Monday, June 6, 2011

[pima.nius] FIJI: Citizens NGO condemns blog racism under emergency regulation

12:29 PM |

Title – 7489 FIJI: Citizens NGO condemns blog racism under emergency regulation

Date – 8 June 2011

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Radio NZ International, 6/6/11

Status – Unabridged

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

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FIJI NGO APPALLED AT BLOG RACISM UNDER EMERGENCY REGULATIONS

http://www.rnzi.com/pages/news.php?op=read&id=61035

SUVA (Radio NZ International/Pacific Media Watch): A Fiji NGO is renewing a call for the Public Emergency Regulation (PER) to be lifted in view of what it describes as ethno-racist debate over a former army officer who escaped to Tonga.

Ratu Tevita Mara fled Fiji last month after being charged with sedition and has since been making statements highly critical of the regime of which he was a part.

The Citizens Constitutional Forum's chief executive, Reverend Akuila Yabaki, says it is very concerned that people are turning to hate-fuelled, racist sentiments in their blogging debate of the situation.

>>> "The people, whoever they are, we don't know them, they are anonymous authors or players who have gone down that road. That's why we're making this statement because it's developing again into a situation we fear could be a repeat of you know of the kind of rhetoric that was at play way back in 2000 and even beyond."

Reverend Akuila Yabaki says lifting the emergency regulations will facilitate healthy debate over Fiji's future.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

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[pima.nius] World Environment Day Message

12:26 PM |

Text Box: The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme (SPREP)

T: (685) 21929 F: (68i5) 20231 E: sprep@sprep.org W: www.sprep.org

3 June 2011

World Environment Day Message

Marine training to prevent invasive species at ports

Pacific Invasive Learning Network Soundbites electronic newsletter (link)

Statement by David Sheppard

Director of the Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme

On the occasion of

World Environment Day

5 June 2011

June 5^th is Environment Day, when millions of people around the world celebrate the importance of our environment for life on earth.

That message is ringing loud and clear on many different levels. Hollywood is releasing blockbuster movies about environment catastrophes, celebrities have personally taken up the cause of our planet and governments are pouring millions of dollars into preserving our environment.

It's an immense but worthwhile challenge. Unfortunately, it often seems like a losing battle.

Around 360 square km's of forest cover is lost world wide every day. That's the size of 72,000 American football fields!

Scientists advise that one species from our planet is being lost every 38 minutes! When a species becomes extinct, it is lost forever. Prevention is our only option – there is no cure.

In the Pacific our environment is our future.

Our Pacific Ocean is unique and vast, covering 35% of the Earth's surface. It is home to six of the seven known marine turtle species. The Western Pacific has up to 3,000 species found on a single reef. It is home to many different peoples and cultures.

However our unique Pacific environment is seriously threatened by development pressures, causing habitat loss, invasive species and, ever increasingly, the many impacts of climate change.

In the Pacific region, the authoritative IUCN Red List of Threatened Species™ suggests that out of 3,769 species assessed, 123 are extinct, while another 1,060 are threatened with extinction.

The Pacific Islands are among the most vulnerable to the impacts of climate change and the impacts of unsustainable development.

There is a need for action. At all levels, we must "walk the talk".

We call on the international community to support our efforts to adapt to climate change and to ensure sustainable development of our natural resources. Commitments such as those made under the Copenhagen Accord are welcome in the Pacific region but they must be delivered, quickly and decisively.

Pacific governments increasingly recognize that sustainable development must be based on effective management of our Pacific environments - on land and at sea. Programmes should build on traditional approaches, such as the Raui system in the Cook Islands, where access to particular resources or areas is forbidden for given periods to ensure protection of natural resources.

Let's celebrate our Pacific success stories to "walk the talk" on the environment, for example:

· Fiji launched a "Plant a tree" campaign with the goal of planting one million trees. In April this year Fiji exceeded this target and has now planted a total of 1.4 million trees.

· Palau was the home of the regional launch of the 2011 Pacific Year of the Dugong. Palau hosts the smallest, most remote and critically endangered dugong population in the region.

· The Cook Islands have a "Wetlands for Healthy Islands" campaign with an environment week of activities including two days of lagoon education at a coastal site teaching 'whatever you do on the land will impact on the lagoon environment.'

