[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Ideas for regional development initiatives

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: " An idea from the Forum for regional priorities ... Regional Initiatives Sought By Forum Body A committee set up by Pacific Forum leaders to encourage inclusivity and to foster regional initiatives is open for business. The eight-member Specialist S" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Ideas for regional development initiatives by bobmakin An idea from the Forum for regional priorities ... Regional Initiatives Sought By Forum Body A committee set up by Pacific Forum leaders to encourage inclusivity and to foster regional initiatives is open for business. The eight-member Specialist Subcommittee on Regionalism, set up on 13th April this year, is now calling for submissions on regional initiatives. "The committee’s work is the beginning of an historical process for the region -- because it allows people of the Pacific to put through their own submissions on what they think Leaders should be focusing on as regional priorities,” says Dame Meg Taylor, Secretary General of the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat which implements the mandates of Pacific leaders, and chairman of the committee. The new framework for Pacific regionalism grew out of the Pacific Plan and seeks to strengthen co-operation and integration in the Pacific region. Its specialist subcommittee, as part of its mandate to implement the new framework, also encouraged multi-sectoral partnerships and opened up more inclusively to the private sector and to civil society. "The Sub-committee’s work represents a shift in the development paradigm and is vital in shaping the future Pacific regional agenda. This committee is tasked with identifying truly game-changing initiatives to transform the region, which will be put to Leaders for their consideration," says Secretary General Taylor. She asserted the calls for regional initiatives will remain open for seven weeks: “Proposals or initiatives should be pitched at the regional level, that is, issues that we as a collective group can best respond to.” All proposals received for regional initiatives will be available on the Forum’s website. The eight members of the Specialist Sub Committee are: Melanesia - Mr Leonard Louma (PNG), Micronesia - Mr Gustav Aitaro (Palau), Polynesia - Mr Lopeti Senituli (Tonga), Australia - Mr John Davidson (Australia), Smaller Island States - Ms Teresa Manarangi-Trott (Cook Islands), Civil Society - Mr William Kostka (FSM), Private Sector - Mr Peter Kiely (NZ), Chair - Dame Meg Taylor, (PIFS). bobmakin | May 1, 2015 at 9:03 am | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BK Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1AmW8ZL Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 30 April 2015

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "An important news item yesterday from VBTC: it seems the Labour Department has had progress in discussing the possibility of increasing the skilled labour force in Australia seasonally. Vanuatu had achieved its limit at the end of last year, but considera" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 30 April 2015 by bobmakin An important news item yesterday from VBTC: it seems the Labour Department has had progress in discussing the possibility of increasing the skilled labour force in Australia seasonally. Vanuatu had achieved its limit at the end of last year, but consideration has been requested in the the light of the burdensome costs associated with cyclone Pam. The Bouffa landfill space was yesterday reported to be running near capacity. However, Daily Post was able to indicate a strong presence of the JICA experts under their J-PRISM environmental project to assist the Port Vila Municipality. Young women are again encouraged to take the HPV vaccine after a delivery problem associated with Health Ministry restructuring. Professor Ian Frazer's family foundation is assisting young Vanuatu women between 9 and 15 years to take the vaccine and greatly reduce cervical cancer and mouth and throat cancers. Clinics can advise. The Auditor General John Path has pointed out to government the fact of his department being under-resourced. His office has done splendid and respected work recently and it is to be hoped he can be granted the extra staff needed. His request to have the department made an office of state surely merits serious consideration. Read more in today's Daily Post. bobmakin | April 30, 2015 at 9:43 am | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BJ Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1P7ZjLN Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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Melanesia Weekly update ⋅ April 29, 2015 NEWS Radio Australia Ol MSG lida i noken harim gris toktok blong Indonesia: Fred Mambrasar Radio Australia Ol lida blong Melanesia ino ken harim ol gris toktok blong Indonesia na larim emi bagarapim tingting blong ol Melanesian pipal blong West Papua i ... Flag as irrelevant See more results | Edit this alert You have received this email because you have subscribed to Google Alerts. Unsubscribe | View all your alerts Receive this alert as RSS feed Send Feedback

