Thursday, April 30, 2009

[pima.nius] Re: Radio Australia correspondents notebook

2:13 PM |

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Date: Thu, 30 Apr 2009 15:43:36 +1200
Subject: [pima.nius] Radio Australia correspondents notebook
From: pima.nius@gmail.com
To: pima-nius@googlegroups.com

Correspondent's Notebook

Fiji's interim government faces deadline

Radio Australia's Pacific Beat reporter Bruce Hill examines the issues surrounding this deadline.
24 April 2009
http://blogs.radioaustralia.net.au/notebook/?p=96
Fiji faces a deadline of Friday next week to announce it's holding free elections, or it'll be kicked out of the South Pacific Forum.
It's very clear that coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has no intention of meeting that deadline and so within a week the Pacific will be looking at a very different political set-up.
Nations and interest groups are responding to this in a variety of ways, some are vehemently against expelling Fiji because it's bad for business, might hamper trade links with smaller states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, or they want to express some sort of regional solidarity.
Australia and New Zealand are as always, being singled out for especially vehement criticism.
Both nations are being roundly condemned for supporting the Westminster parliamentary system, although so far in my 17 year career as a Pacific specialist reporter I've yet to meet a single person who has been able to come up with an alternative system, despite constant talk of indigenous Pacific cultures needing different methods of political expression.
Interestingly enough, some of this criticism is coming from within those countries, from academics whose very freedom to criticise their own countries policies is something that wouldn't be tolerated if they actually lived in Fiji right now.
Blaming Australia and New Zealand for anything that goes wrong in the Pacific has become something of a reflex action lately.
But if you look behind the headlines, at some of the underlying demographic processes that drive the course of history, a very different picture emerges of the relationship between island states and the two major metropolitan countries.
For a pair of neo-colonial, ignorant, un-nuanced, non-indigenous bullies with a political system transplanted from the other side of the planet and imposed at musket-point, Australia and New Zealand are very popular places for Pacific islanders to live.
The only crowds you see outside their High Commissions and Embassies in Pacific countries are there to apply for visas, not to hurl rocks at the windows.
There are thriving Pacific island communities in both countries which are doing so well financially that their remittances to family back home are helping prop up otherwise fragile island economies.
Pacific people have been voting with their feet for decades now, and the process is irreversible.
Recently I had a very illuminating conversation with a High School principal in a Pacific island nation.
He told me that his job was to prepare his pupils for life in Australia or New Zealand, not the country they lived in.
He was blunt in his assessment that young Pacific Islanders face a bleak future if they stay at home, and that their future lies in Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane or Wellington.
In fact it was the parents of the school pupils who were insisting on this, preferring ex-patriot native English speaking teachers over locals, so their children would get a better grounding in English for when they tried to get a job overseas.
While political elites argue about whether Fiji will alter its foiling policy alignment away from Australia and New Zealand and towards the Chinese, there are very strong economic, educational, sporting, religious, linguistic and cultural forces at work beneath the surface which are binding ordinary Pacific people even closer to those two countries.
It's a process which has been going on for a hundred and fifty years or more, starting with the conversion of the Pacific to Christianity, and continuing ever since, so that now the region is Christian, largely English-speaking and with strong family ties to Australia and New Zealand.
In the case of some of the smaller nations, their diaspora populations overseas are as large or even larger than the entire home country.
When that sort of demographic fusion happens, talk about some sort of split between island states on one hand and Australia and New Zealand on the other becomes unrealistic.
Whether the ruling elites in some Pacific countries, which clearly resent the influence of Canberra and Wellington will succeed in altering their foreign policy away from it's present western orientation remains to be seen.
But if there's one lesson to be drawn from the history of western nations, it's that the desires and the power of ordinary people should not be discounted.




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[pima.nius] PR: Coming up on Pacific Pulse...

11:00 AM |


Pacific Pulse

one ocean – many stories

Pacific Pulse ventures beyond the headlines with feature stories from Polynesia, Melanesia and Micronesia that reflect contemporary life across the Pacific and recognise the strengths, hopes, achievements and aspirations of the region.

Episode 25

In this special episode of Pacific Pulse, Tania Nugent joins the Australian Football League's first tour to Papua New Guinea as a team of young indigenous Australian teenagers, the Flying Boomerangs, take on the PNG Under 18 team, the Kapundas.  It's about promoting Aussie rules football in PNG, where the game is increasingly popular in spite of the dominance of rugby.  But it's also about much more than football, using the sport as an appealing tool to teach leadership to young men, not just in sport, but for life.  

Pacific Pulse will be broadcast across the Pacific in the following time zones:

Samoa                     22:20 on Sat 2nd May

Cook Islands              23:20 on Sat 2nd May

PNG                       19:20 on Sun 3rd May

Solomon Islands   20:20 on Sun 3rd May

Vanuatu           20:20 on Sun 3rd May

Fiji                      21:20 on Sun 3rd May

You can also see Pacific Pulse online with extra footage, story transcripts and Tania and Clement's blog at: australianetwork.com/pacificpulse

Picture (Device Independent Bitmap)

Australia Network is Australia's international television and online service, broadcasting 24/7 across 44 countries in Asia, the Pacific and the Indian sub-continent.

 

Brought to you by Australia's largest and most trusted broadcaster, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Australia Network brings a uniquely Australian perspective to living rooms and desktops around the region.

 

Australia Network boasts an independent news and current affairs service that goes beyond the headlines. Viewers can see the best in Australian drama, documentary, entertainment, lifestyle, sporting and children's programming. These exclusive shows are complimented by English language learning programs, meaning there's no other channel offering such an unparalleled array of thought-provoking, quality programming.

australianetwork.com

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[pima.nius] Competition: Call for applications for Earth Journalism Awards honoring best in climate change reporting

10:58 AM |



Please find below information on the Internews Earth Journalism Awards
recognising the world's best stories on climate change.

We're very sure Pacific journalists have produced some of the world's
best stories on the very real impact of climate change on their
islands.



