NEWSPAGE 28 February
2011

(Photo: Abela Publishing)

NEW ZEALAND: Maori myths & legends for Christchurch earthquake appeal

(Photos: Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork)

SAMOA: Samoa wins two gold medals: Oceania Wrestling
Source: Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork

Samoa have won two gold medals at the Oceania Wrestling Championships.

Faamanu 'Andrew' Afele defended his Oceania title while Joe Seumanu added another to the four he won at last year's championships.

In the first day of the Oceania Championships, over 100 wrestlers from 15 Pacific countries vied for medals.

In a day of high expectations for Samoa a two gold haul was deemed less than satisfactory by President Tuaopepe Jerry Wallwork.

However, Faamanu Afele and Joe Seumanu lived up to the promise. Mr Afele has is undefeated Oceania champion since 2007.

The form book was true to form with Australia heading the gold medal tally. It's Commonwealth gold medallist, Ivan Popov, towered over his opponents easily winning gold over Samoa's Anthony Isaia and New Zealand's Marshall Gibson.

The gold medals were spread from Palau, Guam, American Samoa and Samoa.


Wrestling Joe’s way to see the world

To go up a weight does not change why a young wrestler likes his sport. Joseph Seumanu competed in his two previous Oceanias in the 46kg division. This Oceania he steps up to the 55kg division. But he wrestles for the same reason, “so I can go to other countries and the training is good,” he said.

It is the tough training that makes many quit wrestling, said national coach Ta’afua Iutana Afele.
Ta’afua referred to the training done of a few months duration that athletes do even before they can step on the mat to spar.

“It’s true it’s hard,” said Joseph, “but it’s not too hard.”

He first represented Samoa at age 13 - at the 2009 Oceania, then last year at the same event. Now 15, a Year 10 student at St. Joseph’s College, Joseph has permission to take time off his studies for two weeks to train for the Oceania. The type of wrestling he likes best is free-style. It is because more moves are possible. With the other style, that of Greko-Roman only the upper body, from the waist up, may be used by opponents in their battles on the mat.

It reflects in Josephs results in the 2009 Oceania of gold in freestyle, silver and bronze in Greko-Roman. Last year it was gold in freestyle and silver in Greko-Roman. He knows none of his opponents of this year.

So far, because Samoa has hosted three consecutive Oceanias, Joseph’s career has not taken him out of Samoa. But at his age and with his talent this situation can be expected not to last long.

The host of the next Oceania is Australia.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - (L-R) Rommel Finis (2nd), Samoa's gold medallist Joe Seumanu, and Mark Tafili (3rd).

Photo 2 - Oceania champion Faamanu Afele in winning action against NZ's Fasial Attayee. Faamanu won gold in the Greco-Roman 84kg division.

(Photo: Fiji Times)

AUSTRALIA: Babakau a hit with Australian university students staying in Fiji
Source: Fiji Times

Last month, villagers of Naitutu in Tailevu had never cooked so much babakau (Fijian pancakes) in their lives for breakfast.

The reason was that a group of university students from around Australia who were billeted in the village, like it so much they preferred it from bread, biscuit, scones or any other thing for breakfast.

If babakau was left on the table after breakfast, the uni students would take-away to Waidalice District School where they were working for their morning tea.

Babakau is a thick angular pancake with a hard crust and is a favourite in Fijian villages and homes. It is sister to the thin pancake - panikeke waicala - that is fried in a little oil and panikeke vakatubu which is mixed with baking powder.

Melanie Anderson, a student of the UTS - Sydney University of Technology, was one of the visitors at Naitutu who ate babakau for the first time.

"This is my first time to Fiji and it's beautiful but it's katakata," she said of the weather.

Jessica Cummins, another first-timer to Fiji, found village life a totally new experience.

"It is beautiful, amazing, speechless.

"The people are so wonderful, takes your breath away."

Stevie Turpeinen from the University of Queensland in Brisbane, said it was her second time to Fiji.

"I came to Suva two and a half years ago when I was on a cruise boat.

"I love Fiji."

The 32 uni students from Sydney, Brisbane, Melbourne and Adelaide spent one week at Naitutu and commuted to Korovou and Nausori towns for shopping needs.

One of the students caught my attention because she was wearing a raincoat while she painted inside a classroom.

