Harvard University in the United States to complete a master’s degree in public health and worked as a research physiologist before joining NASA to work on the US space programme for several years.

He founded the Cook Islands Democratic Party and became Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 1978 to 1987. He was also president of the Pacific Islands Voyaging Society and author of many books. In 1981 Davis was knighted by the Queen. In 1982 he was awarded the German Order of Merit.

Davis was still working at 87 years when he was the Cook Islands High Commissioner based in Wellington. He continued to write his thoughts on good governance for the Pacific islands and some research projects.

After that, he became the Chancellor of the South Seas University, chartered in the Cook Islands and his wife Lady Carla Davis was the Chief Executive. He was also a Research Consultant to the Global Institute of Education in Washington, DC.

In May 2005, Davis was awarded the Doctor of Laws Honoris Causa from Otago University and was a Patron for the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs Pacific Prosperity Conference in November.
His words at the conference inspired many people as he believes that a good leader must also be a good follower, so that when he sees someone doing something good, he should follow that person to give encouragement if nothing else.

Sir Tom celebrated his 90th birthday recently at the Rarotonga Sailing Club and late last year he reurned home to live amongst his friends and extended family in Rarotonga
Sir Tom will be sadly missed by many people. He has been a remarkable leader and his legacy will be remembered and inspires many Cook Islanders, and other Pacific peoples, to strive for the best.

A state funeral will be held for Sir Tom Davis in the Cook Islands later this week.
 

TRIBUTES

Kia Orana dear Friends,

It is with great sadness that we advise the passing of Sir Thomas Davis - Papa Tom to most of us – early this morning.

All of us will have our own special memories of this amazing man, who achieved the equivalent of at least ten men in his lifetime.

Author, sailor, scientist, Doctor, Theorist, politician, knight and all round good guy.
In 2000 he was the named the Pacific Person of the Century.
Papa Tom celebrated his 90th birthday recently at the Rarotonga Sailing Club – a fitting venue for the Master Mariner.

Since late last year he has been living back amongst his friends and extended family here on Rarotonga. It has been wonderful to have him home and see him out and about, full of life as usual and giving us his view on life – even yesterday he was expounding the myths and truths about Global Warming a la Davis.

During the Americas Cup, TeAturangi brought him down to the Club at 3am in the morning to watch several of the races. His comments about what the Americas Cup has become were interesting.

Several weeks ago we were at one of Johnny Frisbies farewell functions (Johnny has gone to live in Hawaii with her daughter and family) and Papa Tom, surrounded by an adoring and adorning array of women sang a selection of popular songs from the 50’s-70’s.

It was a wonderful evening and you could tell he was enjoying himself as were his audience.

Go in peace, Papa Tom, secure in the knowledge that you surely did make a difference to so many during your lifetime.

Aroa nui
Peter & Jolene



Tulou, tulou, tulouna lava,

A shining star has been removed from the Pacific sky.
The Otara communities are deeply saddened by the loss of the Cook Islands’ most famous son, Sir Thomas Davis, who died yesterday aged 90 on Rarotonga.

We join with the people of the Cook Islands in mourning a Pacific leader who achieved significant heights in both his medical and political career, even becoming Space Surgeon for America’s NASA programme, and later Prime Minister of the Cook Islands from 1978 to 1987 after he had founded the Cook Islands Democratic Party in 1971.

Sir Thomas Davis’ eminent contributions were not confined to the fields of medicine and politics. He was passionate about Polynesian voyaging and yachting and was awarded Sportsman Achiever of the Year in Yachting, 1998, and was later recognized by the NZ Achievers Magazine as Pacific Islander of the Century in 1999.

His many achievements speaks loud to each of us that Pacific people have so much potential to reach greatness as he did, through serving people. His life is an example of service not just to the Cook Islands people but to the world.

We farewell Sir Thomas Davis and thank him for setting such a strong example for all future Pacific generations to follow.

We convey our sincerest condolences to the family of Sir Thomas Davis, and we convey our deepest sorrow to the people of the 15 main islands of the Cook Islands, and those throughout the world. We will forever remember him affectionately as Papa Tom.

We wish Sir Thomas Davis a permanent place in the heavens.

Aere ra i te Metua Tane, i te rekareka anga o to tätou pu,

Su’a William Sio (On Behalf of Otara communities)
 

Pair develop Maori version of Google
24 July 2007 - Source: NZPA

A husband and wife team is developing a Maori language version of the search engine Google in an effort to encourage more Maori to use the net.

Potaua Biasiny-Tule, 32, and his Puerto Rican wife Nikolasa, 35, of Rotorua, are directing a team of volunteers from around the country translating the search pages into a Google Maori language option.

And their idea has been welcomed by Google's American owners.

Out of 117 language options, Tongan is the only Pacific tongue recognised. But the couple hope the Maori option will be a hit.

Mr Biasiny-Tule told the New Zealand Herald if Star Trekkies could get a language option then Maori should have no trouble.

"They had Klingon and the Muppets, even Elmer Fudd. We asked ourselves, `Where was Maori'?"
The project started about five weeks ago and the first of eight pages will be submitted to Google today to coincide with the launch of Maori Language Week.