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 29 April 2015

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: " The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat informs us ... Effectiveness at heart of review of Australia' s aid to the Region Measuring the effectiveness of its development assistance to the Pacific region is at the heart of the review of Australia’s aid " Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 29 April 2015 by bobmakin The Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat informs us ... Effectiveness at heart of review of Australia' s aid to the Region Measuring the effectiveness of its development assistance to the Pacific region is at the heart of the review of Australia’s aid by Pacific island peers. The process, coordinated by the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat (PIFS), will be the second review of a development partner undertaken as part of the Forum Compact, the first being New Zealand. “A key focus of such a review is for development partners, in this case Australia, to gain greater insight into how well their policies, procedures and actions support Forum Island Countries’ development efforts, and how these can be improved,” says Cristelle Pratt, the Deputy Secretary General at the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat. “It is also an opportunity for Forum Island Countries and the region to increase their understanding of these policies and procedures.” The peer reviews of development partners complements the peer reviews of Pacific island countries, which focus on ways to strengthen country systems in development planning, budgeting and public financial and aid management. The Review Team of Australia’s aid program brings together senior officials from the Governments of Tonga and Solomon Islands, the Asian Development Bank, the Japan International Cooperation Agency and a civil society representative from the Pacific Disability Forum. The team will meet in Canberra from 28 April to 1 May 2015 with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, relevant government agencies, civil society organisations, academics, Heads of Pacific resident missions and the Secretariat of the Pacific Community. “This is a great opportunity to assess and draw from practical experiences of participating Forum member countries and development partners in how Australia can strengthen their engagement in the region,” says Natalia Latu, Review team member and the Deputy Chief Executive Officer for the newly established Policy and Reform Division of the Ministry of Finance and National Planning - Government of the Kingdom of Tonga. The review team will also travel to Samoa from 6 to 8 May 2015 to better understand delivery of Australia’s aid program to a Pacific nation. The review will present to Australia a set of recommendations on how its development cooperation with Pacific island countries could be improved and strengthened in support of Pacific Island Countries regional and bilateral development needs. -Ends- Background Information: The key objective of the Forum Compact was to drive more effective coordination of available development resources, to achieve real progress against the Millennium Development Goals. One of its key deliverables was to conduct peer reviews of country systems, including processes for development planning & budgeting, public financial management and aid management systems. To date, thirteen Forum Island Countries have completed peer reviews of country systems. The idea of a peer review process for development partners in the Pacific emerged from the 2012 Pacific Regional Aid Effectiveness Workshop (PRAEW). In recognising the value added from the results of eight (8) country peer reviews at the time on how to strengthen country systems in Forum Island Countries, the PRAEW suggested that peer reviews of development partners would be an appropriate next step. The 2012 PIC/Development Partners meeting affirmed the recommendations of the PRAEW and tasked the Forum Secretariat to prepare a Terms of Reference for the peer review of development partners. For media queries please contact media@forumsec.org bobmakin | April 29, 2015 at 4:07 pm | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BI Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1HXv4bs Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 28 April 2015

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "Six Chinese investors have applied for honorary citizenship under the Economic Rehabilitation after Pam scheme. The Government launched the scheme two weeks ago in Hong Kong. Each such citizenship application, when successful, brings Vanuatu 13 million va" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 28 April 2015 by bobmakin Six Chinese investors have applied for honorary citizenship under the Economic Rehabilitation after Pam scheme. The Government launched the scheme two weeks ago in Hong Kong. Each such citizenship application, when successful, brings Vanuatu 13 million vatu. There is strict screening, Radio Vanuatu advised. The national emergency continues after cyclone Pam. It presently continues to 14 June. Pacific countries are obtaining permission to export kava to such as European Union countries including Germany. Tonga already has permission to export 10 tons in September. Tongan farmers are delighted and have been advised their kava variety is acceptable. They will maintain good quality. In Vanuatu there are so many stories of Tongans having taken Vanuatu kava from Erromango hundreds of years ago. We should not be far behind the Tongans in exporting. President Baldwin Lonsdale has paid a tribute to overseas relief efforts and thanked ni-Vanutu for their efforts towards restoration after the cyclone. Lands Minister Regenvanu opened a week-long training course for chiefs and adjudicators of land issues at Emua yesterday morning. Customary land issues of ownership are in future to be decided only in the nakamals concerned. This follows the Customary Land Management Act and Land Reform Amendment Act, in effect for over a year. The training is the first of its kind. Regenvanu reminded participants, Post pointed out, that all dispute resolution powers are now returned to the nakamal. Chinese Ambassador Xie Bohua gives his impression of cyclone Pam in today's Daily Post. He sees the friendship between the two countries not weakened but consolidated by the cyclone. bobmakin | April 28, 2015 at 10:42 am | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BH Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1Gztrxy Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Nagol tower destroyed

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "The major item today (and only one I can cover just now) is of concern especially to Central and South Pentecost people ... One hundred and fifty Wawan people from Panas, South Pentecost, marched to Lonoror and cut down a Nagol tower, preventing the plan" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Nagol tower destroyed by bobmakin The major item today (and only one I can cover just now) is of concern especially to Central and South Pentecost people ... One hundred and fifty Wawan people from Panas, South Pentecost, marched to Lonoror and cut down a Nagol tower, preventing the planned Pentecost jump taking place. This was on Saturday. Many of the young men were armed with bushknives. Daily Post reports Chief Peter Watas of the Malbangbang chiefly council in the southern part of the island saying the tower was cut down because it was not constructed on the southern part of the island, south of the Pangbo River, "the true home of the Nagol." Lonoror airport, it seems, is considered outside the legitimate custom area for the important and unique traditional event , at least by the Wawan people. bobmakin | April 27, 2015 at 3:56 pm | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BG Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1DrCSuj Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 25 April 2015

