NEWSROOM: 10 February - 16 February 2008

Bringing animation to Polynesian folk tales
16 February 2008 - Source: BYU NewsNet

Polynesia has a rich history of folk tales. Many have been written down or depicted in art, but few, if any, have been told through animation.

Four BYU students and one professor, each with Samoan connections, hope to change that.

This team is creating a mentoring project to motivate Polynesians to capture their stories in animation. Those involved with the project will tour the Pacific Islands this spring, mentoring and offering workshops in visual storytelling.

"We hope that they are inspired by what we have done and that that inspiration will lead them to start creating their own visual storytelling," said Ryan Woodward, associate professor of animation.

The project's keystone is an animated film based on a well-known Samoan folktale, "The Turtle and the Shark."

The story tells of two lovers who flee to another island to avoid being separated by their king. Fearing that their disobedience will bring dishonour to their families, the two kill themselves by jumping off a cliff. The gods have compassion on the couple and transform them into a turtle and a shark who will live forever. The film will serve as a mentoring tutorial, allowing the team to show natives the many aspects involved in production.

Woodward said he hopes the film exemplifies what natives can do with their stories.

"As much as I'd love to do more legends, I am dying to see what they would come up with if they had the skills," Woodward said.

Woodward is no stranger to animation. His previous experience includes computer animation for movies such as "Spider-Man 3" and "Space Jam." Such a background, however, was an obstacle, according to Woodward.

"It was very, very difficult for me, in the initial stages of making the film, to separate myself stylistically from what I've done over the past 13 years," Woodward said. "I've learned a lot about their level of design and their iconic artistry."

The team spent two months researching Samoan stylistic artwork. As a result, the entire film resembles tapa cloth designs, a local art form made of bark cloth.

To ensure that the art is authentic to the region, the team has kept in contact with many native Samoans.

Jacob Stark, a senior from Sacramento, California, majoring in animation, served an LDS mission in Samoa. He said many people involved in the project only knew Western storytelling techniques, so the project was a learning experience for them, as well.

"We kept trying to tell the story with a philosophical meaning," Stark said. "And in the end we just had to accept it for what it was ... and simply give it its own space."

Team members were not clear how the idea for the project was conceived.

Tom Powell, a sophomore from Tempe, Arizona, majoring in media music, was a missionary companion with Stark in Samoa. He remembers discussing ways they could use their talents to benefit Polynesians.

"We wanted to be able to share our talents and our knowledge in a way that would help them," Powell said. "It's combining both worlds of the old Samoan culture with the new technological world."

WHO accuses Samoa of ignoring typhoid
15 February 2008 - Source: The New Zealand Herald

Samoa has been accused of ignoring the severity of the typhoid issue locally, by Representative of the World Health Organisation in Samoa Dr Kevin Palmer.

In an interview with Newsline Samoa, Dr Palmer said he was disappointed at the lack of effort put into the typhoid problem by the Government of Samoa.

"This is a big issue, and it has been present in Samoa for a long time and no one is doing anything about it," Dr Palmer said.

The frustrated WHO representative accused Samoa of focusing on the exotic and not on reality.

"This is a basic health issue, yet Samoa is deliberating exotic health problems when typhoid is in your backyard," Dr Palmer said.

For years now, the national hospital has reported a consistent number of typhoid cases, and according to published reports sometimes up to 12 cases are diagnosed in a day.

"This is a serious issue, and it seems the Ministry of Health does not understand the gravity of the situation," Dr Palmer said.

In March last year three cases of typhoid were diagnosed in Porirua, New Zealand and linked to Samoa.

According to investigations at the time, the most likely source of infection was the consumption of food brought to New Zealand from Samoa.

After the cases were reported, Dr Palmer said the regional headquarters of WHO considered issuing a health warning on the cross border spread of typhoid from Samoa.

"But there was some agreement between Samoa and New Zealand to do something about it, therefore the warning was never issued," Dr Palmer said.

Now, almost a year later the number of typhoid cases in Samoa is still consistent and the WHO representative says it shouldn't be the case.

The Ministry of Health was contacted for comment and Chief Executive Officer Palanitina Toelupe said 'ignoring' was the wrong word to use in this case.

"Ignoring is the wrong word, we are not ignoring that typhoid exists in Samoa," she said.

Toelupe said she empathised with the frustration of WHO.

"I can understand where WHO is coming from, perhaps they expect a major undertaking on the issue, but this is not just about typhoid, we have to
look at the food, water and sanitation, there is a lot to do in regards to this problem. This is a multi-sectoral issue, and it involves more than one Ministry," Toelupe said.

Asked if the Ministry does acknowledge that there is a typhoid problem in Samoa, Toelupe said: "Although I don't have the latest updated on figures in regards to typhoid we do acknowledge the constant number of people with typhoid."

The CEO said the Ministry would not merely act on suspicion of typhoid, but rather on the confirmation that such a problem exists.