When I asked, she said her name was Daars Nada and she was from Malaysia and was a student at Monash University for the past year and a half and liked her trip to Fiji.

They came under VESA - Volunteer Eco Students Abroad in partnership with local non government organisation, Community Support Network, to help schools in need of repairs.

They painted the walls and classrooms of Waidalice District School and murals in the classrooms.

School headteacher Sirilo Draunimasi said they brightened the school.

"They gave a new look to the classrooms and generated more interest in the students.

"The new paint, drawings and new look made the students want to come to school every day," he said.

The teacher who isoriginally from Naraiyawa in Namosi, said he had been at Waidalice District for one year and had seen a change in the attitudes of the students after the visit by the uni students from Australia.

"They changed the look of our school. They donated three water tanks.

"When I came here, the school had not had a major renovatin or facelift since it was established more than 70 years ago but now, it is like a new school.

Waidalice District started in a bure in 1937 in a village called Naicuvacuva and was moved to where is now in 1938.

It has a roll of 200 plus students in Class One to Eight from the villages of Naitutu, Veinuqa and Nakalawaca.

CSN founder Josefa Gavidi, said he had brought in three groups already and helped repair and renovate schools including Lomeri, Vugalei District School, Tai District, Nausori District and Waidalice.

He said schools which needed help should get in touch with him with a letter to Box 4439, Samabula.

The uni students were billeted two to a family at Naitutu.

"They call the man Ta and Na and the children their brothers and sisters as if they were in their own homes.

"They eat Fijian food - whatever is cooked in their home that day and live the Fijian life in the village.

"They are taught traditions and Fijian language and sopme even know how to do the sevusevu.

"They drink grog every night. Some of the girls, when the grog session in the hall finishes at 10 or 11pm, they go and mix again in another house but in the mornign they are up, bath, have breakfast and walk for about 15 minutes from the village to the school.

"In the afternoon after work, they walk back with the kids and other villagers.

"Before we brought them to Naitutu, we told them they had to buy a pot each to give to their Fijian mums, a bundle of wak to sevusevu to their Fijian dad and give some money for their food for the week.

"These students are from well-off families and come with a lot of money to give away to the needy schools and families.

"The work they are doing is helping the government and the people of Fiji we are grateful to them."

Master Sirilo said some of the visitors learnt the Fijian way quickly at Naitutu.

"The other day, two boys who were billted in a home, told two girls staying in another home loloma vei momo, meaning their adopted father."

The villages of Veinuqa, Naitutu and Nakalawaca hosted lunch for the visitors while they worked at Waidalice District.

On Saturday - their last day at Naitutu, the village women prepared lunch in school while the youths did a big lovo for the farewell feast in the evening.

Each family that hosted the girls gave each a sulu and jiaba in matching colour and same colour Bula shirt each for the boys.

After dinner, they had a farewell grog session in the hall which lasted until 2am when their bus arrived to take them to Denarau where they would go by boat and island-hop around the Mamanucas and Yasawa island resorts for one week before they returned home.

When the applications reach CSN, Gavidi does a research and assessment to see which schools need to be helped the most. Gavidi is hoping the next group will go to Vanua Levu or to the outer islands but it depends on the applications.
 

(Photos: Dan Laffoley / International Union for Conservation of Nature)

NEW CALEDONIA: Keep the lagoons of New Caledonia intact, says IUCN
Source: International Union for Conservation of Nature Press Release

An IUCN-led monitoring mission to the Lagoons of New Caledonia in the French Pacific Ocean archipelago, will look at how the site is managed, evaluate the impact of mining activities in the buffer zone and identify no-take zones.

Inscribed on the list of World Heritage Sites in 2008, the Lagoons of New Caledonia, are the largest lagoon and the second largest coral reef in the world. They are home to 900 varieties of coral, a number of threatened fish, turtles and marine mammals, including the world’s third largest population of dugongs. In July and August the southern lagoon is a favourite breeding ground for humpback whales.

“Making sure that this unique site is well protected and that coral reef ecosystems remain intact, is at the heart of IUCN’s and UNESCO’s work,” says Josephine Langley of IUCN, who is leading the monitoring mission on the island. “Protecting large areas in the form of no-take zones will help maintain heathy reefs, which are much needed to fight climate change,” she adds.

