NEWSPAGE 04 November
2011

(Photos: Royal Australian Navy)

(Photo: Savali News)

SAMOA: PM urges good governance in sports
Source: Savali News

Because sports, including professional sport, plays such a huge role in youth development and employment generation, the Commonwealth has to play a more proactive role in pushing for good governance in the administration of international sports.

This was urged by Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi during the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Perth.

“Internationally, we hear and read frequent media reports of question marks over the governance of various sports bodies including the largest ones in the world,” said Tuilaepa.

“Commonwealth countries participate in many of these sports and some are members of these governing bodies. Sports like rugby, cricket and netball to name a few are sports identified with the Commonwealth.”

“Given the importance of the development of sports and the opportunities sports provide for young people. I would suggest that as governments, we have a right to be concerned about problems in the governance of sports.

“Governments after all often contribute directly to funding specific sports, fund tournaments and provide the sports facilities. I would therefore urge our Commonwealth association to send a strong message to remind national and international sports governing bodies that they must observe and live by the same principles of good governance in the conduct of their affairs required of national governments; including transparency, accountability and representative participation.


Intervention

“I would go as far as to recommend that if the circumstances warrant, then governments should not shy away from intervening directly to correct governance deficiencies of sporting bodies but in a manner that is fully transparent and with clear objectives to achieve.”

Tuilaepa briefed the meeting on Samoa’s own efforts to solve problems which crop up within sports bodies and debilitates development of that sport.

“We have legislated a tribunal to mediate sports bodies’ disputes and to address their governance issues after years of the government being forced to intervene to settle differences that paralyzed these organizations to the detriment of sports and the development of young people.”

The experience, the Prime Minister said, is that sports bodies simply could not solve their own governance problems because of vested interests within.

“The scale and depth of deficiencies in governance holding back the development of sports is such that it is no longer acceptable in my view for governments to do nothing and leave sporting bodies to their own devices.

The issue of sports in developing youth, the Prime Minister said, was important to the Commonwealth as half of its combined population is made up of those under 25 years.

“The high incidence of unemployment, social marginalization and lack of inclusive political participation in young people, make for a volatile emotional mixture that can easily spark into violent confrontation with the potential to threaten the cohesiveness and foundations of society.

“There is no question that the Commonwealth must continue to strongly support efforts and measures that help young people play full and active roles in societies through access to education and employment.

“Initiatives and programmes within the Commonwealth to strengthen education both academic and in trades skills must be developed vigorously for the ‘doors’ of empowerment and employment opportunities they open for our young people.

“The collective efforts of the Commonwealth and by individual Commonwealth donor members in education have Samoa’s full support, as are the employment opportunities made available through labour mobility initiatives, thoughtfully offered by countries with the capacity to do so.

“In pursuing all available avenues to provide opportunities, sports is now undeniably a big industry and employer of successful sportsmen and sportswomen as well as creating many other ancillary jobs in the sector.

“However, our experience has been that the development of sports languishes well below its potential to provide opportunities that could be achieved because of governance issues within the various sporting bodies both at the national and international levels.”

This week’s CHOGM meeting has seen a renewed zest among leaders to address youth-specific issues such as youth business development, youth political participation, education and youth and civil society.
 

AUSTRALIA: Calling on Pacific artists and artisans

This is a call out to all Pacific Island-based artists and artisans.

If you are not a creator, you may know an artist, artisan or an organisation who would welcome this information. Please feel free to forward this email to anyone who you believe has the capacity to participate in this opportunity.

Building upon the success of the inaugural “Maketi Ples - creating opportunities for Pacific Islands based artists and artisans” earlier this year, Pacific Islands Trade & Invest is pleased to confirm that Maketi Ples will return as the Creative Art keystone event in 2012. This prestigious event will open on Wednesday 22 February and close on Sunday 11 March.