Pirates' defensive boss is first Samoan coach in North County
14 February 2008 - Source: John Maffei

Pulu Poumele, the defensive coordinator for Oceanside High's football team, has been named as head coach at San Marcos.

The 36-year-old Poumele, an assistant with the Pirates for the past seven years, replaces Desi Herrera, who was 2-28 in three seasons with the Knights.

"Obviously, I'm very excited," Poumele said.

Poumele, who was born in American Samoa, becomes the first head football coach of Samoan decent in North County.

"Being a head coach has been a goal," Poumele said. "I'm so happy and grateful for the opportunity to help turn the San Marcos program around. For me, though, it's so much more than that. As the first Samoan to be a head football coach in the North County, I want to serve as an example for all Samoans.”

"I'm taking this personally. I want to show I can run a program. I think this is a vehicle to reach the Samoan youth. I want them to set goals, just like I did."

Poumele played for John Carroll at Oceanside and for four years at the University of Arizona. An offensive lineman, he was waived by the Baltimore Ravens in 1996 before being placed on injured reserve with the Chargers in '97. He played with the CFL's Toronto Argonauts from 1998-99.

Poumele, who earned his college degree from Arizona and teaching credential, will teach special education at San Marcos.

"Obviously, Pulu has a lot of playing and coaching experience," said San Marcos athletic director Rick Ashby, who coached the Knights to a 7-5 record in 2004.

"The biggest thing for us, though, was his experience in North County. He knows what it takes to win up here. He was an offensive lineman, but he coached the defense at Oceanside. So he knows both sides of the ball.”

"We had some really good candidates for the job, but Pulu stood out."

Poumele inherits a program where the junior varsity finished 5-4 and the freshmen went 8-1. As many as six sophomores saw duty with the Knights' varsity last season.

Ashby said six of the program's current assistant coaches have expressed an interest in staying with the program. And, with the school's enrolment growing, there will be several openings for teachers and coaches.

"I'd like to keep some of the current coaches," Poumele said.

"We have to have some continuity. But I'd also like to bring in some people I'm familiar with. I won't, however, raid the Oceanside staff. John Carroll and Oceanside High have been too good to me to do that. I don't want to hurt Oceanside."

Carroll said that with Oceanside's success, he expected to lose Poumele at some point.

"I don't know if anyone who has never been a head coach is truly ready to be a head coach," Carroll said. "But Pulu will handle things in a positive manner. I know this was a goal, so I'm proud of him. I'm disappointed we're losing a great coach, but when you have success, you have to anticipate good people will get a chance.”

"San Marcos is now my second-favourite team -- next to Oceanside. And I hope they go 9-1 every year."

Oceanside joins San Marcos in the Valley League next season.

Poumele is the third Carroll assistant to get a head coaching job. Several years ago, Jim Gray moved to Escondido as the Cougars' coach, but had to step down after a year because of physical problems. And Dave Rodriguez took a head-coaching job in Arizona.

Poumele won't start as a full-time employee at San Marcos until the fall, but he will be on campus for spring practice and for summer work with the team.

"It's important for me to be on campus as much as I can," Poumele said.

"Before I can put in an offense and defense, I need to learn the players and what they can.”

"I can't wait to start the process. I can't wait to learn this group and start a winning tradition.”

Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa RLWC campaign
13 February 2008 - Source: eventpolynesia.com

Samoa Rugby League has announced the appointment of Event Polynesia to market and promote Toa Samoa for the upcoming Rugby League World Cup, to be held in Australia starting in October. The arrangement includes marketing, promotion and fundraising, starting as soon as possible and includes all commercial arrangements from now up to and after the Rugby League World Cup. Details of the partnership are yet to be finalised, but the two parties are keen to work together for the betterment of Toa Samoa’s World Cup Campaign and commercial arrangements going forward.

“We are so delighted to be working with Event Polynesia for the World Cup and going forward" said SRL President Mr Peter Paul.

Toa Samoa RLWC Fundraising will kick-off in mid April with corporate fights pitching rugby league legends against those from other sports. It will also include fights between corporate professionals pitching CEO’s of the public and private sector against one another. This will be the first time for corporate Samoa to enjoy corporate fights, including wining and dining and cheering on a professional partner, while at the same time, contributing to and fundraising for Toa Samoa’s Rugby League World Cup campaign.

“It is such a relief for us to bring in a professional event company to take care of marketing and commercial matters whilst we concentrate on the administration side of things for the World Cup” said SRL Secretary General Fritz Tuiavii.

The local Samoa Rugby League competition kicks-off in early April, with trials set for July and the World Cup squad to be finalised in August. With the high interest and participation of our premier Samoan professional rugby league stars from all over the world, Toa Samoa stands a very positive chance to make the Semi Finals of the World Cup.

Legal action to be filed against Samoa road switch
12 February 2008 - Source: Radio New Zealand International

Three leading Samoa lawyers will file a legal action this week following the government’s move to have the country drive on the left instead of the right hand side of the road.

