(Photos: Oceania Football Confederation)

NEW ZEALAND: Auckland welcomes LA Galaxy stars
Source: Oceania Football Confederation Press Release

The LA Galaxy Major League Soccer team arrived in Auckland early this morning (December 03, 2008) to begin preparations for its one-off friendly match against the Oceania All Stars at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night.

An enthusiastic crowd of around 200 people, including one couple who had been at the airport since 7pm Tuesday night, waited to meet England and former Manchester United star David Beckham and his LA Galaxy team mates.

The team was greeted by Te Waihino A Kupe Aotearoa who performed a kapa haka, including the iconic 'Ka Mate' haka.

Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena responded to the group's wero by picking up the small leafy branch, offered as a sign of peace and friendship. Arena thanked Te Waihino A Kupe Aotearoa for their performance and told the crowd that the team was delighted to be back in New Zealand and looking forward to the game on Saturday evening.

On Friday, along with opponents the Oceania All Stars, the team will train in front of 6,000 Auckland school children at Mt Smart Stadium. This session is for registered schools only, with around 130 schools taking up the offer to bring children to the stadium for a day of soccer and
entertainment.

The LA Galaxy will take on the Oceania All Stars in 'The Beautiful Game' at Mt Smart Stadium on 6 December.

Photo Captions: Te Waihino A Kupe Aotearoa who performed a kapa haka, including the iconic
'Ka Mate' haka greeting the LA Galaxy Major League Soccer team in Auckland.
 

(Photos: Tauapai Laupola)

SAMOA: Church Service Dedicated to Deploying Toa o Samoa
Source: Tauapai Laupola

Ekalesia Kerisiano Amerika Samoa Ft Bragg & Fayetteville dedicated the church service on November 30, 2008 for Sergeant (SGT) Antoinette Ponafala, SGT Rapi Leota, SGT Keresema Alaimaleata and Sergent Major (SGM) John Letuli who will be deploying to harms way in the near future.

Immediately after the opening hymn #92 “Faafetai i le Atua” led by choir director Filemoni Fanuaea, Missionary Mana’omia Tauanu’u recognized these Toa o Samoa and asked that they take their seats at the front of the service. Then he proceeds with a moment of silence as he read out individual prayer requests.

After the moment of silence, Missionary Tauanuu called upon Reverend Sani Taetuli and Chairman Tauapai Laupola to say words of encouragement to the deploying soldiers. Reverend Taetuli accentuated God’s love and His ability to be their coat of armor for this deployment. Chairman Laupola thanked the soldiers for their selfless service and despite trials and tribulations of the deployment, always remember your parents, families and Samoa will pray for your safe return.

Missionary Tauanuu continued with the sermon from the Book of Psalms 23, in which he emphasized that God is a great shepherd and he will not forsake you even at your lowest point. May the Lord be with you always. The service concluded with the hymn #380, “O le sulu e mumu”

The service was followed by a to’ana’i at Missionary Mana’omia’s residence. Below, is a short synopsis of the deploying soldiers.

SGT Rapi Leota is on his second deployment and will leave behind his wife Emerald Sokimi of Fagasa and three children, Troy (6yrs) is in Samoa, Trey (3yrs) & Tristin (6mos). Mrs Leota and her children will depart Ft Bragg, NC for Fagasa, AS to be with her parents until SGT Leota returns. SGT Leota is the son of Tuia’i Leota of Pago Pago, AS & Luafata Timo of Vaovai, Samoa.

SGT Antoinette Ponafala is on her second deployment. She is the daughter of Anna & Fuimaono Ponafala of Vailotai and Leone AS. The Fuimaono family relocated to Ft Bragg since SGT Ponafala’s first deployment two years ago.

SGT Keresema Alaimaleata deployed with the 100th Battalion 442d Infantry before he relocated to Ft Bragg, NC. He hails from the village of Alofau. His wife Elisapeta Tu’upo Alaimaleata and 4 children, sons, twin Leon & Deon (10yrs), Tasi (4yrs) and daughter Gloria Fialelei (7yrs) travelled from Hawaii to bid farewell to their hero.

