TAHITI: French nuclear test compo 'peanuts', veterans tell media

Title – 6035 TAHITI: French nuclear test compo 'peanuts', veterans tell
media

Date – 27 March 2009

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Radio NZ International, 26/03/09

Copyright – RNZI

Status – Unabridged

----------------------------

* Pacific Media Watch Online - check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

www.pacificmediacentre.blogspot.com

p...@aut.ac.nz

*FRENCH NUCLEAR TEST COMPENSATION TOO LITTLE, TOO LATE, SAYS VETERANS GROUP
*

www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=45558

PAPE'ETE (*RNZI Online/Pacific Media Watch*): A 10 million euro compensation
package for the victims of nuclear test is being described as "peanuts".

French Defence Minister Hervé Morin has outlined the main points of a
proposed bill to compensate - for the first time - victims of nuclear
testing conducted by France both in Algeria and later in French Polynesia,
between 1966 and 1996.

Roland Oldham, the president of the French Polynesian nuclear test veterans’
group, Moruroa o Tatou, says the deal is a bad joke.

*“They announce a few million like that, just like we should be very happy,
we should drop on our knees and say thank you to the French Government. But
that’s not the case at all, because it’s peanuts , it really is peanuts when
you compare how the French government spends a lot of money on defence.”*

Oldham says the French plan is not good for the victims.

He says there needs to be a health structure to help them, and the
environmental impact should not be ignored.

IFJ condemns military officer’s call to shut Fiji Times

Title – 6037 FIJI: IFJ condemns military officer’s call to shut Fiji Times

Date – 27 March 2009

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – International Federation of Journalists, 27/03/09

Copyright – IFJ

Status – Unabridged

‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑‑

* Pacific Media Watch Online ‑ check the website for archive and links:

www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz

* Post a comment on this story at PMW Right of Reply:

www.pacificmediacentre.blogspot.com

p...@aut.ac.nz

*IFJ CONDEMNS MILITARY LEADER’S CALL TO CLOSE FIJI TIMES
*
http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/ifj-condemns-military-leaders-...

SYDNEY (*IFJ Asia-Pacific Online/Pacific Media Watch*): The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Fiji’s interim military government
to put an immediate stop to efforts to shut down the country’s independent
media, following a call by a senior Army officer for the closure of the *Fiji
Times*.**

According to local media reports, the Land Force Commander of Fiji’s
Military Forces, Colonel Pita Driti, issued a media statement on March 25
attacking the *Fiji Times*, saying it was “the most non-cooperative and
biased newspaper in the country”. He alleged that the media did not give
adequate coverage to military “grievances” or “positive achievements”.

The newspaper’s editor, Netani Rika, said Driti’s comments were unfortunate.
He said the *Fiji Times* sought to give fair coverage on all issues and
incidents involving the Army and interim administration, and he invited
Driti to be more specific about his complaints.

The IFJ is extremely concerned for the safety and integrity of Fiji’s media,
and urges the interim military government to instruct all officials and
senior military personnel to refrain from making or endorsing statements
that demand censorship and serve to incite anti-media sentiment.

“Colonel Pita Driti’s public call for a newspaper to be shut down because he
apparently does not agree with its content demonstrates a gross
misunderstanding of the role of independent media in an open society,” IFJ
Asia-Pacific director Jacqueline Park said.

“This kind of comment by a high-ranking military officer appears intended to
intimidate the media community, and is irresponsible given recent physical
attacks on media personnel.

“The IFJ urges Fiji’s interim military leaders to make a public commitment
to the protection of media personnel and freedom of expression in Fiji.”

Driti’s statement comes after more than a year of systematic anti-media
actions by the interim military government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama.
In particular, there has been a campaign to intimidate and undermine the *Fiji
Times*, with the deportation of one publisher last May and another in
January, the newspaper’s conviction on contempt charges for publishing a
letter critical of a court ruling upholding the legality of Fiji’s 2006
military coup, and police searches of the paper’s offices and questioning of
the editor earlier this month.

It also follows a firebomb attack by unknown assailants on Rika’s home on
March 23, in which bottles filled with kerosene and sugar failed to ignite,
and the smashing of Rika’s car on March 10.