The chairman of People Against Switching Sides or PASS, Tole’afoa Solomona To’ailoa, says he and other two lawyers worked through the weekend to finalise legal documents.

They will seek a judicial review of the proposed Road Traffic bill, which has met with wide opposition and protest marches in Samoa.

Special session of Pacific Island Heads of Fisheries
11 February 2008 - Source: Pacific Magazine

A Special Session of Pacific Island Heads of Fisheries will be held at the Food and Agriculture Organisation’s Sub-regional Office for the Pacific Islands (FAO-SAPA) headquarters in Apia, Samoa, from 11 to 13 February 2008. The purpose of the Special Session is to review and endorse a revised strategic plan for fisheries management and sustainable coastal fisheries in the Pacific Islands.

The original strategic plan was adopted in 2003 by member countries and territories of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC). Its subsequent implementation revealed that the management of coastal fisheries in the region had serious problems that needed to be addressed.

Furthermore, the dynamic nature of fisheries and the ongoing economic and socio-political changes taking place were raising new challenges that affected the relevancy of the plan’s focus.

During the fifth Heads of Fisheries meeting, held in Noumea, New Caledonia in 2005, delegates acknowledged that the strategic plan lacked scope and depth, and expressed their strong support for it to be reviewed. SPC was tasked to undertake a comprehensive review of the plan in view of changing circumstances and to better reflect the needs and priorities of Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs).

Based on concerns raised by the Heads of Fisheries, the review looked at:

• establishing fisheries management as pivotal to all domestic fishing operations, whether subsistence, artisanal or commercial, and accordingly paying more attention to the seriousness of the region’s coastal fisheries management problems;

• broadening the scope and depth of the plan’s coverage beyond purely coastal fisheries management to include research and development, and using the broad ecosystem approach to fisheries to manage environmental impacts on the land and marine environment;

• directly addressing political directives emanating from Pacific Islands Forum leaders’ decisions that are reflected in regional policy instruments, such as the Pacific Islands Regional Ocean Policy (PIROP), Pacific Islands Ocean Framework for Integrated Strategic Action (PIROF-ISA), the Pacific Plan, and other international policy instruments, including the Millennium Development Goals and the FAO Code of Conduct for Responsible Fisheries; and

• assigning full ownership of the strategic plan to PICTs, with the responsibility for its implementation coordinated on a regional basis by SPC.

The revised plan reflects all of these issues and concerns.

The Special Session of Heads of Fisheries to review and endorse the strategic plan is funded by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Iceland.

Most of the major projects carried out under the strategic plan have been financed by the Commonwealth Secretariat and the Government of Iceland, with FAO, the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council, AusAID, NZAID and French Pacific funding contributing significantly to activities under the plan.

Landfill impresses Environmental Protection Agencies
10 February 2008 - Source: SPREP Press Release

Samoa’s innovative semi-aerobic landfill at Tafaigata has impressed visitors from Environmental Protection Agencies (EPA) from the United States and American Samoa. The Director of the American Samoa EPA, Dr Toa’Fa Vaiaga’e, and Mr Norwood Scott from the San Francisco office of EPA recently visited the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) in Apia.

The team met with SPREP Director Asterio Takesy, who briefed them on the advantages of the Japanese landfill technology known as Fukuoka Method.

Mr Takesy said the semi-aerobic method was cheaper to build and operate, better environmentally and requires much less maintenance than the conventional technology used in the USA and Europe.

“With help from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency, Samoa has shown that much can be achieved with very little money. This landfill is emitting 60% less greenhouse gases and that’s a great improvement for climate change. It is truly an innovation that Samoa should be proud of.

We are keen to work with the US EPA to assist our members to take advantage of this innovative and cost-effective technology.”

Mr Faafetai Sagapolutele, the Waste Manager of the Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment of the Government of Samoa then hosted a visit by the pair to Tafaigata. They were both very impressed with how well the landfill was performing in spite of the heavy rain that Apia has received lately. Dr Vaiaga’e said he is very interested in this system as American Samoa needs to plan a new landfill and this system appeared very cost-effective.

“The problem for American Samoa is that there is very little land available due to the steep terrain and lack of government-owned land.”

SPREP’s Solid Waste Officer Mark Ricketts said that the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands was also interested and that Mr Scott would be looking at how a semi-aerobic landfill could be built on the islands of Tinian or Rota or both.

“SPREP are aiming to get an example of this excellent technology into each of its member states. It is so simple that replicating the system is easy once you’ve seen it once, just like Samoa has done on Savaii. SPREP will propose a variation of this method to be used for atolls and are hoping that JICA will assist the Marshall Islands to upgrade the Majuro facility.”

“Atolls face particular challenges in waste as they have no soil and little land for landfilling. If we can use this method successfully, it will be great for the Pacific and other atolls in the Indian and Atlantic oceans,” Ricketts added.

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