· The rainforest in Pohnpei, Federated States of Micronesia is threatened by an invasive species called the 'false sakau' (piper auritum) introduced in 2000. This false sakau has now been eradicated from 88% of the sites it was growing.

· Kiribati established the Phoenix Islands Protected Area (PIPA) - the largest marine protected area on Earth - now the world's largest marine World Heritage Site.

· The Micronesia Challenge, a commitment by the Federated States of Micronesia, Marshall Islands, Palau, Guam and the Northern Marianas to conserve at least 30% of the near-shore marine resources and 20% of the terrestrial resources across Micronesia by 2020.

These are messages I've shared often, calling upon our sense of pride in our Pacific environment to catalyze action to better protect and manage our environments for this and for future generations.

But let's take this down to the local and personal level. Let's all try to "walk the talk".

On this World Environment Day, I challenge you to carry out at least one task regularly this week to impact positively upon our environment.

Why not turn off that light, refill your water bottle instead of buying new bottles of water, start a carpool to get to work, take an empty trash bag on your daily walk after work and collect rubbish as you go, or compost your green waste from meals instead of choosing to bin it for the landfill.

There are many options. If we all decide to do something over this week we can make a difference. And let's keep it up well beyond this week.

These are just a few examples to celebrate this Environment Day in our Pacific. People and partners have united through numerous projects to achieve the vision of a "Pacific environment – sustaining our livelihoods and natural heritage in harmony with our cultures."

Celebrate our Pacific environment and pledge to do something individually that will help.

You can make a difference, please do

Marine training to prevent invasive species at ports

6/3/2011

File The very first awareness raising seminar on Ships Ballast Water Management was held in Suva Fiji last month. It will help take Fiji forward in addressing harmful aquatic organisms and pathogens through shipping ballast water and hull bio-fouling.

The objectives of the seminar were to raise awareness on ballast water, highlight the need to develop policies and legal framework, the need to develop an action strategy for the region and emphasising the important role Fiji has in terms of being the maritime hub for the region.

Proactive steps taken by Fiji when it comes to ballast water management will have a positive impact for the rest of the region.

Both short and long-term actions were identified to be carried out after the seminar. These included the development of a Fiji National Policy based on existing legislation, engaging other sectors such as Environment, Biosecurity, Immigration, Customs, Navy and Maritime Safety Authority. Developing legislation and policies as well as work towards ratifying the Ballast Water Management Convention, were all part of the actions identified.

The seminar was attended by participants from government ministries (Maritime Safety Authority of Fiji formally known as Fiji Islands Maritime Safety Administration, Ministry of Transport, Ministry of Fisheries, Fiji Ports Corporation Limited) and the private sector (Pacific Agency, Williams & Gosling, Environment Consultants Fiji Ltd). It was held during the week of 19 May.

Nanette Woonton

Media and Public Relations Officer

The Secretariat of the Pacific Regional Environment Programme SPREP

T: (685) 66 305

W: www.sprep.org

Bionesian Blog: www.bionesian.blogspot.com

2009 SPREP Annual Report English Link:

http://www.sprep.org/att/publication/000865_SPREP_ANNUAL_REPORT_2009.pdf

Value Island Biodiversity - It's Our Life low

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Thursday, June 2, 2011

[pima.nius] PR: Pacific Dance Artist in Residence

7:25 PM |

Press Release: 3^rd June

Pacific Dance Artist in Residence Launch

The Pacific Dance Artist in Residence presented by Pacific Dance New Zealand, DANZ, Creative New Zealand and the Auckland Council, launches in the historic Mangere East Metro Theatre on Saturday 4^th June at 1:00pm.

This residency was listed as a New Zealand significant dance event for 2010 in the DANZ annual review. Now, in its second year the Pacific Dance Artist in Residence programme is once again taking Pacific dance in the city to another level.

This year's recipient is Keneti Muaiava..

Keneti is a Samoan heritage dance tufuga (master) with a lifetime of experience in the artform. Samoan born and grown in New Zealand, Keneti offers this residency 15 years experience as a tutor of Pacific dance in education programmes and services into schools. He has taught at various tertiary institutions and has also taught and choreographed winning performances in the ASBPolyfest.

Keneti is currently the resident expert in Samoan dance at Auckland University's Centre for Pacific Studies.