SGM John Letuli of Futiga and Iliili is on a staff visit and will return to deploy with the main body early next year. He will leave behind his 3 children, son TJ, daughters Adrian (14yrs) and Manino (6) and two brothers Sal and Osa.

Let us lift them up in prayers these Toa o Samoa as well as those that are standing guard around the world in the name of Freedom.
 

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - The Alaimaleata family.

Photo 2 - SGT Antoinette and her father Fuimaono Ponala in their residence at Ft Bragg, North Carolina.

Photo 3 - Photo of SGT Rapi Leota and his wife Emerald Leota during their visit to American Samoa in September 2008.
 

(Photo: J. Kneubuhl)

AMERICAN SAMOA: ASCC Alumni 2LT Hanna Seloti to Speak at Fall 2008 Graduation
Source: American Samoa Community College Press Release

The fall 2008 semester graduation ceremony at the American Samoa Community College (ASCC) will take place on Friday, December 12, at 10 a.m. in the College’s gymnasium. For this semester’s guest speaker, the ceremony will feature current ROTC instructor Ms. Hanna Seloti, an ASCC graduate who recently earned a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Army through the ROTC program at UH Manoa.

Seloti, 25, currently resides in Petesa-Uta, but claims roots in Manu’a, Tutuila, Upolu and Savaii. As a youngster, she attended Lupelele Elementary and Samoana High School, before completing a Liberal Arts degree at ASCC and her Bachelors in Historical and Political Science from Chaminade University in Honolulu. Seloti participated in JROTC for three years at Samoana, and also enrolled in the University of Hawaii ROTC program while attending Chaminade. Reflecting on her decision to pursue a career in the military, Seloti says, “At first, I saw the Army as an opportunity to further my education. Over time, having learned about the great service and sacrifice of our people in the military, I’ve come to appreciate what an honor it is to serve.”

In 2005, Seloti was deployed to Tikrit, Iraq along with the Reserve Unit from American Samoa, the 793rd Engineering Detachment Unit during Operation Iraqi Freedom III for 12 months. “Aside from the danger,” she says, “I was in awe just seeing first hand places I grew up only reading in the Bible, like the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers. There is so much history there!” Following her deployment, having risen to the rank of lieutenant, Seloti requested the opportunity to work at ASCC as a Gold Bar Recruiter. “In the states, newly commissioned lieutenants often serve as Gold Bar Recruiters at University ROTC programs while waiting for their Basic Officer Leadership Course (BLOC). I felt I had a lot to share with our students who wished to enroll in the ROTC program in Hawaii. Also, given I had experienced it first hand I could help make the transition a lot smoother. ASCC had never had a Gold Bar Recruiter before, but my own Professor of Military Science at UH, LTC Rod Laszlo, made inquiries and found out the Army would approve my proposal.”

“At my arrival in May of this year,” Seloti explained, “the co-instructor of the ROTC program at ASCC, 1LT Porter, had temporarily traveled off-island for training, so in accordance with military protocols, in her absence I assumed her responsibilities. As an instructor and a Gold Bar Recruiter, my role is to recruit, train, and retain.” Seloti’s tenure with the College will actually conclude, at least for the time being, on the same day as the graduation ceremony at which she will speak. “My orders actually specify that my time period as a Gold Bar Recruiter ends on December 12. Next semester, I’ll begin the next level of my own training with the BLOC in Georgia and Missouri.”

Upon completing her BLOC training, Seloti will return to Hawaii, where she is stationed, and hopes to pursue a degree in Pacific and International Studies at UH Manoa. She says she hopes the opportunity will once again come her way to serve the people of American Samoa, but says she feels confident that the ROTC program at ASCC will continue to thrive under its current staff of SFC Thompson and 1LT Porter. “When I received my Professor of Military Science commission last semester, this was the first ROTC commissioning ceremony at ASCC and now we're trying to have one every semester. This semester, we’ll commission Cadet Saipale Vaouli, and hopefully this will mark the start of a tradition.” For young adults in American Samoa considering a career path similar to her own, Seloti offered the advice, “Be close to your faith. Know what you want and never lose focus! Get in touch with your roots, because it is your identity when you leave home.”

