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Smol Melanesian Na Pasifik Nius Digest # 849
MELANESIA:
1) Free West Papua Campaign Opens Office In The Hague
Coordinator says effort will be on education Dutch on colonial history
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 19, 2013) – The Free West Papua Campaign has opened its office in the Hague, in the Netherlands.
The office was opened on the 51st anniversary of the New York Agreement under which the former Dutch New Guinea was ceded to Indonesia.
The campaign's coordinator in the Netherlands, Oridek Ap, says the aim of the office is to provide information regarding the situation in Indonesia's Papua region and why his organisation thinks West Papuans need to be independent.
Mr Ap says successive Dutch governments have tried to erase the history of Dutch New Guinea from the national conscience, and that the new office will seek to educate younger generations about what is an important part of their country's history and a major international issue.
Radio New Zealand International: www.rnzi.com
2) Indonesia poised to intercept West Papua freedom flotilla
Posted at 22:13 on 18 August, 2013 UTC
The Indonesian Military has been ordered to prepare to intercept the journey of two boats carrying pro-West Papua activists from Australia.
The Jakarta Post reports the Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto says he has asked the Navy and Air Force to standby for their arrival.
The minister says he has talked with the Australian ambassador to Indonesia Greg Moriarty, making it clear no nation should allow its soil to be used as a departure point for the movement of a group aimed at disturbing another nation's sovereignty.
The two boats set sail from Cairns on Saturday headed for Papua New Guinea, from where they hope to make the trip to Merauke, the easternmost city in the Papua province.
The group, which consists of about 50 activists, says it is aiming to build global solidarity and highlight the abuses of human rights on an international stage.
Radio New Zealand International
3) Vanuatu PM Says West Papua Issue Trumps Relations With Indonesia
Caracasses says violence 'needs to be stopped'
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 18, 2013) – The Prime Minister of Vanuatu says he will push forward to try and solve problems in West Papua, even at the risk of cooling relations with Indonesia.
Moana Carcasses says he is absolutely concerned about the plight of the West Papuans and the violence there needs to be stopped.
Vanuatu's stance on West Papua has strengthened since Mr Carcasses came to power in March.
He says he is sure West Papua will be a member of the Melanesian Spearhead Group in the near future.
"We support fully the West Papua issues. I went to the MSG to try and get them membership. Because what is happening in West Papua, the atrocities happening there, I think as leader it's important we have to put a stop on that. The Indonesian Government, we don't have any problem with them. The problem we have is the West Papua issues. And if you say it will cool down our relationship, well so be it, I don't have a problem with that."
Moana Carcasses says he is sending a fact-finding team to West Papua soon to look at human rights issues.
4) PNG PM Says Last 12 Years Of Growth Were 'Wasted'
O'Neill commits to funding priority projects that help communities
By Malum Nalu
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, August 19, 2013) – The past 12 years of plenty in Papua New Guinea have been wasted and must never be repeated, Prime Minister Peter O'Neill says.
He told hundreds of people attending the 127th anniversary of the United Church last Friday at Maopa village on the Aroma Coast, Central, that the economy had been growing very fast but this did not translate into tangible benefits.
[PIR editor's note: O'Neill was also reported to have lashed out at public servants who have been "unproductive since independence at the expense of the people." Those who have been 'milking the system' are now resisting changes his government wants to implement, O'Neill said.]
"Over the last 12 years, the economy has been growing at 6 to 8%.
"We have recorded K7 billion to K8 billion in surpluses, meaning that we have collected more money than we budgeted for," he said.
"The problem is that we have spent this money on priorities that did not really help the community. We've wasted the last 12 years of growth.
"Over the next five to 10 years, our economy will continue to grow and will bring in bigger revenue … we must never repeat the mistakes that we have done."
As a remedial measure, the Government will be looking into funding for specific projects over the next three to four years.
"The government must commit to the people on specific projects such as free education, free health, bringing up our police force, bringing up our roads and bridges throughout the country.
"We commit our government to these problems over the next four, five years, so that people are aware of it, our public servants are aware of it, our leaders know the specific programmes that we have.
"I can tell you that the government is not going to change its roles over the next four, five years.
"We want to be judged in 2017 on our performance, please remember this.
"If we do not change this country over the next four years, we do not deserve to hold the positions that we hold, do not vote for us."
The National: www.thenational.com.pg/
5) Policeman in Bougainville says people don't want the mine
A policeman in the Papua New Guinea province of Bougainville says he thinks the Panguna mine will not be reopened for another 20 years and says the people don't want it.
Constable Reginald Sogen, who is a coordinator of the training programme run by New Zealand for the community auxiliary police, says there are many problems in the area, which need to be solved first.
He says police face issues of armed robberies and domestic violence, fuelled by drugs and alcohol, and there must be peace before the mine opens.
He says Bougainville can rely on other industries such as agriculture, which don't require such a large investment.
Constable Sogen says the people need to be educated first and many people are still illiterate.
"The people here they don't want the mine to be opened, the landowners. There are weapons here, and also the whole people here, they don't want the mine to be reopened. Many deaths have occurred during the crisis and when you talk peace, we want peace. Do not put the mine in, cause it only creates anger."
Constable Reginald Sogen.
6) Solomons PM Required To Undergo Body Search At Australia Airport
Lilo questions search, forced into standoff with Brisbane security
By Susan Merrell
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, August 19, 2013) – Solomon Islands Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo was asked to undergo an explosive body search by Australian Security Officers at Brisbane Airport, last Saturday, according to an eyewitness.
