NEWSROOM 11 May
2009

(Photo: Safeguard)

NEW ZEALAND: Puataunofo health and safety project wins big at national awards

(Photo: Australian High Commission)

SAMOA: Australian volunteers help local groups
Source: Australian High Commission Press Release

Three Australian volunteers who arrived in Samoa this week will spend the next two years sharing their skills and expertise to help three local groups.

The Australian volunteers will be working with the Red Cross, Women in Business and the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries to help build and develop their host organisation.

The volunteers are funded under AusAID’s Volunteering for International Development from Australia (VIDA) program, which supports Samoan organisations to reduce poverty and contribute to sustainable development.

Australian High Commissioner to Samoa, Matt Anderson said that since the VIDA program began in 2005, there have been 21 Australian volunteers working in Samoa.

“The Australian volunteers not only make a wonderful contribution to Samoan organisations through the transfer of their knowledge and skills, they also play a major role in building friendships and fostering our links with Samoa,” Mr Anderson said.

He said both the VIDA and Australian Youth Ambassadors for Development (AYAD) programs are two very important aspects of Australia’s assistance to Samoa under the ST$60 million annual aid program.

“Every year, around 20 volunteers come to Samoa under these two programs. Not only do they make a big difference to the Samoan groups they work with, they also immerse themselves in local activities and take time to learn and appreciate the Samoan culture and way of life.”

The three new Australian volunteers and there are placements are:

• Cassandra Wiles - organic crops development officer, Women in Business
Cass will provide technical training for staff and farmers on sound organic farming methods, develop materials for an organics awareness program and assist organic farmers to grow vegetables previously imported.

Cass has a Bachelor of Applied Science in Environmental Resource Management and TAFE certificates in Farm Technology and Rainforest Regeneration. She has managed a State Park in Vermont, USA, been a team leader for the Green Corp program which focused on bush regeneration and has recently worked on an organic avocado and vegetable farm.

• Margaret Atkin - HIV research alliance coordinator, Samoan Red Cross
Margaret will be working with the newly formed NGO group HIV Alliance at the Red Cross, working in HIV prevention. Margaret is a nurse with previous experience in HIV/AIDS prevention programs in Cambodia and Liberia.

• Roslyn Jettner - post harvest physiologist, Ministry of Agriculture & Fisheries (MAF)
Roslyn will be working with MAF staff in post-harvest management of crops to help create value for local growers. She will assist MAF by setting priorities for post-harvest research for both export crops and the domestic market, prepare post-harvest materials for growers, including a manual of local fruits and vegetables and provide practical advice to growers on handling of different fruits. Roslyn will provide training on post-harvest techniques to ensure horticultural exports comply with international (WTO) standards and requirements, as well as assist with the establishment of a post-harvest laboratory in Savaii.

Roslyn holds a Bachelor and Masters degree in Agricultural Science from the University of Queensland and has spent a number of years working in agricultural research, industry development and marketing in Australia.

Photo Caption: Australian High Commissioner to Samoa, Matt Anderson with the three new Australian volunteers.
 

(Photo: City and County of Honolulu)

AMERICAN SAMOA: Mufi Hannemann guest speaker at ASCC spring graduation
Source: American Samoa Community College Press Release

The American Samoa Community College (ASCC) spring 2009 Graduation Ceremony will take place on Friday, May 15, beginning at 10 a.m. in the Gymnasium, and will include a very special visiting dignitary to the Territory. Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann will participate as keynote speaker at the College’s 50th commencement ceremony, at which an estimated 104 students will receive their degrees and certificates.

The first person of Samoan descent elected as Mayor of Honolulu, Muliufi Francis “Mufi” Hannemann has enjoyed a long political career which has ranged from working as a special assistant in Washington, D.C. with the Department of the Interior to serving as chairman of the Honolulu City Council. Raised in the Honolulu community of Kalihi by his German father Gustav Hannemann and Samoan mother Faiaso Hannemann, Mufi attended various public elementary schools in Honolulu before gaining a scholarship to attend Iolani School, where he competed in basketball and football and graduated with honors. Hannemann next attended Harvard University, where, in addition to graduating cum laude, he was elected freshman class president and was varsity basketball letterman. Upon leaving Harvard, Hannemann became a Fullbright Scholar and studied at Victoria University of Wellington in New Zealand.