Please visit the website: http://awards.earthjournalism.org/ or
contact James Fahn (jfahn@internews.org) for more information.

Please do not contact UNESCO Apia for further information.



UNESCO Apia is working with Pacific media journalists, organizations
and associations to increase the frequency, quality, prominence, and
permanence of Pacific reporting on climate change.



We have supported Workshops in 2008, 2009, and Pacific representation
at the upcoming International Conference for Broadcasting Media and
Climate Change at the UNESCO HQ in Paris from the 4th – 5th September,
2009.



We encourage all Pacific media to join and contribute to the UNESCO
Frontlines of Climate Change Forum.



We are sending this message to all contacts in our UNESCO Apia Media
Contacts Database including the Pacific National Commission for
UNESCO. We apologize if this message is not relevant to you or if you
have received multiple copies.



Please also don't hesitate to forward the contact details of other
members of your organization to add to our database.



We would greatly appreciate it if you could please forward this
message to colleagues in your organization.



Regards,
 Abel

 UNESCO – Apia
 ________________________________


From: Satwant Kaur [mailto:kaur@un.org]
 Sent: Tuesday, 28 April 2009 2:47 p.m.
 Subject: Fw: Earth Journalism Awards to honor best in climate change reporting






 ----- Forwarded by Satwant Kaur/BKK/UNO on 04/29/2009 08:45 AM -----


James Fahn <jfahn@internews.org>
 Sent by: rathomas@loyno.edu

04/28/2009 06:24 PM


To

"ifej@loyno.edu" <ifej@loyno.edu>


cc




Subject

Earth Journalism Awards to honor best in climate change reporting













 Hi folks,

  Some of you may have already gotten the news, but I wanted to make
sure you're all aware: Internews has announced the creation of the
Earth Journalism Awards, which will recognize the best climate change
stories from around the world this year at a ceremony during the
Copenhagen Summit.

  The website platform is now up and running at
http://awards.earthjournalism.org/ and I'd urge any of you who are
interested in applying for the awards to register straight away, which
will enable you to receive e-mail updates. About 100 journalists from
around the world have already registered. Actual submission of stories
will begin on June 5th, World Environment Day. Details are in the
newsletter below.

  Please do forward to anyone you think might be interested.

 Cheers,
 James


















Q & A with Gustavo Faleiros:

On Geojournalism and Why Environmental Reporting Excites Him

Gustavo Faleiros is an environmental journalist at O Eco Online in
Brazil and a Fellow in the Climate Change Media Partnership
co-sponsored by Internews' Earth Journalism Network. He has a special
interest in "geojournalism," the new practice of combining online
mapping and satellite imagery with reporting to tell richer stories.
(Full Interview)







Climate change: How to report the story of the century

 "All journalists should understand the science of climate change —
its causes, its controversies and its current and projected impacts .
. . This is particularly true for journalists in the developing world,
where the issue generally goes underreported despite the fact that the
poorest countries are most vulnerable to climate change."

 - James Fahn, Director of Internews' Earth Journalism Network, in an
article in SciDev.net









Save the Date!
 2009 Internews Media Leadership Awards
 June 2










Internews is a nonprofit international media development organization
whose mission is to empower local media worldwide to provide people
with the news and information they need, the ability to connect, and
the means to make their voices heard.

See more information on our programs in health journalism,
environmental reporting, women and much more.




















April 22, 2009

Celebrating Earth Day
 Honoring the World's Best Climate Change Reporting

On Earth Day today, Internews announced the creation of the Earth
Journalism Awards for climate change reporting at a G8 summit in
Italy. Internews and its Earth Journalism Network (EJN) provide
journalists in developing countries with the skills and resources to
educate and engage the people most directly affected by environmental
concerns. This e-newsletter highlights a few of Internews'
environmental media projects around the world.

In  This Issue:

Internews Announces Earth Journalism Awards on Opening Day of G8
Environment Ministers' Meeting
Climate Change Media Partnership to Bring Developing World Journalists
to Copenhagen
EJN Fellows Make a Splash at World Water Forum in Istanbul
Third Pole Project Tackles Climate Change in Himalayan Region and
Downstream Countries

Internews Announces Earth Journalism Awards on Opening Day of G8
Environment Ministers' Meeting

Internews today announced the creation of the Earth Journalism Awards
for climate change reporting at a round table on communication at the
G8 Environment Ministers' Meeting in Siracusa, Italy. Designed to
increase and improve media coverage of climate change around the
world, the competition will culminate with a ceremony at the pivotal
United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP15) in Copenhagen this
December. (More)

Climate Change Media Partnership to Bring Developing World Journalists
to Copenhagen

Internews and the Climate Change Media Partnership (CCMP) will be
sending journalists from developing countries to attend the Copenhagen
Climate Change Summit in December, where they will receive intensive
training and mentoring and send daily news reports back to their home
media organizations. This will be a continuation of the successful
fellowship program the CCMP has run for the past two years. A formal
announcement with more details will be coming soon.

EJN Fellows Make a Splash at World Water Forum in Istanbul

Dealing with water scarcity and preventing water conflicts were major
themes at last month's 5th World Water Forum held in Istanbul, where
Internews' Earth Journalism Network (EJN) brought six international
Fellows to participate in training and reporting activities. (More)

Third Pole Project Tackles Climate Change in Himalayan Region and
Downstream Countries

EJN has formed a partnership with ChinaDialogue.net to focus on the
climate change issues affecting the Himalayan region and downstream
countries. Because of their vast ice reserves, rivaling those of the
North and South Poles, the Himalayas are often referred to as "the
third pole." (More)


 ________________________________


TELL A FRIEND

Please forward this message to friends or colleagues who care about
empowering local voices worldwide.

