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(Photo:
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NEW ZEALAND: PM
announces investment in Porirua College
Source:
NZ Government Press
Release
Mana MP Luamanuvao Winnie Laban today welcomed
the announcement of significant funding to
redevelop Porirua College, saying this will make
a real difference to the Porirua community.
It was during a visit to Porirua College that
Prime Minister Helen Clark and Education
Minister Chris Carter announced an $18.5 million
investment in facilities at the school.
"Along with Principal Susanne Jungersen and the
Porirua College Board of Trustees, I have fought
hard to make the rebuilding project a reality
and it was fantastic to have confirmation of
this with today's announcement.
"The new innovative design for Porirua College
will make improvements for teaching, creating a
personalised style of learning appropriate to
the diverse and dynamic students of our
community," Laban said.
Porirua College's redevelopment, expected to be
ready for local students in the 2011 school
year, will create a leading edge school
environment.
"Our Labour-led government is committed to
providing the pathways to harnessing the
enormous potential of our young people. This
investment in our children's educational
achievement is an investment in our community
and nation's success.
"Today's celebration reflected the richness and
diversity of our Porirua College students, and
the bright futures ahead of them," Laban said.”
Photo Caption:
Mana MP Luamanuvao Winnie
Laban.
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(Photos:
Samoa Rugby Union) |
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SAMOA: SRU rugby
coordinators in Australia and New Zealand
announced
Source:
Samoa Rugby Union Press
Release
An innovative move to improve Manu Samoa
international competitiveness and brand has been
initiated by the Samoa Rugby Union (SRU).
The move, to formalize partnerships via
Coordinators tapping into New Zealand and
Australia Samoan communities, aims to generate
revenue and identify rugby talent. The revenue
will help SRU with new initiatives, and to
improve and sustain domestic rugby developments
tabled in its 2008-2011 Strategic Plan.
Sua Peter Schuster, CEO for Samoa Rugby Union
stated, I am very happy to announce the
appointment of SRU Rugby coordinators in
Australia and New Zealand. They will look after
matters relating to Samoan rugby and the Manu
Samoa brand in their respective countries.
In Australia, Tofa Nuafesili Tavita Sio is the
Official Coordinator, while Afioga Aiolupotea
John Roache, President for the Auckland Samoa
Rugby Football Union Inc. looks after New
Zealand.
The partnerships aim firstly to source
additional revenue and second to coordinate
identification and recommendation of potential
players of Samoan heritage for Samoa National
Teams (U19s, U20s, Pacific Rugby Cup-Savaii
Samoa & Upolu Samoa, Manu Samoa and Manusina
15s and 7s), says Sua Schuster.
We see our coordinators, as a strategic channel
to advocate Samoan rugby, assist with rugby
scholarship activities, source used clubs and
schools old rugby gears, promote SRU/PUMA
merchandising products and other opportunities.
Tofa Nuafesili Sio is confident the partnership
has a bright future in Australia. There are many
Samoans playing in Senior Club teams in
Australia and together with many former Manu
Samoa players living in the communities, there
is a soft spot for Samoan Rugby in the
Australian Rugby
fraternity says Nuafesili Sio.
Timing is excellent where the SRU, right now,
can provide the glue to bring rugby and other
Samoan social sports and networks together. It
exciting and together with our partners in
Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide I am
thrilled and humbled to be appointed as
Coordinator for all SRU activities here in
Australia.
Tofa Nuafesili liaises with the appointed
Melbourne Committee team comprising of Asi Luaei
Ioelu Siaoloa, Tom Tusitala and Mose Palamo.
Lemalu Roy Slade has been appointed from the
Brisbane community. The Sydney area is
represented by the Sydney Samoan Rugby
Association while an Adelaide representative is
yet to be confirmed.
For New Zealand, Afioga Aiolupotea John Roache
has already moved forward with the project. As
President of the Auckland Samoa Rugby community
I am excited and fully supportive of this
innovative move by the Samoa Rugby Union. We
have been supporters of Samoan rugby for decades
and this is a great vehicle for closer
collaboration for the continuous development of
rugby in Samoa. Its a privilege and an honour
for me to be involved in this new direction and
era for Samoan rugby.
Aiolupotea with the assistance of Samoan rugby
legend Afioga Papaliitele Leaosiosio Pita
Fatialofa and Nicholas Bakulich have started
work to set-up a small dynamic committee
comprising Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch
and Dunedin. The committee will focus
specifically on
developing community and business-based projects
for the SRU.