Prime Minister Lilo is said to have had a 'stand-off' with security officers involving the Australian Federal Police (AFP) when he refused the search.
"They told the Prime Minister that even Rudd and the Australian Governor-General must go through the same process- which is rubbish," said the eyewitness.
Sir Trevor Garland, Honorary Consul-General of the Solomon Islands in Sydney confirmed that the Solomon Islands' PM is exempt from such searches.
"So, what went wrong," asked Sir Trevor?
"The Solomon Islands' Prime Minister is afforded close personal protection by the Australian security agencies while in Brisbane," Sir Trevor remarked. "They must have known who he was."
This latest airport stand-off recalls a similar incident in 2005 where Papua New Guinea's Prime Minister, Sir Michael Somare, was asked to remove his shoes at the same airport. It prompted an insulted Sir Michael to suspend Australia's Aid program in protest.
This latest incident comes just days after a news article published in Papua New Guinea's National newspaper reported an unnamed PNG Member of Parliament having his phone and wallet confiscated and the contents of his phone downloaded by immigration officials at Sydney airport.
The unnamed MP claims that this was after he was identified as a member of the parliament of PNG.
Solomon Star
7) Investors Can Now 'Buy' Vanuatu Citizenship For $10,000
Immigration regulations amended to attract foreign investment
By Jonas Cullwick
PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, August 19, 2013) – Foreign investors will not have to wait 10 years to be Vanuatu citizens because now they can buy it just for US$10,000 (Vt963, 567 according to yesterday's exchange rate). Minister of Internal Affairs Patrick Crowby amended the Immigration Visa Regulation Order No.180 of 2011 on Tuesday, August 13 and introduced the Road Map of the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP).
Crowby consequently alluded the potential for mutual benefit to be derived from implementing plans to attract foreign capital investment in exchange for the right to be granted residence and/or citizenship. This resulted in the adoption of the CIIP. This was gazetted as, "Immigration Visa Regulation (Amendment) Order No.115 of 2013" under the Immigration Act No.17 of 2010 on August 14, 2013.
Under Vanuatu laws previously a foreigner may only apply for Vanuatu citizenship after residing in Vanuatu for 10 years.
[PIR editor's note: Radio New Zealand International reported that police have recently arrested several government officials on illegally granting citizenship. Police Chief Inspector George Toomey said "the suspects have been selling Vanuatu citizenship at a low price and ignored the law that requires ten years' residence for a foreigner to become a citizen."]
With the adoption of the CIIP, that has been published in the Official Gazette on August 14, investors that comply with the conditions of the plan may enjoy the exclusive privilege of being granted citizenship following a significantly reduced period of residence.
Upon application and compliance with the CIIP criteria and completion of diligence investigation an investor applicant, his/her spouse and dependents under 21 years of age will be granted the right to enter and reside in Vanuatu for seven years (renewability subject to CIIP compliance conditions and fees).
And the right to be granted citizenship of Vanuatu on (I) acquiring and complying with the conditions of a CIIP residence permit for two years from its grant; and (II) to be granted citizenship of Vanuatu upon holding and complying with the conditions of a CIIP residence permit for nine months.
To qualify for the above benefits the applicant must invest US$260,000 (payable by installments), pay: (I) US$20,000 marketing fee to the Vanuatu Registry Services Ltd (II) pay US$5,000 for residence permit (III) pay US$3,000 processing fee to the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC), (IV) US$2,000 processing fee to the Vanuatu Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) and (V) US$10,000 for Vanuatu citizenship.
In addition to the expedient fee, residence, Vanuatu International Company inclusion, oath of allegiance and installment payments; the Application of Investment is (a) Government Bonds-25% of the seven-year-zero coupon bonds issued by the Reserve Bank of Vanuatu and (b) Bank Deposit-25% of the investment sum will be deposited with either the National Bank of Vanuatu or Vantu Bank Ltd for seven years from the date of the granting of residence permit.
At this stage Daily Post is not aware where Vantu Bank Ltd is located.
While the category of citizenship granted to applicants is full citizenship, not economic citizenship or any other category different from that enjoyed by the native-born citizens, there are limitations to the privileges of citizenship which may not be exercised until the new citizen has been ordinarily resident in Vanuatu for 10 years.
Privileges hinged on the 10 years residence are: the right to vote, the right to stand for election in the Vanuatu government, the right to work for public service, the right to serve the Vanuatu Police Force, the right to Vanuatu diplomat or consular protection when in any other country of which the citizen is a national and the right for a child born outside Vanuatu to inherit Vanuatu citizenship.
The timetable of the Vanuatu Government in terms of implementation is to: (I) Gazette any necessary instrument to Immigration Visa Regulation (Amendment) Order No.128 of 2012 and the International Companies Order No.142 of 2012 by July 15, 2013 (II) Implement acceptance of applications commencing August 15, 2013 (III) Amend Constitution to permit Vanuatu citizens to be, become and remain citizens of other countries and nationalities by December 31,2013 and (IV) enact other necessary amendments to the Citizenship Act, the Passports Act, the Immigration Act and other consequential statutory provisions by December 31,2013.
Meanwhile the Government appointed the Vanuatu Registry Services Ltd (VRS) as its exclusive distributor in November, 2012.