In his statement, Driti also expressed dissatisfaction with the Fiji Media
Council and its advice to political parties and stakeholders on dealing with
complaints about the media.

The IFJ reiterates that complaints against the media must be dealt with
through an open dialogue and independent regulatory mechanisms.

Shutting down media, deporting publishers and seeking court convictions only
take Fiji further along the path toward a closed society.

- *For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +612 9333 0919. **The
IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries worldwide.***

PR: Forum focuses on partnership in Pacific education

*Hon Georgina te Heuheu* *Minister for Pacific Island Affairs* *[image:
cid:image001....@01C9AC90.6F3A9C70]*

*24 March 2009 *
*Media Release* * *

*Forum focuses on partnership in Pacific education*

Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu leaves for Tonga today to
attend the Pacific Islands Forum Education Ministers’ meeting.

Mrs te Heuheu, who is attending on behalf of Education Minister Anne Tolley,
said New Zealand was committed to a regional policy framework that set
strategic directions on priorities for regional education development.

‘We also support a strengthened action plan as a critical regional framework
for improving access to, and quality of, basic education in the Pacific.

‘New Zealand is willing to work with other development partners to determine
appropriate regional initiatives to address education priorities identified
in the review called for by Ministers when they last met in 2007.’

Mrs te Heuheu said that New Zealand had always taken pride in being a good
regional neighbour. The forum’s focus on partnership in Pacific education
was a perfect fit.

‘We’ll debate the future of the Pacific regional education initiatives,
project funding and a review of the forum’s basic education action plan,’
she said.

‘We will strengthen existing bonds and create a stronger profile for New
Zealand in the Pacific.’

The 16 member governments of the Pacific Forum have been invited. They are:
Australia, Cook Islands, Federated States of Micronesia, Fiji, Kiribati,
Nauru, New Zealand, Niue, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Republic of the Marshall
Islands, Samoa, Solomon Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu and Vanuatu.

*Media contact: Rose Hart, Press Secretary *

* 04 817 9878 or 021 279 9878*

UN's Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific Analyses Threat of Triple Crises to the Region

