NEWSPAGE 14 August
2009

(Photos: New Zealand Defence Force)

NEW ZEALAND: RNZN Remus sonar image of sunken Tongan ferry

(Photos: Australian High Commission)

SAMOA: Training boosts primary trauma care in Samoa
Source: Australian High Commission Press Release

Samoa’s National Health Services ran primary trauma care training in Apia last week to train health, medical and emergency workers in trauma care.

The three day workshop was funded by AusAID’s Pacific Islands Project which provides specialised health services to Pacific Island countries.

Primary trauma care, resulting mainly from road traffic crashes, is a major cause of death and disability. The course was developed to train doctors, paramedics and health care providers to prioritise and treat severely injured patients quickly to help reduce death and disability.

In-country organisers Dr Loudeen lam and Dr Pesamino Une were joined by visiting specialists Dr Bryce Curran from New Zealand and Dr Sam Yockopua from PNG. Dr Dyxon Hansell, who is currently completing post-graduate studies at the Fiji School of Medicine, also returned to Samoa to help run the training.

Australian High Commissioner to Samoa Matt Anderson said AusAID’s Pacific Islands health project also supported primary trauma care training in Samoa in 2005.

“Australia supports a dedicated program of bringing specialist health and medical experts to Samoa and the Pacific region to ensure access to training and medical treatment that would not normally be available,” Mr Anderson said.

“But what is so good about this training has been the opportunity to allow Samoans to qualify as instructors in primary trauma care. For the first time, Samoans will be able to run the training when they want, where they want, right here in Samoa, without the need to bring in specialists from overseas. This will save lives.”

At the end of the training Matt Anderson presented Dr Stanley Dean with an airways manikin for use by the National Health Service in future workshops and for training staff at TTMH.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Training in trauma care during a car crash simulation exercise at the national hospital.

Photo 2 - Australian volunteer Steve Williams, a paramedic with the Samoan Fire Services, with medical students during the training workshop.
 

(Photos: Riamoana Pasifika)

AUSTRALIA: Unity in Deception Bay
Source: Riamoana Pasifika Press Release

The Police Community Youth Centre in Deception Bay, Brisbane has been busy during the first half of the year promoting a program called "Project Unity". The program works with local high schools and their Pacific Island and Indigenous Youth to strengthen relationships between cultures and increase appreciation, tolerance and cultural awareness in the wider community.

An example of the great success of this program was witnessed recently when the PCYC together with respected elders in the Samoan Community organised a Pacific Island Day. Main facilitator of the event and President of Pan-Pacific Oceania, Samatau'a Sitagata Hanamenn Hunt said "the objective was to invite all other ethnic groups in the area to come and participate and leave at the end of the day with an enlightened view of Pacific Island Cultures."

"High Chiefs, Police Officers, Teachers and the hundreds of people present were very impressed by the cultural entertainment which included; the Fa'ataupati from Samoa, the Haka from the Maori community, the Hula and Tamure from Rarotonga and Tahiti respectively and the Ma'ulu'ulu from Tongan performers.

"The feedback from youth and elders alike of the day's events was very encouraging," remarked Caroline Crichton, Pacific Island Liaison Officer for PCYC. Some of the young Samoan members commented to Crichton that this was the first time they had direct experience with their Samoan Culture. "Many of our Samoan youth in the area have parents who were born and brought up in Samoa but they (youth) were either born in New Zealand or Australia and have not had the opportunity to experience everyday activities like in the islands. According to Samatau'a Hunt, "this was a perfect time especially for Pacific Youth to see and experience daily life back home."

One of the highlights of the day's event was performed by Fa'amatuainu Tavita Amosa who welcomed the guest with the traditional orators speech and Kava Ceremony which had many of the spectators standing in awe. The traditional technique of food cooking in Samoa Umu was prepared by Filo Crichton and Pule Paul Junior.