The Board of Directors of CIIF comprises of VRS representatives, the managers of the CIIP marketing team representing investors and the Vanuatu government. CIIF will issue a prospectus for the placement of its preferences shares to be registered with VFSC.
Accordingly Minister Crowby, amended the Immigration Visa Regulation Order No.180 of 2011.
Under the stipulated schedule subclauses of the said Act, 12 (4A), (4B) and (4C) were repealed and substituted.
The first (4A) if a foreigner under the Capital Investment Immigration Plan (CIIP), who wishes to benefit from the Road Map as set out in schedule 2, the criteria are the applicant must:
Establish a Vanuatu International Company with a paid up capital not less than US$260,000, which the applicant is the registered and beneficial owner of not less than 50% of the equity and whose share of the equity has a value not less than US$260,000.
Deposit not less than US$100,000 (in his/her company's name and account) in a Vanuatu Financial Institution, part investment and part fees.
Satisfy the Vanuatu Foreign Investment Promotion Authority (VIPA) and the Vanuatu Financial Services Commission (VFSC) of the legitimacy of the source of the deposited funds.
Satisfy the Principal Immigration Officer (PIO) he/she has no criminal record.
Have submitted a letter (s) to the VFSC to: (I) pay the remaining installments required by the Road Map; and (II) not to withdraw or seek to withdraw any of his or her or the company's deposited funds from Vanuatu for seven years from the granting of the visa.
The development comes on the heels of the Vanuatu Government's biggest infrastructure bid since independence-the much documented new international airport vision.
Vanuatu Daily Post: http://www.vanuatudaily.com
8a) Arrests in Vanuatu over dubious citizenship approvals
By Online Editor
5:13 pm GMT+12, 19/08/2013, Vanuatu
Police in Vanuatu have arrested several people in connection with the alleged illegal granting of citizenship.
Among those arrested are a former chairman of the Citizenship Commission and former MP, Jack Eric, and a former secretary of the Commission, Eloi Leye.
They were released on bail to appear in the Magistrates Court.
Chief Inspector, George Toomey, has declined to give details but says those investigated include politicians, leaders and public servants.
He said the suspects have been selling Vanuatu citizenship at a low price and ignored the law that requires ten years' residence for a foreigner to become a citizen.
Sources close to the citizenship office and police say it has became a tradition that a month before general elections, politicians collect applications forms from the citizenship office in order to receive sponsorship for their political campaign.
Some of the foreigners, mainly from Asia, reportedly received their certificate in less than a month after their arrival in the country.
SOURCE: RNZI/PACNEWS
8b)Vanuatu daily news digest | 19 August 2013
by bobmakin
At short notice, the annual Toktok of the tourism industry, essentially tourism's trade show, which should have taken place 27 – 30 August, is now re-scheduled to 12 – 15 November according to the Vanuatu Tourism Office. The Boeing 737-800 will not be available during the original dates owing to a servicing commitment in September.
Two important events which haven't changed dates and have started today: the sitting of Parliament and the Cultural Centre's workshop for field workers on Customary Governance. It was to be the first parliamentary sitting for Pascal Iauko of Tanna, sworn-in this morning. My attendance in the the Customary Governance workshop will cause some reporting delays in this blog this week.
Deputy Prime Minister Natapei has re-iterated his support for a new airport at Rentabau according to an interview with Radio New Zealand International. This is in answer to a claim by Airports Vanuatu Limited that there was never consultation over the new plan. AVL Manager Kevin Abel said he and his staff were never aware of any such plan, according to today's Radio Vanuatu News. However, the Deputy Prime Minister told RNZI that the plan had been in the pipeline for over six years "and it wasnot easy to find investors. If Vanuatu doesn't act now, it is facing a time bomb," he allegedly said. Natapei also indicated that unless the airport project is implemented, Vanuatu will not achieve any significant development for the next 25 years.
Eleven suspects attacked police on duty and their vehicle at Bladiniere, Sunday early morning. There was a phone call following noisy music. Police went to the scene. Two were injured. 11 suspects were to be before the court today.
Two suspects in the matter of citizenship sales, one a civil servants and a former MP, and a woman citizenship staff member and her partner are facing prosecution for the sale for cheaply priced citizenship documentation. They must report to police weekly until their trial..
bobmakin | August 19, 2013 at 5:17 pm | Categories: The News, Digested |
9) Fiji's Beddoes says Forum relevant but new rules on coups needed
Fiji's main grouping of political parties says the Pacific Islands Forum needs a set of rules to deal with coup-makers.
A spokesman for the United Front for a Democratic Fiji, Mick Beddoes, says the Forum is still relevant but the lack of a regional response to the overthrow of Fiji's elected government is what has caused it many problems.
He says each country is dealing with Fiji's coup leaders in a way that protects their own interests.
Mr Beddoes says anyone accepting a job with a regime that has overthrown a democratically elected government should face treason charges back in their home country.
"They should not be allowed to come in and work in support of an unelected government. We should have all countries stopping the movement of any members of the regime in or out of the country. We should have a total ban on activities with the affected country and so on and so forth."
Mick Beddoes says such an automatic reponse would have avoided the finger-pointing that has gone on in the case of Fiji.
POLYNESIA:
10) Pitcairn diaspora to be gauged on resettling island
Far-flung Pitcairn Islanders are about to be surveyed about what made them leave the isolated territory and what would make them return.
