NEWSPAGE 30 October
2009

(Photo: Auckland Writers & Readers Festival)

NEW ZEALAND: Māori academic honoured by the Prime Minister

(Photo: Australian Broadcasting Corporation)

SAMOA: It is just not kilikiti, say Samoans
Source: Radio Australia News

Samoan cricket authorities are having problems luring talented players to club competition because of rivalry from a traditional island form of the sport.

But this week they are taking on the challenge from the popularity of kilikiti.

Samoa Cricket president Seb Kohlhase is renewing efforts to lure talented players to club cricket.

He says islanders have been worried that club cricket will overrun kilikiti.

The game was introduced by missionaries in the 19th century.

Apprehension

"They are so used to kilikiti, so they treated us with apprehension as if we would stop them," he said.

Mr Kohlhase says there is room for both.

"I don't want it to stop," he said.

"But we are sending people tomorrow to Savai'i to hold clinics.

"They will hold development squads for women and under-19 players, so that finally their cricket and their talent will be recognised, not just for Upolu (the most populated island) but for the whole country."

Savai'i is the largest island in Samoa but the national capital, Apia, is on Upolu.

Kilikiti is also popular among other Polynesians and is played in Tuvalu and New Zealand.

The ball is made of rubber wrapped in material from pandanus palms.

Players wear no padding or masks, and will often be clad only in a lava-lava skirt.

Bats may be more than a metre long and are three-sided.

Photo Caption: Samoan cricket authorities are having problems luring talented players to club competition because of rivalry from a traditional island form of the sport.
 

(Photos: J. Kneubuhl)

AMERICAN SAMOA: ASCC accommodates students and faculty affected by tsunami
Source: American Samoa Community College Press Release

As with all major institutions in American Samoa, the tsunami on September 29th caused considerable disruption and some tragedy for the faculty, staff and students of the American Samoa Community College (ASCC), but during this time of crisis the College has responded with a number of programs to assist those affected by the disaster. These range from a project to provide textbooks and clothing for students and members of the public who lost their possessions, to adjustments to this semester’s schedule to compensate for lost instruction time, to an entertainment event to raise assistance funds, and many other ongoing activities.

When ASCC resumed classes after the tsunami on Monday, October 5th, President Dr. Seth Galea’i organized a task force to focus students affected by the disaster returning to school this semester. The task force, headed by Dr. Kathleen Kolhoff-Belle, Vice President of Academic and Student Affairs, requested that the Admissions and Records Office generate a student list based on the disaster areas recognized by the Red Cross, then announced publicly through the radio and print media that ASCC students in these affected areas should contact the College regarding their situation, and that the College could assist them if they planned on returning to school.

Along with the ASCC Student Government Association (SGA), the task force also organized an Emergency General Student Assembly on Thursday, October 8th to give students the opportunity to pray and share comfort and support during their time of need, and to give remembrance to ASCC student Sabrina Seva’aetasi, who died in the tsunami. The College also organized a day for ASCC employees affected by the tsunami to meet with counselors to share their experience and any discuss any assistance ASCC could give them. Task force committee members made outreach visits to the east and west sides of the island in search of ASCC students who had yet to make contact. Meanwhile, the SGA, student clubs, and faculty members spread the word on campus through flyers and word of mouth that any student affected by the tsunami should contact the Admissions and Records Office and Counseling Services.

From its outreach activities, ASCC identified about 100 students from affected areas returning to school, as well as two who have completely withdrawn due to extenuating circumstances. Currently, these 100 students are back in school, and their most pressing need is textbooks for their classes. Administration, faculty and the students have undertaken a student book drive to raise money for textbooks through various means. Le Bookstore at ASCC has established a borrow program for students without textbooks, and also offers these students a fifty percent discount on new textbook purchases. With many students also needing school supplies, the SGA and student clubs are working on a “student dollar drive”, and have also pledged all proceeds from the popular student activity “MTV Showdown” this Friday night towards school supplies for students in need.

After reviewing the college calendar to determine how to make up the lost contact hours for this semester, the Administration has extended the period of instruction from the original date of December 4th until December 11th. Instructors have been asked to accommodate this necessary adjustment, and to have student do as much make-up work as possible. Fall 2009 Graduation will take place on Friday, December 18th, as originally scheduled. ASTEP courses have been extended for one week. “We have basically managed to get the semester back on track, despite lost time,” said Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Irene Helsham.