Maketi Ples 2012 will be held at Global Gallery, 5 Comber Street Paddington, NSW, Australia. The site lends itself to be the perfect host venue for both artists and visitors alike - not too stiff, a little rustic, warm and welcoming. It is a large open plan gallery located within 100 meters of Oxford Street. Global Gallery is very excited to have Maketi Ples and Pacific Islands based artists and artisans return in 2012.

If you are a creator, you are invited to apply as a potential participant in Maketi Ples 2012 which promotes the work of PIC’s artisans directly to Australian consumers, designers, retailers, importers and the Australian media.

To apply, all you need to do is go to complete the Expression of Interest (EOI) form (including any attachments) and return the EOI form before the closing date - 5pm AEST 14th November 2011. All applicants will be notified of the outcome of their application by the 21st November.


Participation criteria:

You must be an artist or artisans living and creating in the 14 Forum Island Countries. (More info here.)
Have a proven sales history of your creations/artwork (in the domestic, regional or international market)
Have a product or products that have potential saleability in the international market


What PT&I offers you:

The Creative Arts service offering to the PICs creative arts sector will be to provide the venue, project management and co-ordinate the event, act as the Australian facilitator, provide framing and exhibition support. PT&I will actively promote the event, guided by and in consultation with public relations specialists.


What successful applicants have to do:

The successful applicants are expected to exhibit the products as submitted in their EOI, provide information about their product/s, personal bios or creators statement and product photographs, undertake the cost of freight of their work (to and from Sydney), adequately insure their products (to and from Sydney as well as for the duration of the exhibition) and are expected to fund their attendance at the exhibition for a minimum of one week. If successful applicants want to exhibit other or alternative products to what was submitted in their original EOI, this must be discussed and negotiated with the Creative Arts manager.

Participant’s attendance costs include travel to and from place of origin, Australian Entry Visa, accommodation and daily expenses.


It is expected that the event will deliver:

To the PIC creators

sales
insight into Australian consumer purchasing habits
direct feedback from the consumer market
opportunity to engage with potential importers, designers and other commercial opportunities
engage with other creators from PIC’s


Some products that we are seeking:

wooden and metal products - contemporary and traditional art works
contemporary fine art - paintings and 3D works
woven items - mats, bags, headwear, hand fans, baskets
jewellery - body and/or hair adornments
textiles - barkcloth, tivaevae, elei prints, hand printed fabric
homewares - wall hangings, stools, light fittings
ceramics - contemporary and traditional

If you have any enquires about the application process, or if you are interested in being a partner or becoming a sponsor of Maketi Ples, please contact the Creative Arts Manager, Ruth Choulai:

Email : [email protected]
Phone : (612) 9290 2133
Fax : (612) 9299 2151

If you would like more information about how PIT&I assist Pacific Island businesses, please visit our website, www.pacifictradeinvest.com, or call 612 9290 2133.
 

(Photo: University of the South Pacific)

KIRIBATI: USP Kiribati campus to get makeover
Source: Radio New Zealand International

The University of the South Pacific campus in Kiribati is to get a makeover, using a loan from the Asian Development bank.

The Tarawa campus serves over 3,000 students, but the government, which is guaranteeing the loan, is hoping to entice more students to study at home.

The director of the campus, Dr Ueantabo McKenzie, says the redevelopment will mean a three-story building with more classes and offices, and a new convention centre.

“Government is very keen to get as many students as possible to study locally and they are starting next year, to get the first scholarship students, instead of going to Fiji or the other campuses to stay in Kiribati and do their courses here. So that means a lot of work for us.”

Dr Ueantabo McKenzie says he will be recruiting English and Science lecturers from next year, and then hopefully someone in economics and accounting.


About the USP Kiribati campus

The Kiribati campus has over 3000 students doing Preparatory, Foundation, Certificate, Diploma and Degree studies at USP.

A USP Centre was first opened in Kiribati in 1976 with the appointment of a resident Centre Director who operated out of a one-room office at the Government Secondary School, King George V School. In 1978 the Centre moved to its current location at Teaoraereke, South Tarawa. The Kiribati Centre became a USP campus in 2006.