LEARN MORE ABOUT INTERNEWS IN THESE E-NEWSLETTERS

Empowering Local Media in the Middle East and North Africa, April 13, 2009
When Information Saves Lives: Engaging Local Media in Humanitarian
Crises, March 26, 2009
How Women are Changing the Media Landscape, March 6, 2009
Internews Afghanistan: Risk Management Toolkit, Code of Ethics and a
New Radio Station, April 2009 (Sign up to receive our Afghanistan
newsletter)
All previous e-newsletters


View this e-newsletter on our web siteBanner photo: Reporters at an
Earth Journalism Network training field trip. (James Fahn/Internews)
 Conference photo: Journalists interviewing at the Poznan Climate
Change conference (Slawek Jankowski)
 Please send comments to Patricia Chadwick - pchadwick@internews.org ·
Internews Web Site
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 © Copyright 2009 Internews Network | Contact Us: +1 707-826-2030




 ****************************
 James Fahn
 Global Director & Sr. Technical Advisor
 Environmental Programs
 Internews Network
 P.O. Box 205, Chiang Mai University
 Chiang Mai, 50202, Thailand
 Office Tel: +66-(0)53-854-551
 Mobile Tel: +66-(0)81-960-7673
 E-mail: jfahn@internews.org
 Skype: jdfahn
 Twitter: www.twitter.com/JamesFahn
 www.internews.org
 www.earthjournalism.org
 www.alandonfire.com
 ****************************

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--
"More and more, if you're not in the digital conversation about your
community, you're not in a conversation that matters"
--   Alberto Ibargüen, President, The Knight Foundation.





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[pima.nius] PR: Hughes: Taxpayers foot hefty bill National and Maori Party deal

10:57 AM |




30 April 2009   Media Statement        

Taxpayers foot hefty bill for National and Maori Party deal    
       

The double standards of the National Government have again been exposed following Cabinet's decision to override a consensus for a fair approach to electorate office funding, Opposition Chief Whip Darren Hughes said today.

"John Key and Bill English are calling for restraint on Government expenditure and for hardworking New Zealanders to tighten their belts but are happy to spend up big for political expediency," Darren Hughes said.

Under National's supply and confidence agreement with the Maori Party it agreed to increase electorate office funding for all Maori electorates because of their size.

Last month the Government was caught out increasing funding for ten large electorates by over $90,000. Eight of the ten electorates concerned are either National or Maori Party held.

"Following concerns about the process and the size of the increases in relation to funding to other electorates, a meeting attended by all parties and chaired by the Speaker of the house sent a recommendation to Cabinet to scale back increases," Darren Hughes said.

"The recommendation called for clear and fair criteria for funding increases. Cabinet's decision to ignore this recommendation and push through the increases without clear criteria speaks volumes.

"One on hand National and the Maori Party are feathering their own nests with tens of thousands of dollars and with the other they're sacking hardworking public servants.

"Is this increased funding hush money for the Maori Party for their silence over their support for National's unfair tax cuts, 90-day fire at will policy, minimal minimum wage increase and Seabed and Foreshore review?

"This is a stitch up from a Government happy to ignore its own calls for restraint with taxpayer money to keep an unhappy ally quiet," Darren Hughes said.


Contact:  Darren Hughes 0275 2555021

<<PRHugheselectorateApril30.doc>>

See tables below

Situation before 2008 election:

        General Seat MP List MP
Staff   $104,000        $52,000
Expense $64,260 $40,932
Total  
$168,260        $92,932

What PSC – all parties – recommended to Cabinet 2009

        All seats over 12,500km2        General Seat MP List MP
Staff   $156,000        $104,000        $52,000
Expense $87,588 $64,260 $40,932
Total  
$243,588        $168,260        $92,932

What Cabinet agreed to:

        Maori Seat MP*/Large General Seat MP    General Seat MP List MP
Staff+  $156,000        $104,000        $52,000
Expense $105,192        $64,260 $40,932
Total  
$261,192        $168,260        $92,932
Difference      $17,604                

Appropriations Review Committee recommendation 2007:
Maori Seat MPs (regardless of size) & General Seat MPs (seat over 20,000km2) get 3 FTE OOP staff.

Parliamentary Service Commission 2008:
Exclude Tamaki-Makaurau





Kris Faafoi
Press Secretary
Hon. Phil Goff
Leader of the Opposition
+64 4 817 8284
+64 21 648 859
kris.faafoi@parliament.govt.nz




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[pima.nius] PR: CLASSIC KIWI GAME SHOW FOR THE 21ST CENTURY - ON MAORI TELEVISION!

10:56 AM |



PUBLICITY RELEASE                                                         

THURSDAY APRIL 28 2009

CLASSIC KIWI GAME SHOW FOR THE 21ST CENTURY – ON MAORI TELEVISION!

Packed with catchphrases that delighted a nation, like 'by hokey!' and 'the money or the bag?', New Zealanders first took this television show to their hearts decades ago. 

Now the bona fide homegrown hit, IT'S IN THE BAG – the show that travels to the halls and theatres of our heartland towns and beams into homes for family entertainment – is set to make a comeback, and premieres on Maori Television from Sunday May 31 at 7.00 PM.

Two of this country's warmest and most entertaining presenters - Pio Terei and Stacey Morrison (nee Daniels) – team up for the first time to lead the revival of this popular programme.

The core format of the show remains much the same as people remember it from Selwyn Toogood's era. Contestants must still answer questions to get a chance to play, usually on topics that rely on local area knowledge.  Once through, players must still walk the fine line between netting the cash on offer, and taking a chance on the mystery prize contained in their selected bag. 

But this time, producers have taken account of the changing times to make the show bi-lingual, calling on Morrison's undoubted strengths as a reo Maori speaker.

There has also been a move to make the male and female roles equal, which means if Stacey is ever asked to 'give us a twirl' to show off her frock, Pio might well find he is required to do the same.

"It's the 2009 version, which means both presenters have equal footing," says producer Libby Hakaraia. "They're really excited, and really into the kaupapa of going into heartland towns.  They are both so quick-witted, and their ability to work off each other means non-stop entertainment. We just think people are really going to get into the spirit of it."