Prior to the graduation ceremony, this semester’s Graduate Banquet will take place two days beforehand on December 10th at 6 p.m. at Hong Kong Restaurant. All students graduating this semester are invited, and should contact the ASCC Student Services office by this Friday to make arrangements for any guests they want to include. On the same day as the Banquet, the College will celebrate the grand opening of its new bookstore with a ceremony at 11:30 a.m. The new facility, known as Le Bookstore, is located at the front entrance to the campus, and will offer not only the required textbooks for ASCC students, but also a wide range of additional items.

Photo Caption: 2LT Hanna Seloti (second left), along with faculty and students in the ROTC program at ASCC, make a pre-Thanksgiving donation to Nazareth House. Seloti will be the guest speaker at the ASCC graduation ceremony on Friday, December 12th. Joining her in this photo are (l-r): Cadet Mariamagnolia Afoa, Seloti, Nazareth House resident Travis, Sister Loretta Matila of Nazareth House, Cadet Jerome Grey, and 1LT Maryjane Porter.
 

COOK ISLANDS: Climate change, disaster risk reduction and the Cook Islands
Source: Pacific Magazine

The Cook Islands delegation at the UN Climate Change conference have a spotlight on disaster risk management during this years Poznan conference.

Mac Mokoroa of the Office of the Prime Minster is with the Cooks delegation in Poznan to provide advice during the negotiations on disaster risk reduction. His biggest concern while in Poznan is to seek answers on how the island nation can find a solution on insurance and disasters.

In its fourth assessment report, the Inter governmental panel on climate change expects extreme weather and weather related events to become more frequent and/or intense with serious consequences for human health and well-being.

The Cook Islands, like other Pacific island nations, are a sitting duck for tropical cyclones during the hurricane season. With climate change bringing extreme weather events, there is even stronger concern now about the lack of insurance for basic infrastructure.

In 1997 the atoll island of Manihiki was struck by Cyclone Martin, bringing death along with destroying its wharf - one of the most important pieces of infrastructure. Eleven years later the wharf is still not repaired.

In 2004 the passing of Cyclone Heta wiped out wharves in Mauke and Mangaia. Four years later these have not been repaired either, making life more difficult in the outer islands, especially for the outer islanders who rely on ports of entry for consumer goods.

“The way I work it out, if we have a Category 5 cyclone, we are looking at possibly $20 million in damage. That’s the kind of figures we are talking about, not thousands, but millions,” said Mokoroa.

“The issue of insurance and disaster risk reduction is a challenge for us in the small island states. This is an important discussion for us at this conference of the parties - we need help to insure our infrastructure. Because if a disaster hits we don’t have the funding for a quick recovery. I mean look at our outer islands wharves, they’re still not fixed.”

Mokoroa attended a workshop on risk management and risk reduction strategies, including risk sharing and transfer mechanisms such as insurance, during the Conference of the Parties. It was there that he posed a question related to the International Strategy for Disaster Reduction.

“We are trying to link climate change adaptation planning to disaster risk reduction planning in the Cook Islands and have recently had funds approved from the Italian Government to link a National Adaptation Plan of Action-like process to our disaster risk reduction national action plan. However we need the support to do this work, how do you think this linkage can be supported through the convention process?”

Pleased with the answer from the ISDR, as were other countries from the small island states, Mokoroa is hopeful that this issue is closer to being resolved.

Like most developing countries, he hopes that an answer will be forthcoming to help the Cook Islands find a solution to allow insurance and adaptation work hand in hand. The Poznan climate change negotiations provide hope for small island states that their concerns will be taken seriously and acted upon.

With the looming onslaught of extreme weather events forecast by the IPCC, this issue is one that is a priority for the Cooks, which experienced five cyclones in one month during 2005.
 

FIJI: Fiji beat Pumas, top pool C
Source: Fijilive

Fiji defeated a strong Argentina outfit 26-7 to top pool C and booked a spot in tonight’s Cup quarter-final play off at the 2008 George 7s in South Africa.

The Fijians will face the runner –up of pool D in their Cup quarter-final fixture.

The Fijians quickly made their presence felt in the evenly contested affair against the Pumas and tries to Emosi Vucago and Iferi Lavo in the first half was enough to give them a comfortable 14-0 lead.