This is just one of the examples of the excellent work that organisations such as the Police Community Youth Centre carry out with local community organisations and members. Upcoming programs for the Samoan community include the "over 60s week" coordinated by Mulitalo Tauline Virtue and the Samoan Language Classes which is open to all ages from Prep years, coordinated by Samatau'a Sitagata Hanamenn Hunt. Riamoana Pasifika can be contacted for further information by telephone 0411632393 or visit by visiting the PCYC in Deception Bay, Brisbane.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Samatau'a Sitagata Hanamenn Hunt with Pastor Osa Nanae with youth members.

Photo 2 - Fa'amatua'inu Tavita Amoa demonstrating "the Umu".

Photo 3 - Youth at the Maota Samoa Fale.
 

(Photo: MAJ Tauapai Laupola)

USA: SSG Tua named Honour Graduate during paralegal course graduation
Source: MAJ Tauapai Laupola

SSG Uilisone Tua receives honor graduate during his graduation from the Army’s Legal Specialist course (27D)at Ft Jackson, South Carolina, Friday 7 Aug 09. SSG Tua was selected for this honour because of his highest academic achievements on all tasks; written, oral, hands-on and leadership examinations during this 10-week course.

As a paralegal specialist, SSG Tua will be an integral part of the Army's legal system. He will assist judges, Army lawyers and unit commanders on all legal and judicial matters. He will also provide legal and administrative support in areas such as criminal law, family law, international law, contract law, and fiscal law. SSG Tua will also be involved in defence and judicial legal services as well as operational and foreign law.

SSG Tua hails from the village of Fagasa, Amerika Samoa. He is the son of the late Tua Falemanu and Pisao Pakisa Tausaga. Receiving top honors for his academic achievements is not new to SSG Tua. He was the Valedictorian for the Samoana High School class of 2000 and a recipient of the ASG off-island scholarship. SSG Tua is currently a 3rd year student at the William Richardson School of Law, University of Hawaii and is assigned to the 3304 MSB, USAR, Ft Shafter, Hawaii. In 2004-2005, he deployed to Iraq with the 793rd Engineer Detachment from American Samoa.

Immediately after the graduation, SSG Tua was guest of honour at a farewell get together hosted by SFC Pele Hunkin-Tajalle, SSG Wilson and Mesepa Tagovailoa and SSG Sivailoa Uso. Before SSG Tua departed for Hawaii, he thanked his Samoan family at Ft Jackson for setting a great example and always there to support Samoan service members that are trained at Ft Jackson, SC. He also thanked his families in Fagasa for their continued support and especially Reverend Falelua Lafitaga of the Kanana Fou CCCAS, Hawaii and the Congregation for their prayers.

Send congratulatory message to SSG Uilisone Tua at [email protected]

Photo Caption: SSG Uilisone Tua named Honor Graduate for the Paralegal course at Ft Jackson, South Carolina, 7 August 2009. Attending his graduation were SFC Pele Hunkin-Tajalle, SSG Wilson & Mesepa Tagovailoa, Marine SSgt Gabriel Fa'ivae, and Georgina Laupola.
 

VANUATU: NBV and Pacific Financial Inclusion Programme announce partnership
Source: United Nations Development Programme Press Release

National Bank of Vanuatu (NBV) and the Pacific Financial Inclusion Program (PFIP) today announced a strategic partnership that will make banking services more accessible and relevant to the people of rural Vanuatu.

Over the next three years, NBV’s aim for rural banking and microfinance is to extend its e-banking network to an additional 5 provincial branches and enable an additional 13,000 rural producers and micro-entrepreneurs to be banked. To help achieve this end, PFIP will contribute US$212,000 to support NBV’s current investment in IT and communications infrastructure for rural banking.

“We appreciate the support of PFIP and their keen understanding of the challenges we face to deliver banking services in rural areas”, said NBV Managing Director, Mr Bob Hughes.