The British government wants to see Pitcairn's population increase from its present 50-odd to 80 by 2016, with a long-term goal of making its aid-dependent territory sustainable.
The Deputy Governor of the Pitcairn Islands, Kevin Lynch, says there could be several thousand Pitcairn Islanders now living in New Zealand, Norfolk Island, Britain and the United States.
He says the study aims to find out what might attract them to resettle on Pitcairn and help grow the economy.
"And also if they've got thoughts on why they might not settle back. One of the obvious things is the remoteness of Pitcairn and to see what we can do to develop some opportunities. We can't do anything about the remoteness but maybe the accessibility to the island."
Kevin Lynch says consultants will also be recruited to conduct a socio-economic survey of Pitcairn to find out the opportunities and pinch-points in its economy.
11) Tongan Artifacts To Be Auctioned In England
Methodist minister's family put items up for sale
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 18, 2013) – A valuable collection of preserved Tongan artefacts, including five war clubs, a priest's staff and a kali or a headrest, dating back to the 1800's, are to be auctioned in England at the end of this month.
Matangi Tonga reports that the combined value of the artefacts has been put at up to 177 thousand US dollars.
The artefacts belong to the family of the Reverend John Thomas, one of the first Methodist missionaries in Tonga.
12) Agreement Reached To End Papeete Port Strike
2,000 containers backed up after 17-day stoppage
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 18, 2013) – An agreement has been reached in French Polynesia to end a 17-day port strike in Papeete.
Reports say about 2,000 containers have been stacked in port but they should gradually be cleared from today once details of the strike settlement have been worked through.
The stoppage centred on demands to improve security after a number of fatal work accidents in recent years.
Tahiti-infos says however there are divergent interpretations of the accord, with the union saying its members will be paid in full for the days they were on strikes.
The port management and the government say this is not the case.
The strike is said to have caused more than two million US dollars a day in losses to the local economy.
Business leaders have gone to court in a bid to coerce the French High Commission to intervene.
MICRONESIA:
13) CNMI lawmaker says Fund settlement deal unconstitutional
A lawmaker in the Northern Marianas says the tentatively approved agreement the Inos administration entered into with beneficiaries of the CNMI Retirement Fund is unconstitutional.
Janet Maratita says the agreement to commit the Commonwealth to pay millions of dollars for an indefinite period without regard to anticipated revenues is, at best, unconstitutional and illegal.
She said Governor Eloy Inos is constitutionally and statutorily mandated to submit to the Legislature a proposed annual balanced budget that describes the CNMI's anticipated revenues and recommended expenditures.
Ms Maratita also says it is a breach of the governor's fiduciary duty to agree to cut retirees' pension by 25 percent without a corresponding cut from the CNMI budget.
The governor earlier said that without the settlement deal that guarantees minimum pension payment, the Fund would cease to exist much faster than earlier anticipated.
Restoration of the deferred 25-percent pension will depend on the availability of funds that the Legislature will appropriate based on new revenue-generating measures and an improved economy.
14) FREE FORUM TO CALL FOR RECOGNITION OF SOUTH SEA ISLANDERS
MEDIA RELEASE for Sydney University
'Sydney Ideas' panel to be held on 20 August 2013
The University of Sydney will next week co-host a Sydney Ideas forum calling for formal recognition of Australia's South Sea Island people.
Australian South Sea Islanders were brought to Australia from Vanuatu, Solomon and surrounding islands under the infamous 'Blackbirding'
scheme which lasted from 1863 until 1906. Under the scheme an estimated 60,000 thousand islanders worked as indentured labourers for the sugar cane, pastoral and maritime industries. Many have called 'Blackbirding' a new form of slavery.
In 1901 the Commonwealth – as part of its White Australia Policy – passed the Pacific Island Labourers Act, intended to deport South Sea Islanders to their country of origin. After an outcry, 1,500 were allowed to stay in Australia while another 1,000 people hid in the bush for a few years, resulting in what today is a culturally distinct population of about 40,000 people.
Next week's The Call for Recognition of the Australian South Sea Islander Peoples: A Human Rights issue for a 'Forgotten People' will bring together historians, community members, politicians and other interested parties to discuss the need to acknowledge these people as a distinct group. It will be opened by Eddie Koiki Mabo's widow Bonita, patron of the event's co-host the national Australian Association of South Sea Islanders Port Jackson (ASSI.PJ).
"Often Australian South Sea Islanders are confused with modern migrants from Melanesian countries," says one of the forum's coordinators Matt Poll, an ASSI.PJ member and curator of the University's indigenous collection at its Macleay Museum.
"Some have been here for six generations, often existing on the fringes of society. Restitution issues, such as unpaid wages from the Queensland government, dual citizenship and reunification with families remain unresolved."
"Consequently, many ASSI's suffer the same disadvantages as Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and remain marginalised."
Lobbying by the ASSI community has resulted in some recognition: after a Human Rights and Equal Opportunity Commission report the ASSI community in 1994 were recognised by the Commonwealth as a disadvantaged ethnic group. However, subsequent political momentum has floundered as supportive politicians such as Prime Minister Paul Keating and NSW Premier Bob Carr left office.
Panel member Alex Greenwich MP will urge the NSW Parliament for a debate and motion to recognise the NSW ASSI community this Thursday,
15 August.
"We are calling on the Commonwealth to remind it of its commitment to our community, made in 1994, for the rightful recognition of our forefathers and our future generations," says ASSI.PJ President Emelda Davis.