A number of additional recovery-related activities remain ongoing at ASCC. Criminal Justice and Language & Literature instructor Lawrence Wilson organized a clothing donation drive that students at the College have utilized extensively, as both donors and recipients. In the evenings and on weekends, Wilson visits community sites to donate items suited for children and older adults. English Language Institute (ELI) chairperson Elisapeta Fa’alafi-Jones and her instructors have collected substantial clothing and food donations to benefit affected students currently enrolled in the program. Fa’alafi-Jones also organized the purchase of school supplies for ELI students in need, funded by a donation from the Service Learning head office in Honolulu. The College’s Academic Affairs Office continues to collect voluntary monetary donations from employees for the 17 of their colleagues who lost their homes and/or belongings during the disaster.

National Red Cross representatives visited ASCC to offer advice on how to help students and employees cope with the tsunami aftermath. The Red Cross volunteered to help facilitate contact between ASCC and its students in seriously affected areas of the island, and also held three days of small group counseling sessions for students and employees. On Saturday, October 24th, Lyle O’Neel of the Red Cross gave a presentation on Psychological Support During Times of Disaster in the ASCC Lecture Hall to a full audience of faculty, administrators, students, and members of the community.

While ASCC continues with its own recovery-related projects, it continues to receive much appreciated support from the public and private sectors. Last week, for example, Blue Sky Communications donated a full case of book bags to the College to help students who no longer have backpacks for their textbooks. “It seems the whole island is pulling together to help those in need and get things back to normal,” said Dr. Helsham, “and ASCC is proud to be part of this effort.”

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - ASCC English Language Institute (ELI) chairperson Elisapeta Fa'alafi-Jones (left) and Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Irene Helsham present a substantial donation of food, clothing and school supplies to students in the ELI department affected by the tsunami.

Photo 2 - Lyle O'Neel of the National Red Cross (center) gave a presentation on Psychological Support During Times of Disaster this past weekend at ASCC. Seen here welcoming O'Neel are members of the ASCC administration, faculty, Student Government Association and Peer Mentors.

Photo 3 - ASCC English Language Institute (ELI) chairperson Elisapeta Fa'alafi-Jones (left) and Dean of Academic Affairs Dr. Irene Helsham present a substantial donation of school supplies for students in the ELI department affected by the tsunami. The supplies were purchased through a donation from the Service Learning head office in Honolulu.

Photo 4 - Members of the ASCC Student Government Association (SGA) accept a donation from Blue Sky Communications of a full case of book bags to assist students who lost their possessions during the tsunami.

FIJI: Fiji icon deserved of country's full support says Wong
Source: Fiji Times

Fiji needs to recognise the efforts of national carrier Air Pacific for the tourism industry and the overall economy rather than focus on the loss recorded, says Tourism Fiji chairman Patrick Wong.

He said Air Pacific had established itself as an important Fiji icon and deserved the country's full support.

He said the airline had been at the forefront of cooperative marketing with Tourism Fiji, having spent an equivalent of $35million in marketing and promotion of destination Fiji last year.

"We need to assess Air Pacific's value to Fiji's needs and the value to growing the industry," Mr Wong said.

"Air Pacific has been instrumental in leading major initiatives across key markets in our recovery process through the course of the last 18 months.

"Our national carrier is dedicated solely to Fiji and while added capacity to Fiji is imminent, Air Pacific's continued viability and growth is fundamental to the ongoing success of Fiji Tourism."

Mr Wong said Air Pacific's contribution to the economy was second only to tourism in foreign exchange earnings and highlighted the vital role the airline played in the economy.

He said the airline was Fiji's primary means of transport to the outside world and was a critical link not only for Tourism but for cargo, trade and investment.

He said Tourism Fiji would continue to work closely with Air Pacific in growing existing markets and expanding into new markets".

"The airline continues to forge new alliances with airlines, the latest in the code-share arrangements with Cathay Pacific, and has committed to partnerships with the tourism industry to deliver on our targeted billion dollar foreign exchange earnings for the country", he said.

"Air Pacific remains committed to expand Fiji as an aviation hub and distribute tourism benefits widely throughout Fiji.

"Tourism Fiji will continue to work closely with Air Pacific to grow Fiji's profile on the global stage".
 

(Photos: Michel Blanc / Secretariat of the Pacific Community)

NIUE: Niue on a fish ROLL - recycled, organic, local, low-tech
Source: Secretariat of the Pacific Community Press Release

What do you do when you are trying to reconcile an organic lifestyle, fish waste problems and poor soil? You get creative. The island of Niue has called on the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC) to teach them how to turn fish into fertiliser.

Any holidaymaker would describe the island of Niue as a haven of rest in the Pacific. Yet the 2000 people who live there are faced with challenges that must be overcome if they want to continue enjoying their island for generations to come.

The island is a raised coral atoll, hours away from any major city. The soil is poor yet Niue cannot afford to depend on distant imports, whether food or fertiliser. Health awareness is increasing, and a few farmers have come together to form an Organic Farming Association.