Keneti's residency project is entitled "Past, Present and Future," setting out to explore the Samoan dance art form, respecting the past but also looking into now and futures. In the residency Keneti will teach three traditional Samoan dances – the Sasa, the Fa'ataupati (slap dance) and the Maulu'ulu (action dance). These dances will be grounded in tradition and will build upon developments in the artform from the previous half-century.

In the eight-week residency Keneti will be mentored by Richard Moyle, previously the director of Pacific Studies at Auckland University and the Director of the Archive of Māori and Pacific Music.

Pacific Dance New Zealand is very excited by the involvement of Professor Moyle and the possibilities Keneti presents to this residency.

Dancers from the community are invited to join Keneti in this exploration.

Residency dance times are Tuesdays and Thursdays 5pm – 9pm and Saturdays 12pm – 5pm.

This will end with a culminating showing at the Metro Theatre on Saturday the 30^th July from 6pm – 7pm.

For more information, please contact: Filoi Vaila'au at 09 3700487, email at auckland@pacificdance.co.nz, or for media enquiries contact: marketing@pacificdance.co.nz.

Visit the following sites for more info:

www.pacificdance.co.nz , www.aucklandcouncil.govt.nz, www.danz.org.nz

Aaron Taouma
Marketing
Pacific Dance New Zealand
P.O Box 5072,
Wellesley Street, Auckland NZ
147 Great North Road, Top Floor, Rm 25
ph +6493700487

www.pacificdance.co.nz

2011 Partners: Dance Aotearoa NZ (DANZ) and Auckland Council.
2011 Sponsors: ASB Community Trust, Lion Foundation and Creative NZ.

This email is confidential. Any opinions expressed are those of the author
and may not reflect the views of Pacific Dance New Zealand. If you are not
the intended recipient, please delete the original message and notify the
sender by return email.

[pima.nius] Media Release: Fiji - Pacific Journalists Offer to Discuss Media Freedoms in Fiji

1:38 PM |

via PFF and IFJ

Media Release: Fiji

June 2, 2011

Pacific Journalists Offer to Discuss Media Freedoms in Fiji

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes an offer made
by Pacific journalists to visit Fiji to discuss fair and balanced
reporting and media freedoms with the country's military regime.

IFJ project associate the Pacific Freedom Forum (PFF) made the offer in
the wake of a May 31 statement by Fiji's Information secretary Sharon
Smith-Johns calling on all journalists there to "Think Fiji first" and
report in a "fair and balanced way".

"Fair and balanced reporting can only come when journalists and media
workers have the freedom to report, which is impossible at present under
the terms of Fiji's Media Decree," IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline
Park said.

"The IFJ welcomes this initiative by Pacific journalists to engage with
Fiji's regime and fellow journalists working there, in an open
discussion of these significant issues that affect the country's media
industry.

"We hope Fijian authorities will accept the invitation and
constructively engage with the journalists who have put forward this
suggestion."

The "Think Fiji first" call came in the wake of reporting over the May
defection to Tonga by former regime and military insider Ratu Tevita
Mara, son of the nation's founding Prime Minister.

Other developments in recent weeks have shown how the Media Industry
Development Decree is taking its toll. The Fiji Times website, averaging
three quarters of a million hits a month, went offline without
explanation on April 18 before coming back online on May 30.

Managing Editor Fred Wesley confirmed that the need to meet the
requirements of the decree had forced the site's suspension, Pacific
Scoop reported. Under the decree, stories of more than 50 words must
have a "byline" naming the writer of the story, and pictures must be
captioned and identify the source of the image. The website now includes
these features.

Meanwhile, decree clauses on cross-media ownership have also made
uncertain times for jobs in the industry. Employees for Mai Life
magazine are anxiously awaiting a looming deadline, believed to be at
the end of June, when Judith Ragg must relinquish her founding stake in
the magazine, because her husband Richard Broadbridge heads broadcast
channel Mai TV.