Those who take part in the show still run the risk of being sent home with an imaginative booby prize - anything from a sack of kina to a loaf of Aunty Wai's rewana bread – which many may argue is still well worth playing for. 

At the other end of the spectrum, some lucky winners may get to take home a new TV or take an exotic holiday.

But more than the prizes, the show will be about fun, whether as a night out or a television viewer.

Says Terei: "I have been waiting all my life to do this show.  I think I may have been in training for it all along!"

And Morrison: "I love that this show is putting positive energy and fun back into our small towns, which so often get missed by entertainers and television.  This show has a huge heart, and that's certainly what attracted me."

Classic Kiwi television re-made for a modern audience – IT'S IN THE BAG premieres on Maori Television on Sunday May 31 at 7.00 PM.

Ends

For more information:

Merilee Andrews

Publicist

Maori Television

DDI 09 539 7092

MOB 021 378 639

 

 
PO Box 113-017, Newmarket, Auckland 1149, New Zealand
9-15 Davis Crescent, Newmarket, Auckland 1023, New Zealand
http://www.maoritelevision.com/

 

<image001.jpg>             <image002.jpg>             <image004.jpg>

 

 




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Wednesday, April 29, 2009

[pima.nius] Radio Australia correspondents notebook

8:43 PM |

Correspondent's Notebook

Fiji's interim government faces deadline

Radio Australia's Pacific Beat reporter Bruce Hill examines the issues surrounding this deadline.

24 April 2009

http://blogs.radioaustralia.net.au/notebook/?p=96

Fiji faces a deadline of Friday next week to announce it's holding free elections, or it'll be kicked out of the South Pacific Forum.

It's very clear that coup leader Commodore Frank Bainimarama has no intention of meeting that deadline and so within a week the Pacific will be looking at a very different political set-up.

Nations and interest groups are responding to this in a variety of ways, some are vehemently against expelling Fiji because it's bad for business, might hamper trade links with smaller states such as Tuvalu and Kiribati, or they want to express some sort of regional solidarity.

Australia and New Zealand are as always, being singled out for especially vehement criticism.

Both nations are being roundly condemned for supporting the Westminster parliamentary system, although so far in my 17 year career as a Pacific specialist reporter I've yet to meet a single person who has been able to come up with an alternative system, despite constant talk of indigenous Pacific cultures needing different methods of political expression.

Interestingly enough, some of this criticism is coming from within those countries, from academics whose very freedom to criticise their own countries policies is something that wouldn't be tolerated if they actually lived in Fiji right now.

Blaming Australia and New Zealand for anything that goes wrong in the Pacific has become something of a reflex action lately.

But if you look behind the headlines, at some of the underlying demographic processes that drive the course of history, a very different picture emerges of the relationship between island states and the two major metropolitan countries.

For a pair of neo-colonial, ignorant, un-nuanced, non-indigenous bullies with a political system transplanted from the other side of the planet and imposed at musket-point, Australia and New Zealand are very popular places for Pacific islanders to live.

The only crowds you see outside their High Commissions and Embassies in Pacific countries are there to apply for visas, not to hurl rocks at the windows.

There are thriving Pacific island communities in both countries which are doing so well financially that their remittances to family back home are helping prop up otherwise fragile island economies.

Pacific people have been voting with their feet for decades now, and the process is irreversible.

Recently I had a very illuminating conversation with a High School principal in a Pacific island nation.

He told me that his job was to prepare his pupils for life in Australia or New Zealand, not the country they lived in.

He was blunt in his assessment that young Pacific Islanders face a bleak future if they stay at home, and that their future lies in Auckland, Sydney, Brisbane or Wellington.

In fact it was the parents of the school pupils who were insisting on this, preferring ex-patriot native English speaking teachers over locals, so their children would get a better grounding in English for when they tried to get a job overseas.

While political elites argue about whether Fiji will alter its foiling policy alignment away from Australia and New Zealand and towards the Chinese, there are very strong economic, educational, sporting, religious, linguistic and cultural forces at work beneath the surface which are binding ordinary Pacific people even closer to those two countries.

It's a process which has been going on for a hundred and fifty years or more, starting with the conversion of the Pacific to Christianity, and continuing ever since, so that now the region is Christian, largely English-speaking and with strong family ties to Australia and New Zealand.

In the case of some of the smaller nations, their diaspora populations overseas are as large or even larger than the entire home country.

When that sort of demographic fusion happens, talk about some sort of split between island states on one hand and Australia and New Zealand on the other becomes unrealistic.

Whether the ruling elites in some Pacific countries, which clearly resent the influence of Canberra and Wellington will succeed in altering their foreign policy away from it's present western orientation remains to be seen.

But if there's one lesson to be drawn from the history of western nations, it's that the desires and the power of ordinary people should not be discounted.





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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] PR: Victims of nuclear testing call France to account

8:41 PM |

Kia ora,

below is the media release from Association Moruroa e Tatou about the court case that began in Papeete earlier this week. More information, including documentation from Moruroa e Tatou, is available at http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/ntest.htm and that page will be updated with new information as it comes in.

Historic trial in Tahiti
The victims of nuclear testing call France to account
 
Association Moruroa e tatou

On Monday 27 April 2009, eight Polynesian victims of French nuclear testing will launch a case against France before the Tribunal de Travail (industrial relations court) in Papeete, Tahiti.
 
For the first time ever in French Polynesia, France will have to take responsibility for the consequences of nuclear testing on the health of the Polynesian people.
 
Of the eight plaintiffs who are former workers from the Moruroa nuclear test site, three are still alive and suffering from cancers of the blood. The five others have already died, mainly from leukaemia, and will be represented at the trial by their widows.
 
After months of preliminaries, the date for hearings and speeches for the defence has been set for 27 April, in the largest courtroom of the Papeete Courts. The hearings will be filmed to preserve the memory of this historic moment. On this day, several hundred former Moruroa workers will come to support their comrades and the widows. Representatives of Moruroa e Tatou (the association of former Moruroa workers), the Protestant Maohi Church and community organisations from around the country will be present in the court, together with the President of French Polynesia, Mr. Oscar Temaru, who himself worked at Moruroa.
 