Fish is abundant yet Niue has chosen to protect its marine environment by sustainably using the resource. It is illegal to throw fish waste back to sea — to keep the sharks away — meaning the offal must be dealt with, without contaminating land and water.

Healthy use of waste

SPC’s Fish Silage Project was presented at the Head of Fisheries meeting in February 2009 after trials were carried out on the island of Lifou, New Caledonia. Niue’s representative at the meeting expressed interest and a few months later, the project has become a reality, with the SPC team having just returned from Niue.

The idea of the project is to recycle waste by transforming fish offal into fertiliser and animal fodder. Carcasses and guts are crushed using a fish grinder. An acid, preferably organic, is then added to prevent putrefaction and accelerate enzyme activity. For a few days, the brew is regularly stirred and tested for acidity. The result is liquefied fish protein.

Locally produced fish silage can reduce the need for expensive imports of chemical fertilisers and stock feed. In addition to the NPK ingredients (nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium) present in any chemical fertiliser, fish silage is rich in trace elements. It nourishes the soil with microorganisms and protects plants, thus reducing dependence on pesticides. Fish silage can also be used as a food supplement for pigs and chickens. The selenium and omega oils it contains contribute to healthier animals and better quality eggs.

Fish silage production does not require intensive training or investment. SPC has described the process with colourful drawings in an educational booklet that is available in French and English. The booklet describes how Candice and Glen’s arid plot of land becomes a fruitful garden when they are lent a fish grinder to make fish silage. They soon manage to purchase the grinder by selling excess production on the market. Silage can also be produced on a larger scale, by the community or by fishing companies.

This environmentally friendly solution needs to be encouraged as it offers good economic development opportunities. It brings together the fishing and agricultural sectors, contributes to a healthy lifestyle and can be an income-generating activity for women.

Photo Captions:

Photo 1 - Niuean women leave the training session with a sample of freshly-made fish silage.

Photo 2 - "How to make fish silage", an illustrated handbook recently produced by SPC.

(Photo: Oceania Football Confederation)

WORLDWIDE: OFC ‘Just Play’ programme launches in Tonga
Source: Oceania Football Confederation Press Release

Another milestone in grassroots football has been achieved in the Pacific with the launch of Oceania Football Confederation’s (OFC) ‘Just Play’ programme in Tonga.

The regional governing body for football has worked closely with Tonga Football Association (TFA) and the Tongan Government to introduce the programme which promotes physical activity (especially, but not only, football) for children aged 6-13 and encourages community involvement.

OFC President Reynald Temarii says introducing ‘Just Play’ Active and Healthy Kids for Life will see a range of benefits for local communities.

“Through this initiative, we will be able to use the development of football to improve the lives of individuals, families and communities,” said President Temarii.

The programme, which started on Monday at Loto Tonga Soka Centre in ‘Atele, involves primary-aged children who receive guided tuition on developing games skills by teachers and volunteers trained by OFC and TFA.

Participants are also given a valuable sports kit containing balls, cones, bibs, an activity manual and other resources.

Franck Castillo, OFC head of social development and project manager for ‘Just Play’, says the programme would not be possible without key partners.

“With the assistance of Football Federation Australia (FFA), OFC has signed a partnership agreement with the Australian Government through its agencies the Australian Agency for International Development (AusAID) and the Australian Sports Commission (ASC). We are sincerely grateful for their support,” said Castillo.

The agreement with the Government of Australia amounts to AU$4 million over a three-year period and covers the implementation of ‘Just Play’ throughout the region. Also supporting the programme are UEFA, Cue Sports and Manukau-based charity Find Your Field of Dreams.

In Tonga, the government put their full backing behind the project on Tuesday when they signed a groundbreaking Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) in Nuku’alofa.

Present at the signing was Vice President of TFA the Honourable Moimoi Vaea, acting Director of Education Mrs Peaua Heimuli, acting Director of Sport Mr Viliami Liava’a and OFC representative Franck Castillo. The MOU defines the roles of each stakeholder in facilitating the programme over the next three years.

‘Just Play’ in Tonga will involve 10 government primary schools including Kolomotu’a, Longolongo, Ngeleia and Nuku’alofa in the Central District, ‘Atele, Veitongo, Vaini in the Eastern District and Tokomololo, Pea and Halalo in the Western District. To kick things off, OFC Just Play technical coordinator Yvon Avry is delivering workshops in Tonga this week for teachers and volunteers who will run the activities.

The programme is expected to roll out across Oceania over the next year including American Samoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Kiribati, New Caledonia, New Zealand (Manukau), Niue, Papua New Guinea, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.