The Samoa Rugby Union plans to extend its
International Community Network to include USA
and Europe in the near future.
Samoa Rugby Union is confident the partnerships
will achieve much for Samoan rugby development
and resource sustainability by bringing Samoans
at home and overseas closer together through
rugby. This is the start of a global Samoan
Rugby franchise. We are looking to some very
good things happening from this in the near
future, states Sua Schuster.
Photo Caption:
Samoa Rugby Union CEO, Sua Peter Schuster. Manu
Samoa performing their siva tau.
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AUSTRALIA:
Pacific youth lead global discussions
Source:
Tessa Johnstone
Two young people from the Pacific have just been
chosen by their peers to lead the
Pan-Commonwealth Youth Caucus for the next four
years, putting them at the forefront of
international discussions on youth issues.
Australian Matthew Albert, 27, and Tongan Ebonie
Fifita, 23, were confirmed as Chair and
Vice-Chair respectively of the Pan-Commonwealth
Youth Caucus (PCYC) just prior to the 2008
Commonwealth Youth Ministers’ Meeting (CYMM)
held in Colombo, Sri Lanka from 27 – 30 April.
The PCYC is made up of youth representatives
from the Commonwealth Youth Programme (CYP)
Regional Youth Caucuses. The PCYC advises
international Commonwealth leaders, include
prime ministers and youth ministers, on youth
issues and priorities and advocate for youth
empowerment through their participation in
decision-making.
The leadership of PCYC is rotated every four
years between the four Commonwealth regions –
Asia, Africa, Caribbean and the South Pacific.
This is the first opportunity the South Pacific
RYC representatives have had to lead PCYC in 11
years. Ebonie and Matthew were chosen by their
South Pacific RYC peers in Auckland last month,
and then confirmed in the leadership roles by
the other members of PCYC just before CYMM.
PCYC Chair Matthew Albert describes the
leadership role as “an immense honour and
privilege”, but says there are plenty of
challenges and learning ahead.
“Among the big hurdles is that we are trying to
be a representative voice for a range of issues
as broad as can be imagined,” says Matthew.
“We are there to put issues forward to decision
makers and to guide them on what our peers seek
most – peace, health, education, employment, an
equal say and a wealth of opportunity.
“Negotiating priorities and trying to be an
effective voice for all is a skill that we will
have to refine. But this will be made easier by
virtue of having a very strong caucus of
committed and informed representatives, which we
have in the present caucus.”
Matthew says that in previous years the PCYC’s
role in the Commonwealth has been limited to the
governance of Commonwealth, but they’d like to
develop that role.
“I would like to see the PYC grow to be a source
of insight into the situation of people under-30
in all Commonwealth countries for other agencies
and the media.”
Matthew will hold the PCYC Chair position for
two years, after which time Ebonie will step
into the role and another Vice-Chair chosen.
Commonwealth Youth Programme South Pacific (CYPSP)
Regional Chair Ms Afu Billy says the Pacific has
a comparatively low profile on the international
Commonwealth scene, and that having two young
Pacific people lead a Pan-Commonwealth body is a
great opportunity.
“By having two Pacific Islanders lead PCYC, the
Commonwealth family and the rest of the world
will know more of the youths of the Pacific,
especially about their successes and their
challenges. The South Pacific is now noticed by
the Commonwealth.”
And for Matthew and Ebonie personally, it’s an
opportunity to lead global discussions and
engage world leaders, which Ms Afu Billy hopes
will trickle down to other Pacific young people.
“This is important for their own empowerment,
but the skills and knowledge gained will
hopefully trickle down to the general Pacific
youth population through RYC members in their
countries who learn from Matthew and Ebonie. “I
know Matthew and Ebonie are two young people who
are fervent about passing on their knowledge and
skills to the other Pacific young people and
CYPSP will make sure we provide conditions which
allow them both to perform in their roles to the
best of their abilities,” says Ms Billy.
MATTHEW ALBERT, 27, from Melbourne, Australia is
a young lawyer and has been a member of the
South Pacific Regional Youth Caucus for two
years. He co-founded the Sudanese Australian
Integrated Learning (SAIL) programme when he was
just 20, which now works with 300 volunteers to
provide support and community services to
Sudanese refugees in Melbourne and
Sydney. In 2005 he won Young Australian of the
Year for Victoria, and in the same year was
named by Junior Chamber International at one of
their ‘Ten Outstanding Young Persons of the
World’ for his contributions to children, world
peace and human rights.