Next week's forum is one of a host of events marking the 150th anniversary of the beginning of Blackbirding. Renowned ASSI historian Professor Clive Moore, human rights activist and former journalist Jeff McMullen, community member Shireen Malamoo, and Queensland representatives Marcia Eves from Australian South Sea Islander Heritage organisation Mackay Inc. and Professor Gracelyn Smallwood Of James Cook University will be among those who will discuss the need to give the ASSI people recognition.
NSW Parliament on the 15th August has recognised Australian South Sea Islanders in a motion put forward for debate by Independent Minister for Sydney Alex Greenwich who will participate as apart of the panel.
This free forum will highlight a largely forgotten yet culturally important era of Australia's history and address the human rights of this small, but important, group of Australians. It is co-presented by the Macleay Museum, the ASSI national representative body and the Australian Association for Pacific Studies.
What: The Call for Recognition of the Australian
South Sea Islander Peoples: A Human Rights issue
When: Law School Foyer, Eastern Avenue, The
When: Tuesday 20 August 2013, 6-7.30pm
Cost: Free, but registration is necessary.
Contact: 02 9351 2943 or [email protected]
Media contact: Jocelyn Prasad, 02 91141382 or
Emelda Davis – President, Interim National Body for Australian South Sea Islanders.
(Port Jackson) Ltd – branch
ONYX Management Group.
M: (61.2) 0416 300 946
PO Box 117, Pyrmont, Sydney NSW, Australia 2009
@: [email protected]
15) Solomons PM Appeals For Equal Rights For Descendants Of South Sea Islanders
Lilo speaks at Australian event recognizing 'blackbirding' 150 years ago
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, August 19, 2013) – Solomons Prime Minister Gordon Darcy Lilo has appealed to Australia to give equal rights and opportunities to the descendants of the south sea islanders.
On the same note, the Prime Minister has also appealed to the descendants of the south sea islanders at Bundaberg, Queensland to 'forgive' the traders who brought their forefathers as slaves 150 years ago.
Speaking to a gathering organized by descendants of Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, New Caledonia and Papua New Guinea, Mr Lilo said while it was sorrowful to learn about the story of what happened 150 years ago; our Melanesia people must be encouraged to forgive.
'I am appealing on behalf of my people and the descendants that Australia must grant equal participation to the lost Melanesian generation," he said.
"I would like to also appeal that we forgive and forget what happened to our people 150 years ago and move forward."
The Prime Minister was speaking at an event held in Bundaberg over the weekend.
Mr Lilo was speaking along the lines from the gospel of Luke 23:34 in which Jesus echoed during his last minutes on the cross 'Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they were doing.'
"We have come 150 years and I think it is time we must forgive those who have done wrong to our Melanesian forefathers," he said.
Mr Lilo said it would not be easy but as children of God, it was the right thing to do.
"We have to move on for the sake of our children's children," he said.
Mr Lilo's message has received praise from Chiefs and elders of participating Melanesian countries.
One of the chief's from Vanuatu said Prime Minister Lilo's message was the way forward for this generation.
Descendants of the south sea islanders who flocked in to attend the ceremony shed tears when Prime Minister Lilo gave his speech; appealing for forgiveness and equal participation.
16) NZ Foreign Minister Opens Western Solomons Runway
Munda airport upgrades funded by New Zealand
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (Radio New Zealand International, August 15, 2013) – The New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully has opened the new Munda runway and the Noro-Munda road in the Western Province of Solomon Islands.
New Zealand has contributed 20 million US dollars to the airport expansion which it is hoped will help boost tourism opportunities in the western part of the country.
Mr McCully says the next stage of the project will see the runway upgraded to international alternate status, allowing it to become a back-up runway.
He says this will benefit airlines servicing Honiara as it will reduce the amount of fuel they need to carry in case of an emergency.
[PIR editor's note: The Solomon Times reported that a Landowner group is upset and "are threatening to close the airport over what they claim as being left out of negotiations for the national infrastructure on their land."]
17) Violence contre les femmes : toujours un fléau dans le Pacifique
Posté à 19 August 2013, 8:56 AEST
Pierre Riant
26 représentantes de 6 nations océaniennes du Pacifique se sont réunies la semaine dernière dans la capitale fidjienne de Suva. Une réunion menée sous l'égide des Nations Unies.
L'objectif est de travailler à l'élaboration de nouvelles stratégies pour combattre la violence à l'égard des femmes. Ce taux de violence serait toujours parmi les plus élevés de la planète.
Des études présentées à la réunion de Suva montrent que 60% des femmes des pays représentées à cet atelier de travail sont victimes de violence.radio australia.
18) Fidji : les eaux montent, 34 villages déménagent
Les populations de 34 villages côtiers identifiés par les autorités fidjiennes vont être contraintes de quitter les côtes au cours de ces prochaines années.
Le gouvernement estime que d'ici 5 à 10 ans, ces villages ne seront plus vivables et qu'ils sont trop vulnérables à la montée du niveau des eaux, conséquences du réchauffement climatique.
L'un de ces villages dans la province de Bua a déjà été délocalisé et le village de Tavea devrait bientôt subir le même sort.
Veresa Ceguadrau est un spécialiste du changement climatique dans la province de Bua.