26 March 2009 Press Release No. G/22/2009
Embargoed until 0500 GMT/1200 Bangkok, 26 March 2009
UN's Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific Analyses Threat of
Triple Crises to the Region
Solutions proposed to deal with economic, food/fuel and climate change
challenges
Bangkok (UN/ESCAP Information Services) - While most governments are focused
on dealing with the worst economic crisis in many decades, two other longer
term crises should not be forgotten. Food-fuel price volatility and climate
change are converging with the present economic crisis to create what is now
being referred to as the triple threat. With almost two thirds of the
world's poor and half of its natural disasters, Asia and the Pacific is at
the epicentre of the triple crises.
This message comes from the Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the
Pacific 2009, the flagship publication of the United Nations' regional arm -
the Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP).
Entitled "Addressing Triple Threats to Development," the report is released
today in over 20 cities across the region and in New York and Geneva.
The Survey provides a regional perspective as well as country-specific
analyses, and outlines ways in which economies in the region can move
forward in unison towards a more inclusive and sustainable development path.
"The severity of the triple crises required a more responsive,
action-oriented agenda," said Noeleen Heyzer, UN Under-Secretary-General and
Executive Secretary of ESCAP at the main launch in Bangkok. "The Survey's
findings and recommendations will serve as a guide to policymakers through
the uncertain times ahead."
Resilience to financial crisis eroded by reliance on exports to other
regions
This is the second time in a decade Asia and the Pacific has been hit by a
financial crisis. However, the Survey finds that reforms undertaken since
1997 - implementation of prudent macroeconomic policies, improved fiscal
balances, banking reforms and foreign exchange reserve accumulation - made
the region more resilient at the beginning of the current crisis. That
resilience started to erode, however, when in the fourth quarter of 2008,
trade - the region's engine of growth - moved from double digit growth to
double digit declines.
"The fact is that the Asia-Pacific region is more economically integrated
with the rest of the world then with itself," Dr. Heyzer noted.
"Intraregional trade among developing countries accounts for only 37% of
exports in our region, compared with NAFTA at 51% and the E.U at 68%."
/...
Headquartered in Bangkok, ESCAP is the largest of the UN's five Regional
Commissions in terms of its membership,
population served and area covered. The only intergovernmental forum
covering the entire Asia-Pacific region, ESCAP
works to promote sustainable and inclusive economic and social progress.
More information is available at
www.unescap.org.
United Nations Information Services Bangkok
United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific
Rajadamnern Nok Avenue, Bangkok 10200, Thailand
Tel: (+66-2) 288-1861-9 ● Fax: (+66-2) 288-1052 ● E-mail:
unisbkk.unes...@un.org
- 2 -
The Survey calls for more intra-regional trade and investment by
accelerating implementation of regional economic cooperation agreements. "By
strengthening our domestic markets, the region can provide a buffer to
global market fluctuations and move from being crisis resilient to crisis
resistant. A key component in this will be how governments use fiscal policy
as a tool of development" Dr. Heyzer added.
Poverty and food/fuel crisis increase vulnerability to climate change
The Survey points out that the triple crises are interlinked and are
reinforcing the impacts of each other. It notes that the number of the poor
in Asia and the Pacific - already two thirds of the global total - is likely
to increase as a result of the economic crisis and rising unemployment.
Record high oil prices last year of $147 dollars a barrel, in combination
with hording and price speculation drove the price of rice up by 150
percent. This is the region's staple, with price increases hitting the poor
the hardest.
At the same time, studies have shown that natural disasters
disproportionately affect the poor and the most vulnerable. Asia, as the
most disaster-prone region in the world, experiences almost half of global
natural disasters, with a disproportionate 65 per cent of the victims.
Climate change threatens to further magnify the vulnerability of the poor by
increasing the frequency and severity of natural disasters, and crop
failures, in the region.
Stimulus packages offer opportunity to address long term issues
The Survey sees governments' stimulus packages as an opportunity to not only
reinvigorate the economy in the short term, but address long-term issues by
investing in food and energy security, social safety nets, disaster risk
reduction and green technology.
.
"Impacts of the crises have hit the world's poor the hardest, two thirds of
whom live in the Asia Pacific. It is clear that a more inclusive model for
economic growth is required to address their needs," Dr. Heyzer said. "This
requires setting up social protection systems that increase income security
and free up the spending power of middle and lower income people who drive
the economy."
The Survey points out that coverage of basic social protection is currently
very low in the Asia-Pacific region, with only an estimated 30 per cent of
the elderly receiving pensions and 20% of the population having access to
health-care assistance.
"The converging triple threat highlights the need for a more comprehensive,
inclusive approach to development," Dr. Heyzer noted. "Not only is there an
urgent requirement to resume economic growth, but we have to re-think where
that growth takes place and whom it benefits."
"As the Asia-Pacific region becomes more influential in discussions shaping
the future global economic architecture, so too will its responsibility to
address the underlying causes of the triple threats. Our region has the
potential to emerge from the current crises as a global leader, but only if
current stimulus packages and reforms are implemented in a manner that is
both inclusive and sustainable."
The Economic and Social Survey for Asia and the Pacific 2009 is available
online at: http://www.unescap.org/survey2009/
For more information, please contact:
Ms. Tiziana Bonapace
Macroeconomic Policy Section, ESCAP
Tel.: (66) 2 288 1430
Email: bonap...@un.org
Mr. Bentley Jenson
UN Information Services (UNIS), ESCAP
Tel.: (66) 2 288 1869
Mobile: (66) 84 080 5025
Email: jen...@un.org and unisbkk.unes...@un.org

News Release: Google Moderator

*NEWS RELEASE*

Avaiki Nius Agency has set up Google Moderator for Pacific Islands
Journalism Online ahead of this year's "crucial" biennual convention of the
Pacific Islands News Association in Port Vila, July 2009.

Google Moderator allows members of the online forum to suggest issues they'd
like to see discussed at PINA 2009, just four months away," says agency
editor Jason Brown.

"As with PIJO and the Pacific Freedom
Forum<http://www.pacificfreedomforum.blogspot.com/>,
the PINA moderator forum is a way of bringing democracy to media processes
within the region, adding a layer of formality to policy discussion
around media accountability systems.

*CITIZEN PARTICIPATION*

"PIJO members are free to ignore the forum, as is PINA, but adoption of
Google Moderator in the US signals that this approach carries serious weight
in how the future of the planet is decided over the next four years."

