NEWSPAGE 28 March
2011

(Photo: Martin Seras Lima / International Rugby Board)

NEW ZEALAND: New Zealand win Hong Kong to take Series lead

(Photo: Samoa Tourism Authority)

SAMOA: Samoa Tourism Authority updates
Source: Samoa Tourism Authority Press Release

Samoa Tourism Authority welcomes new Tourism Minister

Samoa Tourism Authority welcomes it new Tourism Minister, also the Hon. Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi. The Hon. Prime Minister announced his decision to take on STA as one of his additional portfolios last Friday (March 18, 2011) at the swearing-in of the members of the XVth Parliament.

The Hon. Prime Minister takes on the Tourism Portfolio from the former Minister of Tourism and Deputy Prime Minister, Misa Telefoni Retzlaff, who was fondly farewelled together with his associate ministers at a special function held last Thursday (March 17, 2011) at the Samoa Cultural Centre.


Faasamoa Roadshow hits the Samoa road

The Faasamoa Roadshow has definitely hit the Samoa road as a similar song goes but that's where similarities to the song end. In fact, the hope of the Faasamoa Roadshow is the toatal opposite of what is portrayed in the song, whereby the character is told not to 'come back no more, no more'. The Faasamoa Roadshow however, is hoping that the end result will be a noted increase of travellers to Samoa from Australia.

This was the encouragement given by the new Tourism Minister, also the Hon. Prime Minister, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi at the welcoming function for the Faasamoa Roadshow.

The Hon. Prime Minister spoke directly to the 20 visitng Tour Wholesale Product Managers and Senior Travel Retail Partners from Australia, telling them that he trusted that the roadshow and meetings that they would have with local property owners over the next few days 'will ensure the achievement of more visitors from Australia and more Australians experiencing Samaon holidays that will exceed their expectations'.

The aim of the Faasamoa Roadshow is to allow Australian product managers and senior agents attending the event to receive property updates, be introduced to new properties and accommodation options and meet with property managers and STA representatives. It is expected that they will utilise this knowledge to help further promote and secure 'bums on seats' from Australia to Samoa.

Photo Caption: Hon. Prime Minister and new Minister of Tourism, Tuilaepa Lupesoliai Sailele Malielegaoi.
 

(Photo: Australia-Pacific Technical College)

AUSTRALIA: Fiji Children's Services graduates mentor international students
Source: Australia-Pacific Technical College

Fiji Children's Services graduates will mentor international students attending the Diploma of Children's Services course at the APTC Namaka Fiji Campus.

Teacher Cheryl Payne said that the international students would meet the practical requirements of their studies with work placements at local early childhood centres.

"The international students currently studying for the Diploma in Children's Services will have work placements with graduates who have already successfully studied with APTC.

"Seeing this development is an inspiration, as the Early Childhood teachers in Fiji step into mentoring roles to assist their international colleagues' professional development," said Ms Payne.

The international students from Tonga, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Papua New Guinea join students from Fiji's Western Division. These local Fijian students are able to attend classes three full days per week, whilst continuing to teach at their own centres. All course participants are graduates of Certificate III in Children's Services programs, at either the Vanuatu or Fiji Campus

"It is very exciting to welcome back some of my previous students, as well as those students taught by my APTC Early Childhood colleagues in Vanuatu," concluded Ms Payne.

Photo Caption: The Diploma in Children's Services students with Teacher Cheryl Paynne
(Centre, Back row).
 

(Photo: Aloha for Japan)

HAWAII: 'Aloha for Japan' raises more than $1 million
Source: Pacific Business News

Hawaii’s “Aloha for Japan” tsunami relief effort announced it has collected more than $1 million in donations through March 25.

The state’s largest banks and nonprofits, including the Japan-America Society of Hawaii and the American Red Cross, Hawaii State Chapter, are collecting the donations to help the people of Japan who were affected by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

The campaign also named the four co-chairs of its community outreach committee:

• Robert Harrison, president and COO of First Hawaiian Bank;

• Wayne Kirihara, senior vice president and chief marketing officer of Central Pacific Bank;

• Kaulana Park, senior vice president and director of community and business development of American Savings Bank; and,

• Donna Tanoue, president of Bank of Hawaii Foundation.

The current total of more than $1 million does not include other fundraisers that have been launched throughout the state, according to a prepared statement.

Donations to the “Aloha for Japan” campaign can be dropped off at American Savings Bank, Bank of Hawaii, Central Pacific Bank, Finance Factors, First Hawaiian Bank, Hawaii National Bank, HomeStreet Bank, Pacific Rim Bank and Territorial Savings Bank locations. Donation checks made payable to “Aloha for Japan” can also be mailed to Aloha for Japan, 2454 S. Beretania St., Suite 201.

For more information about the statewide campaign and to donate online, visit www.alohaforjapan.com.
 