In 1966, France imposed its nuclear test program on the people of French Polynesia, without even consulting them. Even though France halted its nuclear tests in January 1996, after years of international pressure and after 193 nuclear tests, the health and environmental consequences have been disastrous. Polynesian women have the highest rate of thyroid cancer in the world, and Moruroa and Fangataufa Atolls will remain barren and contaminated for thousands of years.
 
After years of lies and speeches claiming the tests were harmless, Polynesian victims and their lawyers will demand the truth, in spite of France's July 2008 decision to forbid access to the nuclear archives.
 
The plaintiffs are asking for compensation, due to the suffering they have undergone because of illness which has destroyed their family life or left their wives alone to care for children after their premature death. Moruroa e Tatou says that other cases will come before the courts, with other victims waiting for their case files to be finalised so they can lodge a case against the French government.
 
The trial on 27 April in Papeete gives hope to all the victims of French nuclear testing, especially those in the Sahara desert of Algeria as well as in French Polynesia, who suffered France's nuclear aggression which was imposed on defenceless peoples. This trial must have repercussions at national and international level: victims of nuclear testing around the world must know that the nuclear powers will not remain immune from punishment.
 
Media from France and around the world are invited to Papeete to cover this event. Moruroa e Tatou will set up a press centre with Internet access and provide documentation on the cases. Journalists will be able to meet with the former workers from Moruroa and the widows of those who have died, as well as people who've been involved in campaigning for the rights of nuclear test victims. As much as possible, English-French translation will be provided.
 
The media are invited to contact the Moruroa e Tatou association who will be coordinating this information and activities around the trial.

<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
                    Peace Movement Aotearoa (PMA)
               the national networking peace organisation
     PO Box 9314, Wellington 6141, Aotearoa New Zealand
    Tel +64 4 382 8129, fax 382 8173 email pma@xtra.co.nz
          PMA website - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma
Not in Our Name - http://www.converge.org.nz/pma/nionnz.htm
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>
         >> war on terrorism? war is terrorism <<
<> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <> <>


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[pima.nius] Fwd: [pacific-journos] FALEOMAVAEGA RESPONDS, IN PART, TO PM TUILAEPA

4:48 PM |

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:  April 29, 2009
Washington, D.C. --     FALEOMAVAEGA RESPONDS, IN PART, TO PM TUILAEPA'S ALLEGATIONS ON CRISIS IN FJII

        Congressman Faleomavaega announced today that he is responding to recent comments made by Prime Minister Tuilaepa on the crisis in Fiji.
        "My response to PM Tuilaepa is not to argue but to clarify the issues so that the public will be better informed," Faleomavaega said.  "In response to the PM's comment that I should only comment on American Samoa-U.S. relations, with all due respect, the people of American Samoa and their elected leaders have every right to speak out about issues affecting the Pacific region and elsewhere, including Fiji," Faleomavaega said.
        "The U.S. government is based upon a fundamental system of checks and balances, and provides for three separate but equal branches of government.  The legislative branch, or the U.S. Congress, makes the law.  The Executive branch, headed by the President, carries out the laws, and recommends new ones.  The judicial branch, headed by the U.S. Supreme Court, explains and applies the laws."
        "The U.S. Congress is made up of the Senate and the House of Representatives.  American Samoa is represented in the House.  Every Member of the House and Senate is responsible for representing his/her constituents, and each Member of Congress is also assigned to work on Committees in which he/she represents broader U.S. interests.  My Committee assignments include service on the House Committee on Natural Resources and the House Committee on Foreign Affairs where I serve as the third most senior Democratic Member on both Committees as a result of having been elected 11 times by the people of American Samoa, and having served for over 20 years in the U.S. Congress." 
"Currently, I serve as the Chairman of the Foreign Affairs' Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific, and the Global Environment.  The Subcommittee on Asia, the Pacific and the Global Environment has broad oversight for all U.S. foreign policies affecting Australia, Brunei, Cambodia, China (including Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan), Cook Islands, the Federated States of Micronesia, French Polynesia, Indonesia, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kiribati, Kyrgyzstan, Laos, Malaysia, Marshall Islands, Mongolia, Myanmar, Nauru, New Caledonia, New Zealand, Niue, North Korea, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Philippines, Samoa, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Korea, Tajikistan, Thailand, Timor-Leste, Tokelau, Tonga, Turkmenistan, Tuvalu, Uzbekistan, Vanuatu, Vietnam, Wallis and Futuna, and Fiji.  The subcommittee also has jurisdiction over issues relating to the global environment, international fisheries agreements, and the law of the sea."
"Although space will not allow me to respond point by point to PM Tuilaepa's allegations, I will say that the people of American Samoa who elected me to office know how the U.S. Congress operates, and they understand my role in representing their interests at home and abroad both as their Representative to Congress, and as Chairman of the Subcommittee which has broad jurisdiction for U.S. policy affecting Asia and the Pacific, which specifically includes Fiji.  The voters of American Samoa also understand the role of the U.S. Congress in shaping U.S. policy not only domestically, but also in different regions of the world." 
"When the U.S. engages in dialogue or when I meet with leaders in the region in my official capacity as a Subcommittee Chairman, it is not 'meddling', as the PM suggests.  Instead, it is my duty as Chairman to fully engage in the process of bringing about peace and stability, and promoting American interests in this region of the world.  This is why I have every intention of fulfilling my responsibilities and working closely with Secretary Clinton to develop a more comprehensive U.S. policy for the Pacific Island nations, and to engage in a more pro-active and constructive dialogue with Fiji's interim government leaders."
"Like any other sovereign nation, the U.S. has every right to have an opinion about Fiji, and it should be noted that the United States has a fully accredited Ambassador and embassy in Fiji.  Our U.S. Ambassador in Fiji is also accredited to Tonga, Tuvalu, Kiribati, and Nauru."  
        "Given the importance of Pacific Island nations to U.S. interests, I stand by my position that Australia or New Zealand should not dictate policy for the U.S. when it comes to relations with Fiji or any other Pacific Island nation.  While at times I can appreciate New Zealand and Australia's efforts, the U.S. cannot afford to abdicate its responsibilities but must participate actively in the process."
"With respect to PM Tuilaepa's comments about the hearing with Secretary Clinton which was recently held by the Foreign Affairs Committee, several points need to be explained."
"First, PM Tuilaepa alleged that the hearing was chaired by U.S. Secretary of State Hillary
Clinton.  On the contrary, the hearing was chaired by Congressman Howard Berman, Chairman of the House Committee on Foreign Affairs, who invited Secretary Clinton to explain to nearly 50 Members of Congress that make up the Committee what President Barack Obama's foreign policy will be around the world.  Next week, I will be providing media outlets throughout the region with DVD copies of the hearing so that the public will be able to view how this process between the U.S. Congress and the President's Administration works."
 "Secondly, the PM's release states that I told the Committee that Fiji was not ready for democracy and elections.  This is misleading.  As a member of the Committee, I was given the opportunity to have a five-minute dialogue on whatever subject I wanted to bring to Secretary Clinton's attention, and I raised three main issues, including the crisis in Fiji, the need for the U.S. to have a more comprehensive policy towards the Pacific Island nations, and the current political and economic situation in West Papua, Indonesia.  About the crisis in Fiji, what I said is that it makes no sense for the leaders of New Zealand and Australia to demand early elections just for the sake of having elections in Fiji while there are fundamental deficiencies in Fiji's electoral process, which gave rise to three military takeovers and even a civilian-related takeover within the past twenty years – along with three separate constitutions to govern these islands."
"Thirdly, the PM stated that 'the leaders of the Forum (not just New Zealand and Australia)…have been unanimous in their condemnation of this military dictatorship in Fiji and now a mere Congressman in Washington is barking up the wrong tree.' 
 
