Pacific loses gifted icon
“ACADEMIC space is so precious because it allows us to ask questions that sometimes we’re punished for asking off campus and what universities are supposed to uphold is that freedom – that freedom to
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Whispers
No bull here AT least one person has fallen foul of the PNG-Fiji impasse on the bully beef trade. Fiji’s Biosecurity Authority boss, Xavier Khan, resigned suddenly from his position shortly after an announcement
Rape in the name of religion
The vulnerable misled AFTER two convictions and with a third pastor still on trial for rape, social media discussions in Fiji have shifted from the gravity of the crime to moral analysis of the victims. Leaving no
Silence of the rams
A WHITE New Zealander sits on a couch and spreads his legs from the knees, feet close together. He forms his arms, heavily tattooed, into a downward circle. “They would make us sit down between their legs, and
End of the road for Somare
AN era came to an end on April 4 when Papua New Guinea’s ‘father of the nation’ and one of the longest serving parliamentarians in the Pacific and the Commonwealth, Grand Chief Sir Michael Somare took up his seat
PM O’Neill upbeat
PNG prepares to go to the polls RIDING on the perceived success of the government’s core policies, Prime Minister Peter O’Neill is confident of retaining government after the 2017 National Elections. Equally
Hilda pushes her world agenda
AFTER 16 months in office, Marshall Islands President Hilda C. Heine has a busy schedule. On the international stage, the Republic of the Marshall Islands (RMI) has been active in global negotiations on climate change
Ending the journey of Girmit
THE last Indian immigrant ship, SS Sutlej, carrying 875 indentured men, women and children, entered Suva Harbour on 2 November, 1916. No one knew it then that Sutlej would be the last vessel ferrying human cargo to come
UNICEF pushes for proper data
POOR data collection continues to be a resource challenge in Papua New Guinea in the provision of maternal health care delivery, education and child support programmes. This has led to the United Nations International
Step up in women’s rights
IN recent years, there has been increased awareness on gender-based violencerelated issues in the Pacific, in particular relation to violence against women (VAW). But it was difficult to gauge the overall impact of this
Chaotic Melanesia
Is Melanesia the new Asia with its chaotic traffic ills AS an office worker in Suva, Fiji’s capital, Andy is used to spending a good part of her morning and afternoon stuck in bumperto-bumper traffic. “That’s
Pacific exports increase
Exports Survey has found that business confidence among Pacific Island exporters has increased since 2014 with a growth in actual export numbers despite a decline in export destinations. Commissioned by Pacific Trade
Kava evolution
HIGH along and beneath the ridges above Fiji’s Old Capital from where defiant Fijian warriors once fought the encroaching West, reconciliation is taking place – thanks to a plant that is changing lives.
Kava – is it the answer to cancer?
NEW research that found traditionallyprepared kava could be the answer in the fight against cancer has been welcomed by kava producers in the Pacific. Fiji’s kava species were singled out in this study by
Fulfilling the prophetic role
Time for the churches to speak THE church continues to play an integral part in community life in the region more than 200 years after the arrival of the first missionaries. From Rapa Nui (Easter Island) in the east to
The rot under scrutiny
Faith leaders told to address social, political ills LEADERS of faith-based organisations must address corruption and the unequal distribution of national wealth if social and political crises are to be averted in the
Churches fight Indon abuses
A NEW-LOOK Papua New Guinea Council of Churches has vowed to step up the fight against human rights abuses by Indonesian security forces across the border. After more than a week of talks and years of negotiations,
Oceania Customs Organisation
Effective Border Management LAW enforcement and border security has been an important area of focus for Oceania Customs Organisation (OCO) given that effective border management is needed to facilitate trade in goods
God is dead
“GOD is dead, God remains dead and we have killed him”, the enigmatic words of the German Philosopher – Friedrich Nietzsche. In a predominantly God and rugby obsessed nation like our own, these words
Tuna price-fixing probe
Veteran faces time behind bars BUMBLE Bee Foods veteran Walter Scott Cameron will likely see a prison term of at least 10 months, pay a $USD25,000 fine and agree to testify in tuna price-fixing investigation, following
The journey of life
THOUSANDS of Catholics across the Pacific celebrated Ash Wednesday this month as they began preparations for Easter. While this is a mainly Catholic tradition, more Christian denominations now take part in this ancient
Whispers
Ego clash FOR how long will Fiji stay away from the region’s biggest tourism event in the manner of the school yard bully? The whole region will gather for the SPTE 2017 in Sydney later this year but much of the