The campus offers a wide range of Distance and Flexible Learning courses, face to face classes and a Flexi-School Programme. The most popular courses are English, Computer Science, Education, Science, Management and Accounting. The Campus also offers a Continuing and Community Education Programme for the people of kiribati.

Being the largest employer, the Kiribati Government and Government-owned companies absorb most of the graduates (about 80%). The rest find employment in the private sector or NGO and religious organisations.

The campus has an active Student Association, which was founded in 2006. The Association organises programmes for students and represent students' interests to the campus Administration.

Photo Caption: Members of the USP Kiribati Campus Student Association.

(Photo: Fest Napuan)

VANUATU: AusAID sponsors Women in Music project for Fest Napuan
Source: Fest Napuan
 
AusAID has become the major sponsor for all Women in Music (WIM) projects funding 950,900vt which WIM, a sub-committee of the Fest Napuan committee, will use to fund a series of workshops for Women in Music and Fest Napuan this week.

WIM projects and activities include workshops on dance and choreography, artists copyright & royalty through APRA, song writing and music composition, women in music business and record labels, radio talk back shows and interviews on women in music, TV advertisement promoting this year's special theme, plus more.

Participants of the workshops come from the 2 urban centers: Port Vila & Luganville, including outer islands Tanna, Banks and Gaua, and rural outskirts on Efate and Santo.

WIM sincerely thanks AusAID for being the financial sponsor towards the committee's vision and goals to empower more women into the music industry as well as assisting Fest Napuan.

Women in Music committee also thanks the Fest Napuan committee for endorsing Women in Music as this year's theme for the event.

Photo Caption: AusAID representative Ms. Anna Naupa (right) hands over Women in Music cheque to Alcina Charlie (left), WIM Advisor to Fest Napuan Committee, and Role Baraleo, WIM Workshops Coordinator.

(Photo: Secretariat of the Pacific Community)

WORLDWIDE: Pacific Islanders in the majority at SPC
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release
 
More Pacific Islanders now work at the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC), the region’s oldest and largest development agency than in previous years, its Director-General, Dr Jimmie Rodgers, told senior foreign affairs officials from its 26 Pacific and metropolitan member nations at the opening of SPC’s annual meeting in Noumea, New Caledonia on Tuesday.

Out of 547 people employed by SPC in all of its locations in Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, New Caledonia and Solomon Islands, the majority — 69% or 379 people — are Pacific Islanders.

The organisation is also making strides with the gender balance of its workforce, with nearly half (49%) of all positions held by women.

‘Given that the recruitments are based on merit, it is an indication of the skills sets that Pacific Islanders have to be able to hold positions in SPC,’ said Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, SPC’s Deputy Director-General (Suva) and Director of the Education, Training and Human Development Division.

Mrs ‘Utoikamanu, who hails from Tonga, added: ‘This is a positive development for the Pacific. It shows that our people are playing an active role in the development of their region.’

Senior government officials from 22 Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs), as well as those from Australia, France, New Zealand and the United States, have gathered today at SPC’s headquarters in Noumea, New Caledonia, for the 41st meeting of SPC’s Committee of Representatives of Governments and Administrations (CRGA). They will discuss key issues for the Pacific region, including economic development, the lifestyle disease epidemic and youth employment.

Representatives from regional and international development agencies, as well as international aid donors, are also attending the annual meeting that runs from 1 to 4 November, ahead of an SPC ministerial conference on ‘Climate Change and Food Security — Managing risks for sustainable development’ on 7 and 8 November.

Also on the CRGA agenda are presentations from SPC’s various divisions on the wide-ranging technical, research, educational and planning assistance the organisation has offered to PICTs in 2011 and a discussion of its programmes for 2012.

Photo Caption: Fekitamoeloa ‘Utoikamanu, SPC’s Deputy Director-General (Suva) and Director of the Education, Training and Human Development Division at CRGA 41.