EBONIE FIFITA, 23, from Nuku’alofa, Tonga
founded and coordinates On The Spot, a programme
which works to empower young people through
media, performing arts and visual arts. Ebonie
joined the South Pacific Regional Youth Caucus
in 2007, and will take up the Chairperson role
of PYC in 2010.
THE COMMONWEALTH YOUTH PROGRAMME works to
empower young people (15 – 29) to contribute to
the development of their communities. CYP South
Pacific (CYPSP) is one of four regional centres
around the world, and works with the young
people, governments and NGOs of its 14 member
countries in the Pacific region. CYPSP supports
a group of young leaders from the Pacific, CYPSP
Regional Youth Caucus, who advocate for Pacific
young people’s issues and advise CYPSP. CYPSP
works with Tonga, Fiji, Tuvalu, Samoa, Kiribati,
Aotearoa New Zealand, Australia, Solomon
Islands, Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Cook
Islands, Niue, Tokelau and Nauru.
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(Photos:
Waitakere United) |
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AROUND THE WORLD:
Waitakere United will once again represent
Oceania
Source:
Oceania Football
Confederation Press Release
Waitakere United will once again represent
Oceania at the FIFA Club World Cup in Japan
after beating Kossa FC 5-0 in the second leg of
the Oceania Football Confederation (OFC)
O-League final today at Trusts Stadium in
Henderson.
Waitakere turned around a 3-1 deficit from the
first leg in Honiara to win the final 5-3 on
aggregate and can now look forward to another
lucrative pay day and chance to rub shoulders
with the world’s elite.
A powerful shower prior to kick off didn’t deter
the 3,000 fans who packed the grandstand at
Douglas Field though looked to have an effect on
Kossa with players losing their footing on the
slippery surface on a number of occasions.
After losing the first leg in Honiara Waitakere
knew that a good start was imperative and they
got just that when Benjamin Totori fired home a
left footed drive into the Kossa net in the 8th
minute.
Waitakere dominated the early stages of the
match with Jason Hayne, Danijel Koprivcic and
Benjamin Totori all testing the Kossa
goalkeeper. But it was the set plays where
Waitakere looked the most dangerous and in the
25th minute Chris Bale rewarded a series of
dangerous crosses when he got the last touch
from a Neil Sykes corner to make it 2-0.
Kossa looked the livelier side at the beginning
of the second half and their individual flair
was evident even on the wet slippery surface.
They nearly silenced the Auckland faithful in
the 68th minute when Paul Wale created some room
for himself in the Waitakere box before firing a
half volley into the top corner, only for
Richard Gillespie to make a great sprawling save
and maintain his sides lead on the away goals
rule.
Waitakere made it 3-0 from another set play in
the 72nd minute when Allen Pearce headed home a
Neil Sykes corner. The goal looked to suck some
life out of Kossa and they were made to pay
again five minutes later when Pearce added his
second with a well timed volley.
Jake Butler completed the rout with a low side
footed drive from outside the box in the 85th
minute and sent the Waitakere players and fans
into celebration mode.
Kossa can look back on an inspirational O-League
journey which has exceeded expectations and has
provided invaluable experience for the many
young members of the squad. Waitakere will be
looking forward to Japan in December and Coach
Chris Milicich is excited about being able to
prepare for another World Club Cup campaign.
“We did what we planned to do,” Milicich said,
“our shape, structure and strategy were all
designed to put pressure on Kossa across the
board and that’s what we did.”
“We knew that if we just played the goals would
come. We were always pretty confident we would
get two goals, I didn’t think we’d get five.”
“Now our focus turns to Japan and we’re going to
turn up and be as well prepared as we can with
the best team we can find and try and do the
job.” Kossa coach Jacob Moli was disappointed
with the result but proud of his team for the
journey they have taken him on.
“We knew they were going to be very dangerous
from set pieces and that proved to be a big
problem for us.”
“Now we have to re-group and focus on our
domestic competition. To our fans I would like
to thank you for all your support, it was a
great ride for Solomon Island football.”
Photo Caption:
Waitakere United.
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HAWAII:
Hawaii actress gets
Tony Award nomination for "South Pacific"
Source:
Hawaii Magazine.com
Hawaii actress and entertainer Loretta Ables
Sayre received a Tony Award nomination today for
her portrayal of Bloody Mary in the hit Broadway
revival of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s South
Pacific.