On the contrary, in an April 15, 2009 report, Kiribati's President Anote Tong says a new approach is needed to sort out Fiji's problems. He also stated that 'talks should proceed without input from New Zealand and Australia, because the two countries foreign policies have failed on many levels.'  President Tong also said, 'Pacific leaders may have a better understanding of how to reach Commodore Frank Bainimarama.'"
On April 15, 2009, Radio New Zealand International reported that "some leaders in Pacific nations are calling for more dialogue with Fiji's interim government but they say input from New Zealand and Australia won't be helpful, and the failure of the two countries' foreign policies in bringing about a return to democracy needs to be taken into account."
The report quoted Cook Islands Deputy Prime Minister, Sir Terepai Maoate, as saying, "Fiji's Commodore Frank Bainimarama feels cornered and bullied…and talks should be pursued." 
 
The Deputy PM continued by stating, "You only have to find a process where there will be trust in the two parties to sit down and go through the process of dialogue."
In a newspaper article dated April 17, 2009, Tonga's Prime Minister Dr. Feleti Sevele said, "Fiji needs help and the Pacific Islands Forum countries should engage and maintain an ongoing dialogue with the Fijian regime and help them to find their way back to normality."
On April 20, 2009, Solomon Islands Prime Minister Derek Sikua stated, "The Pacific Islands Forum should not rush into implementing sanctions against the Fiji government."
"So, while PM Tuilaepa may prefer to simplify the issue, the reality is Fiji's history is complex.  The legacy of Fiji's colonial past has never been fully resolved since Fiji gained its independence in 1970.  To date, no resolutions have been established to provide balance and fairness to both Fijians and ethnic Indians.  In fact, Fiji has had four coups in the past 19 years. In the two coups of 1987 and the political crisis of 2000, ethnic tensions played major roles.  Indians control many of the small businesses while New Zealand and Australia control major banking and commercial enterprises.  However, indigenous Fijians control much of the communal land and military establishment, with serious divisions existing between traditional leaders and lower-ranking Fijians."
"Fijian rural land is mostly leased to Indian sugar cane farmers, and indigenous Fijians view land as their leverage against Indian economic power.  In 2000-2002, most of the long-term land leases were due to expire.  According to the Congressional Research Service (CRS), 'many native Fijians feared that the government would impose lease terms that were too long at prices that were too low.''
"While these factors played into the political crisis of 2000, other analysts, according to CRS, suggest that the coup attempt 'was also a product of conflicts between western and eastern confederacies of indigenous Fijians, rich and poor.'"
"Now, as a result of the 2006 coup, we have a situation where the interim government is insisting that the electoral process be reformed before an election takes place, in order to address, as he states, 'raced-based' politics that contributed to coups in 1987 and 2000."
"Regardless of what anyone's opinion is about these developments, we must work together to resolve this crisis.  Now is Australia's opportunity to demonstrate its leadership by offering constructive dialogue rather than isolating Fiji from the regional community.  By the same token, New Zealand's current policy of disallowing Fiji's citizens to travel to New Zealand is shameful and should be revised."
"Recently, I met with one of Fiji's most celebrated and distinguished public leaders, Mr. Paul Manueli (Rotuman and Samoan descent).  Mr. Manueli is a former Commander of the Royal Fiji Military Forces, former Fiji Cabinet minister, former Senator and successful businessman who once served as General Manager of BP in the South Pacific.  He is also a graduate of the Sandhurst Royal Military Academy in England.  Because of Mr. Manueli's previous association with Fiji's military operations years ago, he was denied entry to New Zealand for medical treatment, and instead had to travel to India to have an operation on both of his knees."
"Mr. Manueli is slowly recuperating now, but one can only imagine the hardships that Mr. Manueli and many other Fijian families have had to endure because of New Zealand's narrow-minded policy regarding travel restrictions for Fijian citizens.  This policy on travel to New Zealand should be revised or eliminated entirely."
"Furthermore, while some may perceive my meetings with PM Bainimarama as an endorsement of his policies, this is not so.  I met with PM Bainimarama because I believe in active engagement with the leaders of Fiji's interim government and, despite our differences, every effort should be made to assist and not isolate or condemn Fiji, especially when Fiji is at a critical point in its political, social, and economic development.  This to me is the Pacific way of dealing with our neighbors in crisis."
"Bearing in mind the seriousness of this crisis, now is not the time to condemn but to build.  Now is not the time for verbal attacks and heavy-handed tactics.  As neighbors who care, now is the time for dialogue, for offering new ways to resolve Fiji's unique problems that are very much unlike any other Pacific Island nation.  Now is the time for smart diplomacy and continued engagement which is the hallmark of President Obama and Secretary Clinton's new foreign policy initiatives, which I totally agree with and fully support," Faleomavaega concluded.