Hannemann returned to Honolulu after his studies to work as an educator at his alma mater, Iolani School, where he taught history and coached basketball. Opting to begin a career in government service, he secured the position of special assistant to President Jimmy Carter, working with the US Department of the Interior.
Hannemann next returned to Honolulu to work as a special assistant to then Governor George R. Ariyoshi, before returning to the White House to serve as staff assistant to Vice President George H. W. Bush. Moving from politics to the business world, Hannemann briefly served as President and General Manager of Punaluu Sweetbread Shop and C. Brewer Hawaiian Juices, and in 1984 was promoted to Vice President for Corporate Marketing and Public Affairs for the parent company, C. Brewer and Company, Ltd.

In the early ‘90s, Hannemann entered government service again when Governor John Waihee appointed him as Chairman of the Hawaii Pro Bowl Host Committee, Chairman of the Task Force on Homeporting, Director of the Hawaii Office of International Relations and Director of the Hawaii Department of Business, Economic Development and Tourism. Based on his experience directing these various state agencies of the Government of Hawaii, Hannemann was appointed by President Bill Clinton to serve at the federal level once again as United States Representative to the South Pacific Commission. In 1994, Hannemann ran successfully for the Honolulu City Council, representing Aiea and Pearl City, and got re-elected to his seat in 1998. He served as Council Chairman from 1998 to 1999, and then moved on to a position in the administration of President George W. Bush, serving in the U.S. Department of Labor as a member of the President's Council on the 21st Century Workforce.

In 2004, Hannemann’s bid to become Honolulu Mayor proved successful, and in his swearing-in address in January 2005, he pledged to concentrate on fiscal restraint and basic city services. Hannemann’s major accomplishments as mayor of Honolulu include overseeing the planning for the Honolulu High-Capacity Transit Corridor Project, which will provide a rail transit system for the city. His national activities include serving as Chair of the Tourism, Arts, Parks, Entertainment and Sports Committee of the U.S. Conference of Mayors, and membership in the Mayors Against Illegal Guns Coalition. Among the nominees for the 2008 World Mayor award, Hannemann won the re-election for his second term as Honolulu Mayor that same year.

ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea’i said, “We greatly appreciate Mayor Hannemann agreeing to participate in our Graduation Ceremony, and I can think of no better role model for our students. Mufi’s accomplishments and spirit of resilience provide a great example of the limitless possibilities out there for those of us of Samoan ancestry who aim to do their best. I’m sure the student body will join me in looking forward to his speech with great anticipation and interest.”

Photo Caption: During a recent visit to Hawaii, ASCC President Dr. Seth Galea'i (center) meets with Honolulu Mayor Mufi Hannemann (right) and the Mayor's brother Gus Hannemann.
 

(Photo: Etu Moana Beach Villas)

COOK ISLANDS: Love, Cook Islands style
Source: The Star Phoenix

In 1997, Jo-Anne Carrière, originally from Ottawa, was living in Vancouver and had just lost her job selling dental products.

A chance encounter with a Dutch sailor on the French Riviera changed her life.

She and her sailor, his name is Jim Brittijn and he's now her husband, followed their dreams to an island in the South Pacific. There they built a small resort, Etu Moana Beach Villas (www.etumoana.com), that has won a series of accolades as, among other things, one of the world's best hidden gems.

Now that the resort is doing well, the couple plan to sell it and move back to Ontario, to a less exotic lifestyle in Muskoka.

Guy Dagenais of Ottawa, who is Carrière's brother-in-law, says she had gone to the French Riviera with some girlfriends after losing her Vancouver job.