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "Today 25 April is ANZAC Day, and the one hundredth anniversary of the Gallipoli invasion. Australians and New Zealanders mark the commemoration of the tragic event, and here, as in those two countries, pay tribute to the sacrifice of so many young soldier" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 25 April 2015 by bobmakin Today 25 April is ANZAC Day, and the one hundredth anniversary of the Gallipoli invasion. Australians and New Zealanders mark the commemoration of the tragic event, and here, as in those two countries, pay tribute to the sacrifice of so many young soldiers' lives. The weekend papers continue the relentless stories of welcome and frightful news stemming from the passage of cyclone Pam. Amongst the bad news, Post reported the first ever case of zika and three of dengue. Both are mosquito borne and involve similar symptoms of fever and joint pains. However, the Health Department reports, good news now, malaria case reduction over 10 years because of newer prevention policies. And news of the same day in the UK Independent says an anti-malaria vaccine has tested so well in sub-Saharan Africa that it may be possible to make the Gates Foundation-assisted treatment available by October. Radio Vanuatu and Post gave further news of the 20 tons of fish by-catch which was made available through Vanuatu Fishing Limited to schools and hospitals. It also resulted in nutritionally useful and cheaply priced fish sales to the general public. By-catch is usually rejected, but Fisheries Department's Graham Nimoho has been urging donation rather than throwing back of this unwanted catch. Vanuatu has lost its food security culture points out Vincent Lebot in an interesting Post report. People used to plant gardens in different locations in order to overcome the worst aspects of hurricane damage. No longer. And the element of resilience has also been lost. Evelyne Toa also deals with Vanuatu's self-image of resilience, and how it is damaged. Greed in obtaining food, mis-direction of waste food, bad food allegedly delivered as aid, and political interference all have so far played their part. Of particular interest is a new "Economic Rehabilitation after Pam" programme launched in Hong Kong ten days ago by Internal Affairs Minister Salwai. Hilaire Bule in Vila Times issue 13 speaks of it as "honorary citizenship" and entirely different to the CIIP scheme which deals with dual citizenship. CIIP, which sees much of its profits directed elsewhere, has been an issue of "grave concern" Bule notes. Radio Vanuatu News spearheaded the significant (VT 350 million) New Zealand new contribution to Wan Smol Bag Theatre (WSB) for its major contribution to social and environmental issues. WSB's CEO Michael Taurokoto and NZ High Commissioner Roberts signed the agreement Friday. And to end on yet another good news note, Post reports 193 graduands at the APTC brought the total of the Vila college's holders of recognised Australian trade qualifications up to 1,134. The ceremony took place last week at Nabanga Restaurant at the Vanuatu Institute of Technology and was the final graduation ceremony for long-serving Country Manager Kathryn Gray who finishes in June with the good wishes of staff and present and past students. bobmakin | April 26, 2015 at 12:19 pm | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BF Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1ErQril Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 24 April 2015

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "Pam news continues to dominate the media. Sharing relief in Efate off-shore islands went on today. President Lonsdale received the head of a Japanese group concerned with aid to children. Fresh fish is being offered by Fisheries at a reduced price in mark" Respond to this post by replying above this line New post on Vanuatu Daily Digest Vanuatu Daily News Digest | 24 April 2015 by bobmakin Pam news continues to dominate the media. Sharing relief in Efate off-shore islands went on today. President Lonsdale received the head of a Japanese group concerned with aid to children. Fresh fish is being offered by Fisheries at a reduced price in market areas, Saralana and Freshwater, and given to hospitals and schools. The Harbourmaster is requiring all ship owners to ensure their broken vessels be removed from Vila Harbour before 13 May. Over 4.5 tons of debris, mainly pieces of damaged vessels, were removed from Vila Harbour, Daily Post said, by Big Blue divers in collaboration with the marine conservation group Project AWARE. It was also said Pam lost VT 2 billion in revenue to kava growers, a figure calculated by Dr Vincent Lebot, Vanuatu's resident expert in the FAO driven agricultural census statistics. UNDP has launched a "cash for work programme" by clearing the road to Bouffa landfill. The Ministry of Finance and Economic Management is requiring every grant receiving body to submit their audit reports in order to receive their monthly government funding. The order is dated 10 April, this year. Failure to submit missing audits will affect grants to be issued, Radio Vanuatu reported. At last. bobmakin | April 24, 2015 at 3:38 pm | Categories: The News, Digested | URL: http://wp.me/p2A4RK-BE Comment    See all comments    Like Unsubscribe to no longer receive posts from Vanuatu Daily Digest. Change your email settings at Manage Subscriptions. Trouble clicking? Copy and paste this URL into your browser: http://ift.tt/1I9gUTp Thanks for flying with WordPress.com

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[New post] Vanuatu Daily News Digest | Huge additional Australian relief

WordPress.com bobmakin posted: "PACNEWS Second Edition Thursday 16 April 2015 PACNEWS AUST - CYCLONE ASSISTANCE: AAP/RNZI PACNEWS 2: Thu 16 Apr 2015 Another $5 million for Vanuatu: Bishop CANBERRA, 16 APRIL 2015 (AAP/RNZI)



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