Google Moderator has been approved by the Obama administration as a step
towards formalising citizen
participation<http://www.google.com/search?q=%22citizen+participation%22&rls=com.mi...>in
US democratic processes.

Issues being discussed informally across the region include:

- The future of the PINA Secretariat - is it time to get out of Fiji
- Public Broadcasting - was privatisation a strategic mistake for island
states
- Journalism in crisis - new models for old media
- Climate change - media engagement responding to threats of sovereign
extinction
- The basics - how many journalists ignore codes of ethics
- Violence against women - rethinking the role of media
- Institutional memory - what happened to all the old PINA resolutions
- Trade - digging into doubts over being "bullied" into globalisation
- Corruption - extending the fight to web2 gov2

Brown says that there has been a pattern of the "real" issues being ignored
at PINA or shunted aside to last minute debates that go nowhere.

*CHILLING EFFECTS*

He suspects a problem in the past has been from the chilling effects of aid,
in a reluctance to offend sponsors including leading donors like NZAID and
AusAID.

"Playing it safe is no longer an option for PINA or any organisation
representing the media industry across the world's biggest feature.
Journalism is in crisis not just in the islands but worldwide, including New
Zealand and our neighbour Australia. Timelines around climate changes have
imploded over the last 12 months. Global capitalism has collapsed under its
own greed at the same time. Newspapers are disappearing by the day,
thousands of journalism and media jobs with them," he says.

Journalists, especially, need to build on passive observance and reporting
by contributing to regional debate, building networks of support and voting
on suggestions, even if
anonymously<http://www.google.com/support/faqs/bin/topic.py?topic=15799>,
he says.

*LEADERSHIP*

"PIJO and PFF are examples of web2 enabled information leadership by the
region, encouraging transparency, and accountability by allowing peer review
commentary.

"Both bodies thus find themselves in the curious position of regional
leadership, there being no similar vote enabled forums in Australia or New
Zealand, or indeed anywhere else to my knowledge," he says. By comparison,
for example, "New Zealand journalists have met once in the last 20 years."

"Simply by participating, island journalists and their supporters can
inspire and influence meaningful change globally."

*INVITE*

As follows, details for the PIJO moderator forum. Members should feel free
to invite others.

*formalising suggestions for PINA 2009 Port
Vila*<http://moderator.appspot.com/#15/e=35c0b&t=35c0c>

Informal discussions concerning the future of PINA are ongoing across the
world's largest feature.

As a support group, PIJO members have an opportunity
here<http://moderator.appspot.com/#15/e=35c0b&t=35c0c>to
semi-formalise their views by participating in this forum, including
anonymously if they chose, with their ideas, questions and suggestions.
Members can then vote on which they like best.

This is non-binding on PINA but may be used as a measure of how accurately
the association reflects input from the industry. Below is *background *to
the moderator forum, from Google:
. . .

Citizen participation that scales: a call to
action<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/citizen-participation-that-sca...>
3/24/2009
07:44:00 PM
At Google we hold weekly town
hall<http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Town_hall_meeting>-style
meetings with our founders, CEO, and guest speakers, which always feature a
Q&A session. Managing Q&A is a unique challenge with an audience of
thousands, in offices around the world, who inevitably want to ask more
questions than we have time to answer. To help address this challenge, we
developed Google Moderator <http://moderator.appspot.com/>, built on App
Engine <http://code.google.com/appengine/>.
Moderator gives participants a way to submit questions and vote for the ones
they want answered. And thanks to the scale that App Engine provides, this
application can now support tens of thousands of people at once. This gives
everyone the chance to be heard in a way that gives priority to the issues
that matter most to the broader group.

As you may have heard <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hjJm_Hzc6Yg>, the
White House is hosting an online town hall meeting on Thursday and has asked
people to submit questions for the president and vote on which ones they
think he should answer.

We think technology can be a force for greater accountability and access
between citizens and their elected officials. We're excited that the White
House has chosen to use the power of cloud-based applications like Google
Moderator and App Engine to scale the president's direct dialogue with the
American people.