“Rural banking and microfinance are a very important part of NBV’s corporate mission and we are determined to do everything we can to enhance our performance in this area. PFIP support will really help us make some significant improvements”.

Mr Tillman Bruett, PFIP Project Manager and Advisor said, “We acknowledge the commitment and large investment from NBV to operate outside of the main cities as well as the early technical support of NBV by the Asian Development Bank. We are confident that our additional investment in new technologies will achieve results so that NBV can realize its mission to creating greater financial security and economic opportunity for the ni-Vanuatu in rural areas.”

NBV is a commercial bank that provides a range of services to individuals, small and large businesses, and government agencies. Its corporate mission is “to provide commercially viable banking services that contribute to the economic growth of Vanuatu and to lead the country in development and provision of accessible rural banking services.”

PFIP is a Pacific-wide programme helping provide sustainable financial services to low income households. It is funded by the United Nations Capital Development Fund (UNCDF), European Union, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) and the governments of Australia and New Zealand through their contributions to the Pacific Centre from which PFIP operates.

PFIP works in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Vanuatu, Solomon Islands and Samoa and its priorities include financial literacy, sharing knowledge on microfinance, and empowering microfinance institutions and other like-minded organizations to better provide sustainable financial services.
 

WORLDWIDE: Pacific must address gender equality to combat HIV
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

As indigenous peoples around the world contemplate how to strengthen efforts to tackle HIV in their communities, an HIV advocate in the Pacific believes that more emphasis should be put on addressing the gender dimension of the disease.

Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) Prevention Officer Jovesa Saladoka says if efforts to curb the spread of HIV in the Pacific are to succeed, strategies on HIV must include gender equality.

Mr Saladoka made the comments in relation to the theme of this year’s commemoration of the International Day of the World’s Indigenous Peoples (9 August) - Indigenous Peoples and HIV/AIDS.

The commemoration of this day aims to strengthen international cooperation for the solution of problems faced by indigenous people in areas including culture, education, health, human rights, the environment, and social and economic development.

The failure to address the gender dimension in the Pacific early on in the epidemic has contributed, to a certain extent, to the spread of the disease Mr Saladoka says.

‘New cases being recorded in the Pacific are showing a higher level of risk and vulnerability for women,’ he says. ‘Most women who get the disease have been infected by their husbands or long-term partners. So an issue that particularly needs to be reinforced amongst men is responsible behaviour. Men can explore how they can create a culturally-friendly level playing field where everyone affected is empowered enough to be able to make a choice.’

Mr Saladoka believes that if gender issues are addressed adequately then situations where a significant percentage of the population has been infected, which has major social and economic implications on communities, can be avoided.

He says gender components of HIV prevention and control must include gender equality and the social and economic empowerment of women.

The lack of women’s enjoyment of the right to equality manifests itself in areas such as sexual health, where many women do not have the authority to influence the use of condoms. While the female condom may go some way toward empowering women to make decisions about their sexual health, the public’s attitudes with regard to acceptability of this condom, which is relatively new, are yet to be seen.

SPC Human Development Adviser (Gender Equality) Treva Braun says gender-based violence is another manifestation of gender inequality that needs particular attention in efforts to combat HIV.

‘Inequality between women and men has major adverse impacts not only on women but on whole communities. Amongst other things it makes women vulnerable to sexual violence, which in addition to violating their basic human rights puts them at risk of contracting HIV. Entire societies are suffering the consequences,’ Ms Braun says. ‘Unless the underlying attitudes and inequalities that allow gender-based violence to occur are understood and addressed, controlling HIV infection will remain a major challenge.’

Additional factors in the Pacific that contribute to the spread of the epidemic include high rates of sexually transmitted infections (STIs), which increase the likelihood of contracting HIV; low condom use; lack of rights for certain vulnerable groups in some countries, including men who have sex with men and sex workers; lack of active engagement by leaders; and limited access to education, which subsequently limits access to information on HIV prevention or the ability to process that information by a significant proportion of the population in the Pacific.