For further information contact IFJ Asia-Pacific on +61 2 9333 0919

The IFJ represents more than 600,000 journalists in 131 countries

Find the IFJ on Twitter: @ifjasiapacific

Find the IFJ on Facebook here
<http://www.facebook.com/pages/IFJ-Asia-Pacific/144789058887748>

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mobile: 677-7574230
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr. *

--

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Wednesday, June 1, 2011

[pima.nius] REGION: PINA re-elected onto IFEX media freedom council

12:16 PM |

Title – 7482 REGION: PINA re-elected onto IFEX media freedom council

Date – 1 June 2011

Byline – None

Origin – Pacific Media Watch

Source – Pacnews, 1/6/11

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:

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* Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre

PINA RE-ELECTED ONTO IFEX MEDIA FREEDOM COUNCIL

http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-06-01/region-pina-re-elected-ifex-media-freedom-council

SUVA (Pacnews/Pacific Media Watch): Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) manager and training coordinator Matai Akauola has been re-elected as a member of the International Federation of Expression (IFEX) Council for a second term.

Pacnews reports that Akauola was one of five re-elected to the 12 member IFEX Council.

The other four organisations returning for another two years are: Centre for Media Freedom and Responsibility (CMFR) of the Philippines, Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) of the United States, Media Rights Agenda (MRA) of Nigeria and Pakistan Press Freedom (PFF).

International Freedom of Expression (IFEX) members have unanimously agreed to support an International Day to End Impunity.

* Comment on this item pmediawa@aut.ac.nz

+++niuswire

PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH ONLINE

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PACIFIC MEDIA WATCH is a media and educational resource compiled by the AUT Pacific Media Centre for the Pacific region.

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of PMW or the Pacific Media Centre.

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[pima.nius] 'Think Fiji first' regime call must first 'Free Fiji media'-- PFF

12:15 PM |

Via PFF

Colleagues, the www.pacificfreedomforum.org site has been updated with
the following information. Thanks for your publication, use and
sharing with other networks as relevant.

begins --

PFF, Rarotonga, COOK ISLANDS -- Regional media monitoring body the
Pacific Freedom Forum, PFF, has challenged the Fiji regime to free its
own media first as the best solution towards achieving their latest
instruction to Fiji media to 'Think Fiji first.'

PFF responded to the Fiji regime's press conference this week
featuring a statement by Information secretary Sharon Smith-Johns
calling on all journalists there to 'Think Fiji first' and report in a
'fair and balanced way'.

"The statement is ironic, coming from a regime which has basically
done its best to ensure that our media colleagues are mostly only able
to report what the regime -- not news editors -- deems as fair or
balanced," says PFF's Susuve Laumaea.

"It's clear in Fiji's case that balance and fairness are defined as
content which lets a leadership avoid scrutiny and debate over its
decisions. Sadly, that's not unique to Fiji or the Pacific. Gaps in
perceptions between political leaders and journalists over what a free
media does and whom they serve will always be a key challenge for
media freedom," says Laumaea, of Papua New Guinea.

He and PFF co-chair Monica Miller of American Samoa invited
Smith-Johns and the regime leadership to consider allowing a team of
Pacific journalists to visit Fiji and discuss these issues with
colleagues and the regime.

"Such a group would be able to have a dialogue with the Ministry of
Information on how the tools for journalism are better applied when
the laws allow journalists to do their jobs and report freely and
fairly," he says.

The 'Think Fiji first' call from the regime has come in the wake of
reporting over the defection to Tonga by former regime and military
insider Ratu Tevita Mara, son of the nations founding Prime Minister.

The call follows other media developments in recent weeks which have
shown how the Media Decree is taking its toll amongst Fiji's media
ranks. The Fiji Times website, averaging three quarters of a million
hits a month, went offline without explanation on April 18 and its
Managing Editor Fred Wesley had only this week confirmed that the need
to meet the requirements of the Media Decree had forced its
suspension. Decree clauses on cross ownership are also casting more
media jobs into uncertainty, with employees for Mai Life Magazine
affected by the looming deadline by which founder Judith Ragg must
relinquish her founding stake in the magazine because her husband
Richard Broadbridge leads Mai TV.
"The cross ownership clauses have worrying implications for media
convergence issues and raise more questions than answers, " says
Miller.

"Overall, the issue that's clearly emerging from all the confusion and
uncertainty is that efforts to gag the media via decree, censorship,
or constant press conferencing over controlling definitions of balance
and fairness are not working. Fiji will once more come 'first' when
its media are free-- there's no simpler way to say it."--ENDS

LINKS:
Full statement by Sharon-Smith Johns, PS for Information, Fiji:
http://www.fiji.gov.fj/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=4195:statement-by-ps-smith-johns-think-fiji-first&catid=50:speeches&Itemid=168

Fiji Times Online 'upgrade' behind suspension
:http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-05-29/fiji-offline-fiji-times-makes-digital-upgrade-comply-media-decree

Mai Life on market:
http://www.pmc.aut.ac.nz/pacific-media-watch/2011-04-30/fiji-mai-life-market-comply-media-decree

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.