The aim of the follow-up mission, the first after the site has been added to the World Heritage Site list, is also to evaluate the progress in monitoring the property and the level of involvement of the Kanak community in its management. “The voice of the local community should be heard and their traditions respected, “ says Langley.

A report from this monitoring mission will be finalised and provided to the UNESCO World Heritage Committee during its next meeting in Bahrain in June this year.

Photo Captions:

Photos 1 & 2 - Aerial views of the Southern lagoon.

Photo 3 - Hienghene on the East Coast.
 

(Photos: Australia-Pacific Technical College)

TONGA: Tongan graduates develop tourism and hospitality careers
Source: Australia-Pacific Technical College

"On my recent visit to Tonga, I was able to catch up with a number of APTC tourism and hospitality graduates who have returned home after training in Samoa," reported Ms Julie Kean, Samoa Country Manager, APTC School of Tourism and Hospitality.

These graduates include five who are 'the backbone of the workforce' at the Waterfront Cafe and Hotel in Nuku'alofa. Viliami Pale and Sevelino Mafi Ma'asi are chefs at the Waterfront, who also work front of house on occasion, while Analisi Filo supervises the front office for the eight-suite hotel. Bar management and food and beverage service at the hotel are in the capable hands of graduates Mele Folau and Salote Paseka.

Talaifina Mo'unga previously worked in the office for Chatham's Airline, but after completing the tourism program in 2010, she has 'graduated' to air steward on Chatham's flights to Ha'apei and Vava'u, and was on duty for Ms Kean's flight on the Chatham's Convair from Vava'u to Tongatapu.

Teukifalelilo Taumoepenu had previously worked as a kitchen hand at Loumaile Lodge in Nuku'alofa before studying at APTC Samoa in 2010. "Teu now heads up the kitchen staff and is encouraging others to apply to join APTC," said Ms Kean.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Mele Folau (Left) and Salote Paseka ready to serve at the Waterfront Café and Hotel.

Photo 2 - Air Steward Talafina Mo'unga on duty aboard the flight to Tongatapu.

Photo 3 - Teu Taumoepenu leads the way in the Loumaile Lodge kitchen.
 

(Photo: Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission)

WORLDWIDE: Regional project to address deep sea mining
Source: Pacific Islands Applied GeoScience Commission Press Release

A four-year regional project could make a major contribution towards the sustainable management of deep-sea mining in the Pacific Islands Region.

The Deep Sea Minerals (DSM) Project has been designed to address the policy and law requirements of Pacific Island Countries. This is in relation to the control of minerals that occur on the seabed within their respective country’s waters.

These will have effective environmental, financial and social management controls in place for the exploration and exploitation of deep-sea minerals.

Mr. Akuila Tawake, Aggregate Geologist at SOPAC, a division of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) who was recently appointed as Team Leader of the Deep Sea Mineral (DSM) Project said, that based on the results of previous studies, a number of these island countries have “promising” seabed mineral potential.

He listed the major marine mineral deposits into three groups: SMS (Seafloor Massive Sulphides), Cobalt-rich Crusts, and Manganese Nodules.

SMS deposits include high-grade copper, with significant enrichment in gold, silver, zinc and lead. These can usually be found at depths from 350 metres to 5,000 metres.

Cobalt-rich crusts include cobalt, nickel and platinum and range in depths from 400 to 4,000 metres.

The last is the manganese nodules found on the ocean floor at depths ranging from 4,000 to 6,000 metres. They are a composite of manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel and copper.

He said that the Deep Sea Minerals Project would have four main components:

1. To develop a regional framework for the management of minerals that occur on the seabed and offshore mining;

2. To use the regional framework to formulate national offshore minerals policy and laws;

3. To strengthen capacity through training and active participation of island countries citizens in the searching and mining of offshore minerals;

4. To formulate environmental management guidelines and ensure best practice in environmental monitoring.

Funded by the European Union, the Deep Sea Minerals Project will be implemented in the following fifteen island countries: Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, East Timor, Fiji, Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Nauru, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

It is expected to hold its first regional workshop in Nadi Fiji in May 2011.

Photo Caption: This research vessel conducts seabed mineral survey in the Manus Basin in PNG.