Mr Biasiny-Tule said Google had provided a template but making sure translations lined up with technology-based Maori words, agreeing on common words across different dialects and relying on a team of volunteers meant the task was time-consuming.

Mrs Biasiny-Tule, a former Waikato University Maori and Pacific development lecturer, said the name of the search option was still up for debate but Google Maori was the most popular one so far.

Maori Language Commission chief executive Huhana Rokx said the initiative was terrific news during Maori Language Week.

"Anything that extends our reo "language" into new dimensions is progress and keeping up with technology is excellent for the development of our reo."

As Maori Language Week gets under way, TradeMe has agreed to translate its tagline " Where Kiwis buy and sell" into te reo.

The tagline will read "Te Papa Hokohoko a nga Kiwi" today and tomorrow.
 

Auckland fa’afafine ready to rumble
23 July 2007 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

The all fa’afafine Pualani Girls club, a popular dancing group in South Auckland, will be stepping into their new role as The Ultimate Fa’afafine Ring Stars on Tuesday 14th August 2007 at the Otara Recreation Centre, Auckland.

According to Princess Jennifer, Pualani Girls president and boxing trainer, “Fa’afafine are good boxers. They may not have the Sugar Ray footwork, but they certainly have the Muhammed Ali mouth and a David Tua left hook”. Pualani members, Queen Meredith and Queen Tisha will square off with two other fa’afafine on the night.

Last week, the 12 contenders for the Event Polynesia Boxing corporate class bouts were announced. Also on the same fight night are 8 amateur bouts under the Auckland Boxing Association. “We are very delighted with the positive response from the Samoan and boxing
community here in New Zealand” said Rosa Tomasi-Puni of Event Polynesia.

“The tournament is geared to boost interest in boxing by involving the community, and giving some of the local talents a second chance at boxing.” Contenders are trained at Vili’s Boxing Gym in Manurewa, the Otara Youth Boxing Gym in Otahuhu and the Black & White Universal Gym in Mangere.

Event Polynesia Boxing Contenders: Tata Ieremia (Manurewa), Sia Poutoa Papali’i (Manurewa), Tui Saumalu (Otara), Lumanai Uka Alapae (Otahuhu), Alex Ah Mann (Otara), Iosua Anae (Mangere), Fetuao Tasimale (Otahuhu), Afamasaga Paipa Afamasaga (Manukau), Tausaga Fagaio (Mangere), Ueli Sau (Mangere), Mose Ioelu (Clevedon), Ulu Ati (Mt. Wellington), Redford Neil Nili (Otara).

Ticket outlets:
(HENDERSON) Lautofa Floral Designs & Décor Ltd: 380 Great North Road, Telephone (09) 835-9326.
(NEW LYNN) Lewis Installation & Tuning: Unit E, 7 Rata Street, Telephone (09) 827-7867.
(PAPATOETOE) Pacific Motor Group Ltd: 26 Rangitoto Road, Freephone (0508) 472-243.
(MANUKAU) South Pacific Loans: 59 Cavendish Drive, Freephone (0800) 88-98-88.

All Blacks announce Rugby World Cup squad
22 July 2007 - Source: NZRU

All Blacks coach Graham Henry and his assistant coaches Wayne Smith and Steve Hansen and fellow selector, Sir Brian Lochore, have announced the All Blacks squad for Rugby World Cup 2007.

The selectors will name one additional player before August 14.

"I would like to formally congratulate the squad," said All Blacks coach Graham Henry. "They are talented players who have worked hard to prove themselves over a long period of time.

"There's more work ahead. They get a week off and then are back into conditioning.

We will also hold two camps in August."

Henry noted that eleven of the All Blacks squad will also take part in the early rounds of the Air New Zealand Cup.

Two recent All Blacks, locks Jason Eaton and James Ryan, were not considered for selection due to injury.

"We have been working towards Rugby World Cup for years and now it is our only focus,' Henry added. "We are doing everything we can in terms of preparation."

NOTE: The All Blacks won the Tri Nations and Bledisloe Cup titles after beating Australia 26-12 at Eden Park, Auckland on Saturday night.

ALL BLACKS WORLD CUP SQUAD:

Dan Carter Canterbury
Jerry Collins Wellington
Andrew Ellis Canterbury
Nick Evans Otago
Carl Hayman Otago
Andrew Hore Taranaki
Doug Howlett Auckland
Chris Jack Tasman
Byron Kelleher Waikato
Sione Lauaki Waikato
Brendon Leonard Waikato
Luke McAlister North Harbour
Richie McCaw Canterbury (Captain)
Leon MacDonald Canterbury
Chris Masoe Wellington
Aaron Mauger Canterbury
Keven Mealamu Auckland
Malili Muliaina Waikato
Anton Oliver Otago
Keith Robinson Waikato
Josevata Rokocoko Auckland
Sitiveni Sivivatu Waikato
Conrad Smith Wellington
Rodney So'oialo Wellington
Reuben Thorne Canterbury
Neemia Tialata Wellington
Isaia Toeava Auckland
Ali Williams Auckland
Tony Woodcock North Harbour
 

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