CEGUADRAU : « En ce moment, les effets du changement climatique sont évidents et ont été ressentis lors des marées hautes et des cyclones. L'eau et les débris allaient directement dans le village et endommageait les maisons. Il n'y avait donc pas d'autres options que de déménager surtout à cause des marées. L'eau arrivait jusqu'au pas de porte. Il fallait donc les mettre en lieu sûr parce que dans 2 ou 3 ans ça risque d'être désastreux. »
Est-ce à dire que la situation n'a pas toujours été comme ça et que cette situation actuelle est due au changement climatique. La réponse de Veresa Ceguadrau.
CEGADRAU : « Il y a eu beaucoup de pertes le long des côtes et notamment beaucoup d'arbres qui poussaient au bord de l'eau. L'environnement est vulnérable à ces changements et la seule option reste la délocalisation. »
Avec plus de 14 000 habitants sur plus de 1 000 kilomètres carrés, la province de Bua, à l'ouest Vanua Levu, compte parmi les provinces les moins peuplées de l'archipel.
Selon Veresa Cegadrau, de nombreux villages sont affectés, non seulement dans les îles de cette province mais sur la grande terre de la province où la grande île principale de la province.
La délocalisation a déjà commencé avec un village, qu'elle sera la prochaine étape ?
CEGADRAU : « Nous n'avons encore rien entendu de la part du gouvernement mais nous cherchons aussi une assistance ailleurs. Nous sommes en train de préparer un dossier que nous proposerons à plusieurs gouvernements pour qu'ils nous aident à délocaliser les villageois. Nous avons déjà identifié des zones de l'île principale où ils pourraient s'établir. Ce qui impliquerait de 200 à 300 personnes. »
En attendant certains villages connaîtraient déjà quelques problèmes d'alimentation.
CEGADRAU : « Étant donné l'avancée massive de l'eau de mer dans la terre, certaines cultures ne poussent plus aussi bien. Nous avons reçu des provisions de la part d'autres villages de l'île et pour certains c'est suffisant car c'est une culture de subsistance, ils ne font pas d'agriculture commerciale pour le moment dans ces îles. »
Veresa Ceguadrau : spécialiste du changement climatique dans la province de Bua.http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/
PASIFIK:
19) Fiji Foreign Minister Questions NZ Claim Of Being 'Relatives' Of Pacific
Kubuabola says Australia, NZ don't 'share development aspirations'
By Mereani Gonedua
SUVA, Fiji (Fijilive, August 18, 2013) – Fiji's Foreign Minister Ratu Inoke Kubuabola says Australia and New Zealand cannot consider themselves "relative" because they do not share the development aspirations of the Pacific.
Responding to New Zealand Prime Minister Murray McCully's comments, PACNEWS reports that Kubuabola said a relative in the Pacific context implies a bond, a connection of culture and trust, a connection with respect and a connection of being equal partners in the region.
"If Australia and New Zealand really consider themselves to be a "relative" or a "part' of the Pacific, then why is it that the Pacific Islanders are still required to obtain a visa to enter Australia and New Zealand?.
"If Australia and New Zealand are really a part of the Pacific, then why is it that in the international arena for instance in the United Nations, Australia and New Zealand are not with the Pacific grouping but under another umbrella group of countries when it comes to consultative discussions." Kubuabola said that if Australia and New Zealand were really relatives of the Pacific, then they would have consulted the Pacific at large on their Asylum Seeker Policy without trying to dump the solution in the Melanesia Group.
"Now then McCully how do you define the term relative, is it one who is your close neighbor and is selfish or is it one who has an altruistic outlook.
I say it's the latter." Kubuabola further said to be considered relatives, Australia and New Zealand need to start going beyond geographical boundaries and share in the development hopes of Pacific Island countries.
Fijilive: http://www.fijilive.com
20) UNESCAP concerned over lack of birth certificates in Asia-Pacific
Updated 19 August 2013, 8:27 AEST
The UN Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific says worldwide 220 million children under five don't have their births registered.
The United Nations says it's concerned as many as two out of every five births each year goes unregistered.
UNESCAP's Haishan Fu has told Pacific Beat reducing that figure is important for both parents and governments.
"Registering a birth is not just about the rights of the individual, but its also the basic function and responsibilities of governments," she said.
"It's really the basis for efficient public administration and good governance – the mere act of registration of the birth not only confers the rights and legal identity to the individual, but also leaves in the administration the record which forms the basis of the very critical vital statistics for the government to understand the population…so they can design the right public policy.
UNESCAP says in the Asia-Pacific region only 40 per cent of births are registered.
In parts of South Asia, as few as one in three births are registered, while in Vanuatu, the figure falls as low as 26 per cent.
Ms Fu says while registration is a legal requirement, there are a lot of reasons why it's still not happening.
"Whether people are aware of this legal requirement, whether the government provides the services easily enough for people to access," she said.
"Also public awareness of parents – whether they understand the importance of having this birth certificate for their children down the road in their lives.
"[There are also] geographic barriers…and economic implications – often registering the births requires a fee and also there are hidden costs [where] parents have to go and forego work."
UNESCAP is calling for the registration of births to be made a development issue.
Ms Fu says the lack of a birth certificate can see people trapped in their own villages, unable to obtain a drivers license or a passport for travel.
"Without birth registration the individuals themselves are denied opportunities and basic rights to access school services, health services; to be able to vote or open bank accounts; to participate in formal economic activities.