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[pima.nius] PR: PIPA Introduces Blood Wedding

1:42 AM |



Malo!

PIPA (Pacific Institute of Performing Arts) will have their FIRST
production of the year,
BLOOD WEDDING!...a Spanish play that is volatile, PASSIONATE and of course
tragic!...

Please come and enjoy a night at the theatre full of drama, dance, music
and song...all Spanish
inspired....not a fun show for children so we recommend 13 years and up.

This is our SECOND year group of Diploma students from our brand new
nationally recognised "Diploma in Pacific Performing Arts" course...It is a
classical play that has even had international theatre groups struggle with
re-creating the Prose poetry that is dominant within the writing of the
play....
let's see how our students stand up....expect to be moved.

Date: Next week = 4 shows

Wed 6th may  -  Sat 9th May   7:30pm
MAU Thatre, Corbans Estate, HENDERSON

PHONE: (09) 815 7486

Endz




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Tuesday, April 28, 2009

[pima.nius] PR: Media training event relocates to Samoa: Pacific Freedom Forum release.

5:13 PM |

Pacific Freedom Forum relocates regional media freedom meet.

 

For immediate release: Wednesday 29 April, 2009:  A regional media event aimed at promoting press freedom in the Pacific will bring reporters across the region to Apia, Samoa, May 6 to 8.

 

The Pacific Freedom Forum, UNESCO and SPC 'Building Courage under Fire' three-day workshop and seminar was originally planned to take place in Suva, Fiji, to coincide with World Press Freedom Day on May 3.

 

However, the event was relocated due to the Fiji regime's imposition of emergency restrictions and repressive clampdown on the media since an appeals court ruling on April 9 declared the 2006 coup led by Commodore Frank Bainimarama illegal. 

 

"While we felt that Fiji would have been the ideal workshop venue given our theme, we have a responsibility to ensure the funding support we received is used effectively, and this would have been impossible given the emergency regulations in place there," says Pacific Freedom Forum chair Susuve Laumaea. 

 

Part of the cancelled event in Fiji was a regional UNESCO World Press Freedom Day celebration on May 3. The current emergency 'laws' there now make such an event illegal.

 

 "The Fiji media situation shows clearly how media freedom affects all Pacific Islanders, not just those who work in the media.  We want to look at ways to encourage that understanding, not just in our newsrooms, but across our communities and in the homes and minds of more Pacific people."

 

Laumaea is joining delegates from Australia, Cook Islands, Fiji, New Zealand, Papua New Guinea, Palau, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Vanuatu and the host country at the media freedom workshop in Apia.

 

The primary objectives of the Workshop are to provide Pacific journalists with the latest information, skills, and contacts to protect and promote media freedom in their countries as well as to firmly establish the Pacific Freedom Forum as a going concern. 

 

"Overall, the intent is not to single out any one country, but to ensure the Pacific context of the universal right to free speech and expression of opinions gets some timely attention and forward-thinking debate from journalists to enhance their everyday work," he says.

 

Workshop trainers are Deborah Muir of the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), and leading Pacific journalist, author, and media commentator Kalafi Moala, of Tonga.

 

The 'Courage under Fire' event is made possible with UNESCO IPDC funding, and support from global media freedom watchdog IFEX.-- Ends

 

 

CONTACT:

 

PFF interim Chair

Susuve Laumaea | Sunday Chronicle Newspaper | Papua New Guinea

Mobile: 675-684 5168 | Office: 675-321-7040 | Email: susuve.laumaea@interoil.com

 

PFF interim co-Chair

Monica Miller | KHJ Radio | American Samoa

Mob    684 258-4197 | Office 684 633-7793 | Email: monica@khjradio.com

 

The Pacific Freedom Forum are a regional and global online network of Pacific media colleagues, with the specific intent of raising awareness and advocacy of the right of Pacific people to enjoy freedom of expression and be served by a free and independent media.

We believe in the critical and basic link between these freedoms, and the vision of democratic and participatory governance pledged by our leaders in their endorsement of the Pacific Plan and other commitments to good governance.

In support of the above, our key focus is monitoring threats to media freedom and bringing issues of concern to the attention of the wider regional and international community.

 



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Monday, April 27, 2009

[pima.nius] PR: Labour: King: True to form, National begins dirty campaign

10:40 PM |

National begins dirty tricks campaign in Mt Albert     

National's dirty tricks have started even before Labour has selected a candidate for the Mt Albert by-election, Deputy Leader of the Opposition Annette King said today.

National and John Key's dishonest attempt to discredit one of eight potential Labour candidates shows the Government's eyes are off the ball when they should be focusing on peoples jobs and the upcoming budget.

"National has trawled through research papers written by David Shearer dating back to 1998. The papers looked at the use of private security in war torn nations where innocent civilians, mostly women and children, were dying and there were no better alternatives.

"They've fed this information to their right wing blogging friends.

"Instead of this, John Key should be getting his staff to tackle real problems like job losses and the struggling economy.

"Why are they trying to dig dirt on one of the nominees, I predict that by the weekend they would have gone through the whole eight. Unlike National, we don't yet know who our candidate will be. We are having a competitive selection process which will not be completed until this weekend.

"I hope it's not a sign of the tactics National plans to adopt for the campaign. Labour is committed to fight a strong, clean and fair by-election.