TONGA: Tonga leading in the fight for Energy Security
Source: Taimi Media Network

The earthquake in Japan is a heartbreaking human tragedy. It is also a clear indicator of the interconnectedness of global energy infrastructure, and could affect energy prices here in the Kingdom of Tonga. Luckily, Tonga has a plan in place that could lead the world in finding solutions.

But first the problem. Once the damage to the Fukushima nuclear plant was obvious, global oil prices reacted quickly. While price is also affected by events in the Middle East, speculators seem to be assuming that, with its nuclear power generation impaired, Japan will have to import more oil and gas. And so prices looked up.

If the disaster causes a global rethink of nuclear power (already Germany seems to be moving away from nuclear and China is cautious), this could cause a long-term rise in oil and gas prices - something that is not good for a country like Tonga where close to 100% of the electricity is currently diesel generated.

Additionally, around the world we are seeing energy infrastructure increasingly being disrupted by environmental change (sea level rise, subsidence, lowering river levels, changing storm activity, etc.).

For example, in Europe, the summer of 2003 was unusually hot. Many of the French nuclear power stations are cooled by river water.

But, in 2003, the rivers were so warm, they couldn’t be used to cool as normal. That caused the powering down or shutting off of 17 French nuclear reactors. It cost the French utilities hundreds of millions of dollars to buy (fossil fuel generated) power from neighbouring countries.

This ‘anomaly’ happened again in the summers of 2006 and 2009, again causing powering downs at French nuclear facilities. According to the UK government research, due to climate change, by 2040, it will be ‘commonplace’ for European summer temperatures to reach 2003 levels.

Environmental change is affecting other energy generation sectors as well. Some dams in India are producing less power as a result of shifting monsoons. And sections of oil and gas infrastructure along the U.S. Gulf Coast are suffering repeated shutdowns due to flooding, hurricanes and subsidence (hurricane Katrina alone destroyed over 100 oil and gas platforms in the U.S. Gulf).

When a large component of energy production is knocked out (a nuclear plant, a major dam, a critical oil platform, etc), that loss needs to be made up somewhere else, and the current default is by buying more fossil fuels on the global market and that can drive up prices.

These physical disruptions are compounded by speculation in the market. The result has potential to fluctuating global oil and gas prices wildly, making economic policy development in a heavily diesel-dependent nation like Tonga very difficult.

So what the government of Tonga is doing is implementing the Tonga Energy Road Map (TERM), which has as its initial main goal to reduce diesel imports by 50%. This will be done through efficiency calibrating and shifts to renewable energy. But its real innovation is the way it manages the relationship with donor partners.

It used to be that energy projects would enter the Kingdom piecemeal - a solar array in a village, some panels on a school, etc. But what the Kingdom needed was a comprehensive rethink of its entire energy system (from generation, to distribution, to use), and the funding to implement the resulting recommendations.

The TERM spent a long time with experts doing the analysis. Now it is due to work with donors in an innovative coordinated fashion to provide the on-the-ground solutions. Rather than dealing with each donor separately, all donors will coordinate through the World Bank to avoid duplication and ensure coordinated action.

It may seem like nothing is happening in the energy sector in Tonga, but it may just need a little more patience. The groundwork is being laid. The next two years may produce some exciting results.

The approach of sector-wide rethink, coupled with donor coordination on a large scale, caught the eye of major partners, and has made the TERM a template for others to follow.

It has also catapulted Tonga into the heart of innovative thinking around renewable energy. The new International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), based in Abu Dhabi, has recognized Tonga’s contributions by making it a member of all working groups and Chair of the Legal Committee.

The importance of the TERM to domestic economic development and stability, and Tonga’s growing international role in renewable energy policy will be evident next week when a high level delegation from Tonga, including the Lord Prime Minister, Lord Ma’afu, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, and the Crown Prince, attends the first General Assembly of IRENA.

In a world where volatile energy prices can wreck economies, the Kingdom of Tonga seemed to be working hard to create an environment where stable economic growth is possible. The next couple years will show whether the plan will succeed. If it does, Tonga may soon become just as well known for energy.
 

(Photos: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme)

WORLDWIDE: Winners announced for the 2010 Vision Pasifika Media Award
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme Press Release

Pacific Journalists have been commended by the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP) with the announcement of the winners of the 2010 Vision Pasifika Media Awards. These awards are a tribute towards recognising the role of Pacific reporters in raising awareness of environment issues.

• Ms Rachna Nath of Fiji TV has won the Television Category for her news piece titled - “Lomawai Coastal Village Conservation” which was broadcast on Fiji One.

• Mr Rajan Sami won the Print Category for his piece titled - “Making Conservation Fun” which was printed in the Air Pacific Volume 4 In Flight Magazine

• Ms. Maggie Boyle was awarded for the journalism student category for her piece titled - “Saving a Landmark“ that was featured in the Wansolwara publication

• The USP Journalism student publication Wansolwara was awarded winner of the “Overall” category as well as receiving a special commendation for their role in helping to develop environmental journalism in the Pacific.