"One day into her trip, she met Jim Brittijn, a Dutch sailor, at a restaurant. She walked up to him and asked him to marry her."

They didn't marry that day, of course, but something had clicked.

She went back to Vancouver, packed up some things, and came back to Europe to join Brittijn. She spent several months sailing with him and helping with the charters he was running in the Mediterranean.

Then they sold the boat, moved to Vancouver, married and bought a house.

In an e-mail from her South Pacific home, Carrière said that while on holiday in 2002, the couple fell love with the Cook Islands and decided they wanted to live there.

"Six month later, we had sold our house, furniture, boat and car and moved to the Cook Islands, where we leased a 1.7-acre beachfront property on Aitutaki, a small, relatively undeveloped island about a 40-minute flight north of Rarotonga.

"The Aitutaki lagoon is 12 kilometres wide, with 13 small uninhabited islands, and was featured in the National Geographic Adventure magazine as one of the 45 best adventure islands in the world."

The couple spent two years designing and building their dream resort, which features eight Polynesian-style villas with thatched roofs, teak furniture and a view of the lagoon.

"It is not that easy for foreigners to start a business in the Cook Islands," said Carriere. "This is a good thing, because otherwise, the pristine beaches of the Cook Islands would be filled with highrise resorts like in Fiji, Tahiti and other Polynesian islands."

Carrière said the Internet helped make Etu Moana Beach Villas popular.

But now that it is, the couple plans to sell it and come back to Canada.

The circle, said Carrière, will be completed.

Photo Caption: Etu Moana, a new boutique resort on Aitutaki Island, offering eight modern Polynesian style villas with thatched roofs and large covered verandas.
 

(Photo: Fiji Times)

FIJI: Pride of Fiji Awards 2009
Source: Fiji Times

Three judges have been selected to preside over the Pride of Fiji Awards 2009.

Optometrist Shaheen Asgar, Adi Davila Toganivalu, who was part of the Hibiscus judging panel and former Hibiscus queen Lenora Qereqeretabua make up the panel. The judges were chosen for their involvement with charitable organisations, touching the lives of many people across the country.

* ADI Davila Toganivalu, 65, is a part-time consultant and retired pre-school teacher with a Diploma and Masters in Education specialising in early childhood education.

She is also a board member of Fiji Times Limited.

The mother-of-five says she was delighted and happy to be a judge for the Pride of Fiji Awards because it was important to recognise the courage and goodwill of people in our community. She said she was looking forward to joining the panel that will acknowledge people who have achieved something for the community and themselves.

"It's a great and wonderful idea that we should recognise and inspire people for their courage and goodwill," she said.

Adi Davila started her career as one of Fiji's first pre-school teachers, working for the Young Women's Christian Association (YWCA) and later co-ordinated the Pacific Pre-school Teachers Certificate Course at the University of the South Pacific.

She joined the United Nations Children's Fund as the regional educational officer and had the opportunity to travel to various island countries in the region.

She does consultancy work with the Education Ministry and Save the Children Fiji.

Photo Caption: Adi Davila.
 

WORLDWIDE: The Pacific can learn from Papua New Guinea's land reform
Source: Papua New Guinea Post-Courier via Pacific Islands Report

The Somare government reached a major milestone with the passage of two Acts on 19 March 2009 — the Land Groups Incorporation (Amendment) Act 2007 and ’Land Registration (Customary Land) (Amendment) Act 2007.

Given the political sensitivities of land reform, the passage of this legislation is a major breakthrough. The new laws provide an opportunity for customary landowners to develop land for their own benefit, the opportunity for investors to draw on an under utilised resource, and the potential to benefit the nation.

It is the one reform that is likely to deliver gains to every stakeholder. Also, in many cases, an individual may wear multiple hats — as an investor, clan member, and citizen.

The Pacific Islands Region has much to learn from the Papua New Guinean experience. Much of this learning will be in terms of the process of getting such legislation through, rather than the content of the legislation. Process is just as important as content when it comes to sensitive reforms such as those affecting customary land.