"John Key should stop spending his time on negative politicking and concentrate his efforts on how the budget can address the real problems facing New Zealand," Annette King said.

Contact: Kris Faafoi 021 648 859

Kris Faafoi
Press Secretary
Hon. Phil Goff
Leader of the Opposition
+64 4 817 8284
+64 21 648 859
kris.faafoi@parliament.govt.nz





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aotearoa, new zealand
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[pima.nius] PR: Moe Miti. You are warmly invited to join us this Thursday 6-8pm

10:40 PM |

Moe Miti: Dream Sleep Sleep Dream

You are warmly invited to join us this Thursday 6 – 8pm for a glass of wine.

Exclusive to okaioceanikart a new serigraph print edition from acclaimed artist Fatu Feu'u. Printed on the best quality Italian Fabriano A1 paper these are great value at $975.00. "Mata Pala Pala" means "Eyes of the earth". The work explores the idea that the earth is awakening, scientists are speeding up our awareness of what is happening. There is a sense of both an urgency and a gentle future unfolding in this image.
In conjunction with the Langham Hotel we are proud to also bring you the Feu'u collection from the touring exhibition "Samoa Contemporary" and the important new work 14 Oketopa 1939. This work marks the date when the NZ Administration witnessed the signing of a covenant related to the Malietoa title and its future holders. For this work Fatu laminated Tapa cloth to canvas. The paint and oil stick fade in and out on this textured surface referencing the way memory of important events becomes indistinct over time.
Fatu now spends a portion of every year back in his village in Samoa and this has re-ignited his passion for speaking out about the issues that are really important to him. 14 Oketopa 1939 marks a new phase in his work. To understand a little of this new context for art making we have invited Evotia Tamua, Photographer for the forthcoming CNZ funded book on Fatu to discuss the insights she gained whilst in Samoa with Fatu earlier this year.
So please join us if you can for Evotia's floor talk and images Saturday 9 May 3 to 4pm. "Fatu's studio in Samoa –a young artist's experience of this pioneer artist working in his village".
The paintings are available to view until 15 May okaioceanikart at 65 Karangahape Rd Langham Hotel Mall. Opening hours: 11am to 6pm Mon – Sat. Ph 379 9051 or 027 285 4350


Fatu Akelei Feu'u
Mata Pala Pala, 2009
Print - Serigraph
(770 x 560)  

The Team from okai

okaioceanikart
http://www.okaioceanikart.com




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[pima.nius] PR: NZ Music Month - 3 Days To Go

10:39 PM |

 


It's not about the month, it's about the music.

The start of NZ Music Month is fewer than a hundred hours away, with this Friday marking the start date for 2009's celebration of homegrown musical goodness and bringing with it another opportunity to fill yourself with as many fine local flavours as you can handle. There's really no excuse not to take part in some way, whether it's getting out to shows, picking up a stack of new records, or simply keeping tabs on what's happening around New Zealand this May.

Since 2001 we've been helping to get the word out about this country's great music and this has meant tangible benefits to NZ artists. Kiwis' support for local tunes sees sales and airplay increase during the month, lending NZ Music Month commercial as well as cultural significance. Last May for instance local artists were responsible for over one in four albums sold, a sales increase of over 80% on April. Meanwhile one the singles chart one in every nine songs was by a local artist, a growth of over 40% on the previous month.

You can pick up one of the many awesome recent and upcoming releases in stores, catch plenty of local music on telly and radio and check out one of the hundreds if not thousands of great gigs happening all over the place. You can keep up with them by using the NZ Music Month gig guide.

But May's about more than us sending press releases and newsletters. We want you to share photos of your musical experiences – whether you're a punter at a gig, a band in the practice room, or you've had your picture taken with your favourite muso in the street (no stalking please!). Upload your pictures to our Flickr group and throughout the month we'll be displaying them on our website and building up a massive gallery of memories of NZ Music Month 2009.

Here are a few places you might want to get started and celebrate the launch of NZMM 09:

Friday May 1
Cornerstone Roots @ The Mill, New Plymouth
Ed Muzic and The Burning Sensations, Green Like Go, Pikachunes, The Steffan van Soest Hit Machine @ Al's Bar, Christchurch
Jody Lloyd 'Loops of Love' cd launch/exhibition @ Silvan Gallery, Christchurch
Mum Club Night ft. Bang Bang Eche and Charlie Ash @ Cassette Number Nine, Auckland
SJD @ Crystal Palace, Wanaka
The Mamaku Project @ The Little Theatre, Gore
The Midnight Kitemen @ Foxton RSA
The Upbeats Ghost Radio Tour @ Zen, Central Auckland
Tourettes, Alphabethead, Little Pictures @ Mighty Mighty, Central Wellington

Saturday May 2

Best of the West Country Music Awards @ Westport Community Centre
Brand New Math, Batman Tiddabades, Diana Rozz @ Mighty Mighty, Central Wellington
Pages from Dunedin @ The Regent Theatre, Dunedin
P-Money (club tour) @ The Outback, Hamilton
Smashproof @ Heaven Bar, Whangarei
Soundclash feat. Tahuna Breaks, Kolab, Roofdog, Badtown, the Randoms, Army of Darkness and many more @ Kings Arms, Rising Sun, Thirsty Dog, Auckland
The Eastern @ The Penguin Club, Oamaru
The Phoenix Foundation @ Cabana Bar, Napier

That's just a handful of many gigs around the country, and tomorrow we'll let you know about some great new releases out this week. Keep visiting the NZ Music Month website for information from NZMM HQ and further afield throughout the month, and you'll also be able to say hi to us on MySpace and follow updates on Twitter.

Oh, and before we wrap up – this year's range of NZ Music Month apparel through Hallensteins is available to buy in stores and online right away. Check out this year's expanded range at their website.

 

 


This email was sent by the NZ Music Commission and addressed to tagatapasifika@tvnz.co.nz.
You may unsubscribe from this mailing list at any time.
 


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