To take part in this experiment in citizen participation, please visit:
http://WhiteHouse.gov/OpenForQuestions<http://whitehouse.gov/OpenForQuestions>

Posted by Vic Gundotra, Vice President, Engineering

Permalink<http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2009/03/citizen-participation-that-sca...>
<http://www.blogger.com/email-post.g?blogID=10861780&postID=6295830439...>
<http://www.blogger.com/post-edit.g?blogID=10861780&postID=62958304396...>

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(Dealscape)<http://www.thedeal.com/dealscape/2009/03/legalizing_pot_wont_grow_eco...>

President Obama official schedule and guidance. March 26, 2009
*...*<http://blogs.suntimes.com/sweet/2009/03/president_obama_official_sche...>
Experimentando con la participación ciudadana » El Blog de Enrique
*...*<http://www.enriquedans.com/2009/03/experimentando-con-la-participacio...>
Google Moderator Gets White House Endorsement |
paidContent.org<http://www.paidcontent.org/entry/419-obama-embraces-google-moderator/>
SearchCap: The Day In Search, March 25,
2009<http://feeds.searchengineland.com/~r/searchcap/~3/KGwHKsyxZG4/searchc...>
Google
Student Blog: Tell Obama what's on your
mind<http://googleforstudents.blogspot.com/2009/03/tell-obama-whats-on-you...>
White
House to Use Google Products for Online Town Hall
Meeting<http://www.dailybits.com/white-house-to-use-google-products-for-onlin...>
Googland:
[G] Citizen participation that scales: a call to
action<http://googland.blogspot.com/2009/03/g-citizen-participation-that-sca...>
White
House Using Google Moderator For Town Hall Meeting. And
*...*<http://www.techcrunch.com/2009/03/24/white-house-using-google-moderat...>

. . .
*FURTHER INFO:*

jason brown

editor:

ANA avaiki news agency
http://avaiki.nius.googlepages.com

project JPK - TVNZ
jabr...@tvnz.co.nz
www.jpkupdate.blogspot.com
tagata pasifika
tvnz
100 victoria street west
po box 3819
auckland

contributing editor:

PIJO pacific islands journalism online
http://groups.google.com/group/pacificmedia

PFF pacific freedom forum
http://groups.google.com/group/mediafreedom
www.pacificfreedomforum.blogspot.com

+64 2102484560 mobile
+649 9167058 office direct
+649 9167552 facsimile

Matai to assess financial demands on NZ Samoans

Samoan chiefs heading to end trouble By MICHAEL FIELD - Stuff.co.nz Last
updated 10:52 26/03/2009

A delegation of Samoa's top matai or chiefs are to visit Auckland to assess
the heavy financial impact cultural demands are having on their expatriate
kin in New Zealand.

Many of the over 120,000 Samoans or New Zealand-born Samoans face financial
demands over "the huge and unnecessary spending on Samoan ceremonies," the
Apia based Talamua website reports.

These include funerals, weddings and the bestowal of matai titles on
individuals.

In Samoan such demands are known as "fa'alavelave" which means entanglement
but colloquially is often translated as "trouble".

To meet demands from Samoa, many expatriates here take out high interest
loans.

Samoa's Central Bank said private remittances from New Zealand last year
amounted to T$108 million (NZ$66 million).

Samoa's Ministry of Women, Community and Social Development said in a
statement they would send the matai delegation to consult with the community
on how to cope with the demands.

They will hold two days of meetings on April 7 and 9 in Auckland.

Pa'u Teleiai Su'atapulolo'o Fereti Puni of the ministry said the impact of
cultural demands on Samoans was very disturbing.

"This practice has imposed on the welfare of Samoan families overseas and
has left many families in dire straits with some resorting to crime as a
means," he said.

"This is a call to action by Samoan leaders in Auckland especially with many
families going though hardship during the economic recession."

The ministry says 1500 Samoan church and community leaders are to take part
in the meeting.
--
----------------------------------------
pacific islands media association
pima.n...@gmail.com
aotearoa, new zealand
----------------------------------------

Okai Invite

Dear okai friend

We invite you to come along this Saturday to meet Jeffry Feeger from Papua New Guinea, Tautai/PCF Inaugural Visual Arts Recipient.

He has work in London – and at 26 is a very successful teacher and artist. This is a unique opportunity to learn more about this fascinating country’s artists.

It’s from 6 to 7.30 pm at okai.

The okai team

www.okaioceanikart.com

3799 051 0r 027 285 4350