"At the same time, [they] run the higher risk of being exploited and trafficked."http://www.radioaustralia.net.au/
21) Tokelau schools to be reviewed by New Zealand team(Polynesia)
Tokelau's government will know in a few weeks whether the territory's three schools are up to scratch, following a review by a team from New Zealand's Education Review Office.
The team of six heads to Tokelau later this week in order to assess the quality of education at schools on each of the territory's three atolls.
The head of the team, Violet Tu'uga Stevenson, says the Tokelau government requested the review of the schools, which cater for students from early childhood to year 11.
"So we're going over there to have a look at what's happening between early childhood and Year 11. We're looking at the curriculum, we're looking at the quality of teaching, we're looking at the resourcing and the leadership there."
Violet Tu'uga Stevenson says the team will also find out how many students continue their education beyond Year 11.
BUSINESS/TRADE+:
22) Workers' productivity must be raised to save Samoan companies – PM
The Samoan Prime Minister says for companies in Samoa to remain successful, their employees must be highly productive and raise their level of performance.
Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi was speaking in American Samoa over the weekend when he attended the 50th anniversary of StarKist Samoa cannery where the majority of the workforce is from Samoa.
Tuilaepa says Yazaki Samoa, which processes automotive components for export, has been in operation in Apia for a number of years and employs hundreds of workers in the low income bracket.
But he says the future of these companies is never certain, especially in these times of economic instability and uncertainty.
"Employees at all levels and management must and need to work co-operatively together to raise the level of performance in order to guarantee a certain future for them and their families, and by extension, their countries."
Samoa's Prime Minister Tuilaepa Sailele Malielegaoi
23) American Samoa marks 50th anniversary of tuna cannery, territory's shift to modern economy
4:57 pm GMT+12, 19/08/2013, American Samoa
American Samoa is celebrating the 50th birthday of a tuna cannery that Governor Lolo Matalasi Moliga says marked the U.S. territory's "shift to a modern economy."
Pittsburgh-based StarKist Co. opened the cannery in 1963. At the time, most people in American Samoa lived off the land by fishing and farming.
Today, StarKist Samoa — which was bought by South Korea's Dongwon Industries in 2008 — employs nearly half of the territory's private sector workforce.
It exports 6,000 containers of cargo annually to the U.S. and 500 containers to Australia and Southeast Asia.
"StarKist Samoa has become the single largest producing tuna cannery in the world," said Moliga.
Dongwon Chairman Jaechul Kim, StarKist CEO Sam Hwi Lee and other top Dongwan and StarKist officials traveled to American Samoa for the celebration, which will include singing by cannery workers and traditional dance.
The governor told the delegation in a meeting last week that he's working with American Samoa's delegate to Congress to prevent the territory's minimum wage from rising to match the rate for the rest of the United States.
The minimum wage in American Samoa varies from $4.18 to $5.59 per hour, depending on the industry.
A 2007 law instituted annual 50-cents increases until the rate matched the federal minimum of $7.25 per hour. Implementation of this law was frozen, however, until 2015.
The territory's other cannery, Chicken of the Sea, cited the law when it closed in 2009, costing the jobs of more than 2,000 employees. StarKist cited the law when it decided to lay off 800 workers the following year.
The governor's executive assistant, Iulogologo J. Pereira, said the Moliga was working to address the issue now and was not waiting until the moratorium expires in two years.
Moliga has asked territorial Department of Commerce officials to gather data to support his position that the federal minimum wage shouldn't be applied in American Samoa, Pereira said.
Chicken of the Sea has since been taken over by Tri Marine International, of Bellevue, Washington, which plans to start construction at the plant later this year.
SOURCE: AP/PACNEWS
24) Samoa Exporters Prepare Taro Exports To The U.S.
Growers want the opportunity to ship more
By Iliā L. Likou
APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, August 18, 2013) – Two containers of talo [taro] are being loaded for America – and the exporters want more.
More than 15 commercial farmers brought in crops this week for export to America, said Tanu To'omata, a senior Agriculture Officer.
"We already set the time and day for shipping talo to America for all the farmers that contacted us," he said. "They have to be on time and they were told the amount in kilos that they had to came up with."
Mr. To'omata confirmed they buy 20 kilos of talo for ST$41 [US$17.37].
Wednesday is the last day for the current shipment.
Figures from the central bank show a small but still significant export total from the 12 months to April 2013 of ST$749,000 [US$317,346].
At Aele last Thursday afternoon, two farmers were enthusiastic about the export opportunity.
Exporter Mrs. Lisa Kamu said there was "overwhelming" feedback to their first shipment.
"Our first container got a lot of demand from those in America and we want to ship more."
"It gives a great opportunity to every farmer to export their harvest."
"They are getting good rewards, rather than standing in the sun the whole day and getting nearly nothing."
Exporting also encourages farmer, Felise Vito of Lotopa.
"I get very good money – it's worth the pain of working day and night at the plantation."
"This is my second time sending taro to America and I was really happy with it."
How do the export prices compare to local markets?
A rough estimate by Samoa Observer would be from the Fugalei market where farmers get ST$20 tala [US$8.47] for a bag of about seven taro, between five to seven kilos.
However, while the price may be slightly higher locally, sales are not guaranteed.