The motivation for land reform is strong throughout the Pacific Region. The bulk of land in the region rests under customary ownership - 97 per cent of land in Papua New Guinea is under customary title, while in Fiji, it is around 90 percent. Much of this land remains under utilised. Also, property prices on customary land remain depressed because of the problems in accessing such land — even if superbly located for development.

Consequently, property prices of alienated land remain extremely high.

The goals of land reform

Policy makers stated clearly that their goal was to empower customary landowners in Papua New Guinea to realise the ’locked-up’ economic potential of their customary land. Much of the land under customary title has value "locked" into it.

The reforms were geared to unlock this. The use of this legislation by the customary landowners is voluntary, hence its effectiveness will be revealed by its use.

The voluntary usage makes land reform non-threatening to the landowners, consequently increasing its chance of success.

The legal process used to enact this reform has lessons for the region as a whole.

Moreover, there are important lessons for those contemplating land reform, in particular.

Land reform as political dynamite

The reasons that these reforms did not take place earlier are simple. PNG’s own experience is informative on this issue.

Reform to land tenure carries a major risk of backfiring. One only has to reflect on the demonstrations in 2002 by a group of students from the University of Papua New Guinea. Police allegedly fired on the demonstrators, killing several students.

The loss of life in such circumstances is difficult to erase from one’s memory, even if it is distantly associated with any reforms. However, the political backlash from the protests was devastating for the government of the day. Motivated by a genuine desire to induce development in order to benefit the landowners, the politicisation of the issue and the ensuing mayhem were extremely convenient for the aspirants to political office.

With 2002 being an election year, it was bad timing to introduce a highly emotive issue such as reform to the use of customary land.

The recipe for success

As far as land reform is concerned, the process is more important than the product. It is the process that provides legitimacy to the legislation which is enacted. The need for land reform within PNG, and for the Pacific Region as a whole, has been articulated by several commentators.

However, getting mileage from such reforms has proved difficult. Many things have been different in this recent reform process. First, PNG had some passionate people who believed in the need for reforms. Dr Puka Temu, the Minister for Lands and Physical Planning in the Somare government, and Dr Thomas Webster, the Director of the National Research Institute, are two people who deserve mention.

Second, the process was right. A broad partnership with all key institutions in the consultative process allowed issues to be raised, proposals debated, and agreements reached. This group then had a common position to present to the wider community. This process created ownership of the proposed reforms and support for its implementation. That is now the dynamo that is driving the different agencies to design and implement the National Land Development Program.

Third, the consultative group had a political champion. Dr Temu, the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Lands and

Physical Planning in the current Somare Government, took it upon himself to articulate the necessity of these reforms to his colleagues in the National Executive Council. And his colleagues, to their credit, provided the necessary backing.

Fourth, there remains a group of technocrats — all indigenous led by Dr Lawrence Kalinoe, Secretary for the Constitutional and Law Reform Commission, who are capable of carrying the legislative process through to completion.

Also, Dr Betty Lovai, a bioethics expert from the University of Papua New Guinea, kept each member honest to their tasks.

Fifth, the incentives for progress were right. The involvement of Papua New Guineans in preference to ‘fly-by-night’ consultants has several advantages including:

THEY know the context;

AS landowners themselves, they have a self-interest in making the reforms work; and

THEY also know that they will have to ’face the music’, if they get things wrong.

Will the reforms work?

No-one can guarantee success, but the prospects are good. The test will be in terms of implementation, which is the next phase of this ambitious program.

You will be informed, one way or the other, on the success of the recently instituted reforms. The uptake of the legislation by the landowners will be the immediate measure of its success.

At least one landowning clan has already embarked upon making their land available for urban development.

This has been done purely on consideration of profit. Other clans are now getting into that queue.

The Pacific Land Project that is based at the University of New South Wales, and which is in partnership with the National Research Institute, the University of Papua New Guinea, and the PNG Office of Urbanisation is committed to tracking progress on this important reform as part of ongoing collaboration on land issues.