Ables Sayre’s nomination for best featured
actress in a musical was one of 11 nominations
earned by the critically-acclaimed revival of
the pioneering Broadway musical. It’s Ables
Sayre’s first-ever Tony nomination for her
first-ever Broadway role.
“I’m over-the-moon. It’s such an honor to be
nominated," Ables Sayre wrote HawaiiMagazine.com
via via e-mail this morning. "For this to be my
first show in New York and on Broadway and then
to get this nomination is more than a dream come
true. And, I want to thank everyone in Hawaii
for their love and support.”
Said her very-elated husband, Honolulu-based
publicist David Sayre, “She called me from New
York this morning at 3 a.m. (Hawaii time) to
tell me. It’s amazing! We’re just on cloud nine.
We’re so excited. I’m so proud of her.”
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TONGA: Tonga Voting Process Raises Concerns
Source:
Tonga Review
Voters raised concerns over this year’s election
process because there were changes to the voting
system that many were not familiar with compared
to past elections.
In the previous election of 2005, voters would
turn up and give their name to the Voting
Officer who would then put a tick next to their
name on the Vote Register to confirm that they
voted. After that, the Voting Officer would
provide the voter with a Ballot Voting Form to
take away to a booth and tick who they are
voting for.
This year, there was a major change which raised
concerns from voters, especially Public
Servants. This time, when you check your name on
the Voting Register, the Voting Officer will
also note the number of your Ballot Voting Form
next to your name on the Voting Register before
it is given back to you to make your vote.
Voters spoken too were suspicious of this
because this means that their vote and who they
voted for can be easily identified. Public
Servants who voted for the Peoples
Representatives can be identified much easier
now because the Ballot Voting Form can be
matched to the Vote Register with their name.
Those Public Servants who are in line for
promotions may question whether their vote, if
it was for the Peoples Representatives, will
prejudice their potential for promotion. Does
this also mean that there may be a witch-hunt
against those who voted for the democracy
movement?
Whatever reason there was for this new voting
practice should’ve been communicated to the
voters instead of just being implemented on the
day because it raises questions about the
integrity of the voting system.
Those spoken too, expressed concerns that this
process is suspicious and whether this is
another attack on their freedom to vote freely.
The noting of the voters name could be an
innocent change by the authorities but some
voters are worried because it is different from
previous elections, and they want to know why
this was carried out.
There were questions raised also about the 52%
of registered voters who did not turn up to this
years election. This has caused some to question
the legitimacy of the Peoples Representatives to
claim that they have the support of the majority
of the people.
Confidential sources in Government have revealed
that, 20% of the registered voters were actually
out of the country during the election. This
could be tracked using the Immigration List at
the airport and the names of citizens out of the
country could be counted from that.
Around 30% were in the Kingdom BUT this also
includes:
*
Those who have passed away since the last
election and their names have not been erased
from the Voting Register.
*
This list also includes those who are
hospitalized or sick.
*
Those who did not want to vote.
*
Those who were registered to Vote in two Island
Groups. For example, if someone registers to
vote in either Tongatapu or Vava’u, but elects
to vote in Vava’u means that he/she will be
added to the number of those who did not vote in
Tongatapu. So there is a double counting issue
here when it comes to those who did not vote. In
fact, the recording process here is flawed.
Given these issues, it is absolutely critical
that the Chief Electoral Officer and Government
corrects the misunderstanding and prevents
further doubts about the voting system by
confirming the actual reason behind the make-up
of the 52% of non-voters. The Voting system
needs to be improved and updated before the next
full democratic election.
Some Voting Officers raised concerns that the
vote of some of their fellow members were
illegal because they voted after the 4:00pm
deadline when the voting was declared closed.
Those spoken too highlighted the following
improvements required for Tonga’s voting system:
· Remove all those on the Voting Register who
have died
· Confirm the number of eligible Voters who are
out of the country during the election
· Consider voting process for those overseas or
hospitalised
· Confirm the number of eligible voters
incapacitated due to health reasons so could not
vote
· Strengthen publicity about election and the
legal requirement that ALL eligible voters must
Vote
· The number of non-voters must be analysed to
understand why they did not vote
· Remove the number of those who are registered
to vote in two locations, it should be one or
the other to prevent the flawed count in the
number of non-voters
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