--
Lisa Williams-Lahari
Media Freelancer
Regional Coordinator, IFJ Pacific Media for Democracy and Human Rights
Project
Ph Mobile: 677-7574230
Skype: lisalahari

* "Our lives begin to end the day we become silent about things that
matter."-- Martin Luther King Jr. *

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[pima.nius] PR: Georgina te Heuheu - Samoan Language Week Growing in Stature

12:13 PM |

Hon Georgina te Heuheu

Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

1 June 2011

Media Statement

Samoan Language Week Growing in Stature

From modest beginnings some four years ago, Samoan Language Week has not only grown into a prominent fixture in the national calendar of important events, but it has also gone global says the Minister of Pacific Island Affairs, Georgina te Heuheu

Mrs te Heuheu was referring to the myriad of events being staged around New Zealand this week, as well as the entry of Samoan communities in the USA and Australia into New Zealand's celebrations.

"The growing interest in Samoan Language week reflects not only the increasing impact of Samoan language and culture to add to our diversity, but also the contribution that Samoan people are making to the economic, social and cultural life of New Zealand," says Mrs te Heuheu.

"Pacific cultures are contributing significantly to New Zealand's uniqueness. Samoan Language Week is a time for us all to enjoy part of that cultural uniqueness in a positive way."

Mrs te Heuheu says the Samoan community is the fourth largest ethnic community in New Zealand and Samoan is the third most spoken language in New Zealand after English and Māori.

"Promoting Pacific languages and cultures is one of the Governments priorities and Samoan Language Week gives us all the opportunity to embrace and celebrate the Samoan language in New Zealand, and globally," says Mrs te Heuheu.

The Samoan Language Week Facebook page has over 4,700 followers from all over the world including Australia and the USA. In New Zealand, widespread support for the celebrations has been taken up by many schools across the country, while in libraries throughout the Auckland region, almost all are paying tribute to Samoan Language Week.

The 2011 theme for Samoan Language Week is Samoa Ola – Samoa Active, focusing on language, sport and healthy living.

"The theme sends out a positive message particularly to Pacific young people. They are the growing part of our population and for that reason Samoan Lanugae Week is important to their future."

Samoan Language Week runs from Wednesday 1 June to Tuesday 7 June starting with Samoan Independence Day on Wednesday 1 June.

Media contact: Peata Melbourne 04 817 9878 or 021 802 206

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pima nius

updates from (PIMA) the pacific islands media association . aotearoa . new zealand . pima.nius@gmail.com

Monday, June 6, 2011

[pima.nius] FIJI: Citizens NGO condemns blog racism under emergency regulation

12:29 PM |

[pima.nius] World Environment Day Message

12:26 PM |

Thursday, June 2, 2011

[pima.nius] PR: Pacific Dance Artist in Residence

7:25 PM |

[pima.nius] Media Release: Fiji - Pacific Journalists Offer to Discuss Media Freedoms in Fiji

1:38 PM |

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

[pima.nius] REGION: PINA re-elected onto IFEX media freedom council

12:16 PM |

[pima.nius] 'Think Fiji first' regime call must first 'Free Fiji media'-- PFF

12:15 PM |

[pima.nius] PR: Georgina te Heuheu - Samoan Language Week Growing in Stature

12:13 PM |

Hon Georgina te Heuheu

Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

Media Statement

PIMA Nius

Blog Archive

Categories

Archives

updates from (PIMA) the pacific islands media association . aotearoa . new zealand . pima.nius@gmail.com

Monday, June 6, 2011

12:29 PM |

12:26 PM |

Thursday, June 2, 2011

7:25 PM |

1:38 PM |

Wednesday, June 1, 2011

12:16 PM |

12:15 PM |

12:13 PM |

Hon Georgina te Heuheu

Minister of Pacific Island Affairs

Media Statement

PIMA Nius

Blog Archive

Categories

Archives

12:29 PM |

12:26 PM |

7:25 PM |

1:38 PM |

12:16 PM |

12:15 PM |

12:13 PM |