“Congratulations to the award winners for 2010,” said Ms. Nanette Woonton, Media and Public Relations officer for the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme.

“We received a lot of excellent entries and we are encouraged by the environment reports coming from the region. This award was launched to ensure Pacific reporters were honored for the important role they play in helping to raise awareness as to the importance of our environment.”

The theme of the 2010 Vision Pasifika Media Award was - “Value Island Biodiversity - it’s our life” in commemoration of the International year of biodiversity. SPREP was overwhelmed by the amount of entries received and are pleased by the strong interest in this award, however for the past two Vision Pasifika Media Awards, no Radio entries have been submitted.

“We understand the powerful role of Radio in our Pacific region and we encourage radio producers to submit entries for the next Vision Pasifika Media Award.”

The Wansolwara University of the South Pacific Journalism Student Publication was awarded a special commendation for their role in helping to develop environmental journalism in the region. It is also the second consecutive time that USP Journalism has won the SPREP Vision Pasifika Media Awards.

Head of USP Journalism, Shailendra Singh said the award recognises USP Journalism and Wansolwara for commitment to and excellence in environmental reporting. The award was result of teamwork by a number of students, he said.

“Instilling an appreciation and understanding of the environment is part of the journalism curriculum at USP. We work closely with organisations like SPREP, WWF and SeaWeb to educate and empower students in environmental reporting. We want them to take their skills and knowledge to the newsroom and organisations they work for.”

SPREP would like to acknowledge and thank all Pacific reporters that submitted their entries for the Vision Pasifika Media Award 2011 and to acknowledge the role of the judging panel.

“We know the judging panel would have had a difficult time given the high caliber of entries, and we are grateful for the time they took to judge this award. We had a member from the Biodiversity area of SPREP, Conservation International Pacific Islands Program and PACNEWS. Thank you very much for your time,” said Nanette Woonton of SPREP.

Each category prize was US$500 each. The launch of the Vision Pasifika Media Award for 2011 will be announced next month.


Meet the Award winners:

Ms. Rachna Nath Award winner of the Television Category

Rachna is a Television Journalist, News Presenter and Current Affairs Producer with Fiji Television, having joined the station in 2006. She was recently awarded the Pacific islands News Association Award for the Young Pacific Television Journalist Award in 2009 and the PINA Media Summit in Vanuatu, winning an internship with Television New Zealand.

“I have naturally developed a passion for the environment and that is displayed through the environmental conservation stories I have done over the years covering areas of Climate Change Adaptation, Biodiversity, Wetlands, Forestry and Marine Conservation by portraying the stories of struggle, survival and adaptation in Pacific Island Countries. I’m very glad and honored to receive this award on behalf of Fiji TV, and I dedicate the award to my hardworking new and current affairs team.”


Mr Rajan Sami Award winner of the Print Category

“My passion for writing stems from a childhood love of reading and words. Growing up, my parents refused to buy a TV but I could pick a new book each week. I continued the love affair by working in magazines and have recently made the leap from lifestyle media to developmental communications, taking a writer and sub-editor role with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community in Fiji in January. Besides words, I love food, travel and nature-based activities.”


Ms. Maggie Boyle Award winner of the Journalism Student Category

Maggie completed her journalism major last year and is currently working towards finishing her major in Politics. Over the last couple of years she has juggled student life and full time work as for the last four and a half years she has held the position of a multimedia journalist working for national and regional broadcaster, Fiji TV. In this role she covered stories from headlining news to regional documentaries such as the World Press Freedom Day. Last year she moved into a regional communications role with the Australian Agency for International Development, AusAID, based in Suva.

“As a journalist, persistence to get a balanced, fair and accurate story has being an invaluable quality. It’s a quality I recommend to any student aspiring to journalism. When it comes to climate change stories, persistence needs to pay off when you’re racing against the clock for entire communities particularly in the Pacific.”


USP Journalism Student Publication Wanslowara Award winner of the Overall Category and Special Commendation

Wansolwara has won several Environmental Journalism awards, including the SPREP ‘Vision Pasifika: Media Awards’ 2009, and the coveted Journalism Education of Australia (JEA) award for a story on Fiji Water covered from an environmental angle. USP won the JEA award against competition top journalism schools in Australia and NZ. Last year Wansolwara ran a cover story calling on regional governments to ban shark fining last year, recently Hawaii banned shark fining

“We have been advocating all these issues for a number of years and we will continue to do so,” said Head of USP Journalism Shailendra Singh.

Photo Caption: 2010 Vision Pasifika Media Award winners; Rachna Nath, Rajan Sami and Maggie Boyle.