Coach Waisale Serevi opted to use Naisa Narukutabua on the flanks ahead of the faster Osea Kolinisau and the physical presence of the bigger, faster Fijians from the forwards to the backs kept the Pumas at bay.

Fiji started solidly in the second spell and a double to hard working forward Seremaia Burotu was enough to seal the win for the Fijians.

Argentina was able to score a consolation midway into the second half but could not maintain their momentum till the end as the Fijian defence held.

In other games, New Zealand got their revenge over England from their semi-final loss at Dubai with a 19-7 win.
 

(Photo: Secretariat of the Pacific Community)

WORLDWIDE: Message in support of 16 days of activism against gender violence
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

Violence against women is a serious issue which affects all countries of the world, including our Pacific Island countries and territories (PICTs). Domestic violence in particular is a widespread and largely unaddressed problem in our region, and one which we must all act collectively to understand and eradicate.

The Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) is proud to observe the 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, which runs from 25 November, International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women, to 10 December, International Human Rights Day, symbolically linking violence against women and human rights to emphasise that violence against women is a violation of human rights. I acknowledge SPC’s own staff and everyone else in our region working tirelessly to eliminate gender violence and to provide support to survivors of such violence.

We know that women are disproportionately affected by violence in the home. Globally, one in three women will experience violence by an intimate partner during her lifetime. The types of violence women experience in our own backyard range from intimidation and threats to beatings, rape, forced prostitution and even murder by family members including husbands, partners, brothers and fathers. Any such violence is a grave violation of human rights and has a devastating impact on Pacific Island women, families, communities and societies.

Domestic violence is perhaps the most insidious form of violence, remaining hidden and unaddressed since it occurs inside private homes, is rarely discussed and is often considered culturally ‘acceptable’. Often, cases of domestic violence are not reported to the police, and even when they are, investigations and prosecutions of these crimes are given low priority. In many cases, domestic violence legislation does not exist, nor do crisis centres where survivors of domestic violence can seek help.

Several countries in our region are stepping up their efforts to protect women through comprehensive legislation, improved law enforcement, better services for victims, stronger partnerships with civil society and increased efforts to engage men and boys in addressing the problem.

I take this opportunity to personally applaud these efforts.

However, we must continue to do more. Laws must be enacted and enforced, and impunity must end. We must combat attitudes and behaviour that condone or excuse violence committed against women in our communities. We must channel significantly increased human and financial resources toward law and policy reform, social services for victims and survivors, and public education.

SPC is committed to doing its part toward the elimination of violence against women and to helping our member PICTs create strong nations based on respect for human rights.

The challenge is firstly to get to the root of the problem. We must understand why, where and to what extent domestic violence occurs. As such, SPC’s Human Development Programme (HDP), in collaboration with the World Health Organization, the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID), the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and national governments, has been working to survey the situation of violence against women and children in the Pacific. One such study was finalised in 2001 in Samoa, and two additional studies have just been completed, in Kiribati and Solomon Islands. Full reports on those two surveys are expected to be released in early 2009. It is thanks to the high level of dedication, commitment and cooperation of the governments of our member PICTs that we have been able to conduct these studies, which will lead not only to a better understanding of the situation of domestic violence but also to targeted interventions to eradicate it.

Another challenge is to assist PICTs to deliver on legal and policy responses and on educating people. Through our Regional Rights Resources Team (RRRT), SPC is working actively and in collaboration with other development partners to help national governments review and strengthen laws relating to violence against women and build the capacity of government officials and civil society to better understand and address the issue.

SPC will continue and accelerate these efforts over the coming years to help all PICTs in their efforts to eradicate violence against women.

We are failing our sisters, mothers and daughters—indeed our nations and all of humanity—if we do not act with urgency to address and eliminate violence against women.

During this year’s 16 Days of Activism Against Gender Violence, I encourage all Pacific Islanders, both governments and citizens alike, to take a moment to think about the existence and impacts of violence against women in your country or territory, to openly discuss the issue, and most importantly to take action to eliminate it.

We can all play a part.

For more information on the work of the SPC visit its website at www.spc.int