Samoa Observer: www.samoaobserver.ws/
25) Researchers Say PNG Oil Palm Is A 'Cover' For Illegal Logging
Landowners who feel victimized by special leases, unsurprised
By Alexander Rheeney
PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (PNG Post-Courier, August 19, 2013) – Developers are using oil palm as a cover for logging in Papua New Guinea, say Australian-based researchers.
The new research by the James Cook University's Dr Paul Nelson and Jennifer Gabriel in a paper titled "Oil palm and deforestation in Papua New Guinea" was published recently in Conservation Letters, the journal of the Society of Conservation Biology.
Its findings will not surprise Papua New Guinean landowners who have been victimised in recent years by the Government's Special Agriculture and Business Lease (SABL), which saw large tracts of their land given away to developers under controversial 99-year leases, often without their informed consent.
Oil palm is the commodity of choice for the developers but conservationists have charged that it is a guise for logging.
Studying 36 oil palm proposals planned for close to 1 million hectares of land in PNG, Dr Nelson said they expect only five plantations covering 181,700 to eventuate and little of the land targeted for the development will be converted to agricultural use.
"Logging in Papua New Guinea is a major driver of deforestation, not oil palm plantations. We studied 36 oil palm proposals with plantings planned for 984,000 hectares but we expect that only five plantations covering 181,700 hectares might eventuate.
The most likely scenario in years to come is large-scale clearing and extraction of time with little of the land being converted into sustainable agricultural production," he said in a statement.
In what could be a chilling message to Papua New Guinean landowners already caught up in the SABL saga, the JCA-based researcher further alleged that most developers were "clearing forest with no intention of cultivating palm oil" as it enabled them to bypass restrictions on logging within the country.
Institute of National Affairs (INA) executive director Paul Barker agreed when asked to comment on the report by the Post-Courier, saying developers used the SABL policy to "circumvent" the requirements of the Forestry Act, which would have ensured the sustainable management and harvesting of timber and landowner forest management agreements with the PNG Forest Authority.
"The failure by the developers to factor in costs to cater for oil palm mills and nurseries which are normally associated with the establishment of oil palm plantations confirmed that they were not genuine," Mr Barker added.
"You can tell most of the schemes aren't genuine as they don't plan and budget properly for the costs of expensive oil palm mills etc.
"And often set up small and inadequate nurseries and then have no mill ready when the oil palm is ready for harvest," he said.
Public outcry compelled then acting Prime Minister Sam Abal to set up a commission of inquiry into the SABL with the O'Neill Government taking it on board upon entering office last year.
However, to date a final report is yet to be handed over with PM Peter O'Neill describing the inquiry's performance as "disappointing" in March this year.
PNG Post-Courier: http://www.postcourier.com.pg/
26) Project To Improve Inter-Island Shipping In Vanuatu Launched
New Zealand, ADB support initiative expand shipping to remote islands
PORT VILA, Vanuatu (Vanuatu Daily Post, August 19, 2013) – The Vanuatu Inter-Island Shipping Support Project was launched jointly Friday by the Vanuatu Prime Minister Moana Carcasses, the visiting New Zealand Foreign Affairs Minister, Murray McCully, and Asian Development Bank's Pacific Department Director General, Xianbin Yao, at a ceremony at South Paray Bay in Port Vila.
The Vanuatu Inter-Island Shipping Support Project is a joint initiative between New Zealand, the Asian Development Bank and the Government of Vanuatu and it will improve domestic port facilities and expand shipping services to remote islands of Vanuatu.
Speaking at the occasion, New Zealand's Foreign Affairs Minister McCully announced that New Zealand is contributing $NZ17-million [US$13.8 million] towards the project to improve shipping services and port facilities in Vanuatu.
He said he was glad to represent the Government of New Zealand at the occasion of the launching of the project as "shipping services are a lifeline in the Pacific, connecting communities, moving goods to market and supporting the tourism industry". He said New Zealand is pleased to be working with ADB and Vanuatu to deliver this major upgrade of the interisland shipping services.
"This project is all about reconnecting people in rural and remote areas to health and education services and markets in other parts of Vanuatu and the region," said ADB Pacific Department DG Xianbin Yao, who participated in the launch ceremony. "It is modeled on the success of similar projects in Fiji, Papua New and Solomon Islands," he added.
Prime Minister Carcasses said the Inter-Island Shipping Project which will include the development of South Para Bay with wharf and port facilities "is one significant development as the main sea link domestic port on which the livelihood of the rest of over 80 inhabited outer islands of the archipelago will largely hinge".
"The Government and the people of Vanuatu sincerely appreciate and applaud the Government of New Zealand through you, Honorable Minister McCully, for taking the lead in the financing of this project," The Prime Minister said.
"To the Director General of the Pacific Department of the ADB Xianbin, we are extremely appreciative of your continuing support towards the infrastructure development endeavors of this country," he added.
The Inter-Island Shipping Support Project is being implemented over five years, starting in 2014 and will finance a new interisland terminal at South Paray Bay in Port Vila and construct new jetties on the islands of Malekula, Ambae, Tanna and Pentecost. The project will also rehabilitate several jetties in remote areas of Vanuatu.
The new terminal in Port Vila will provide sufficient berths to handle the growing volume of vessels, as well as separate transit facilities for men, women and the disabled.
The franchise shipping component of the project will enable private sector ship operators to provide services to commercially unviable destinations in remote parts of Vanuatu. It aims to spur rural development and promote the growth of rural productivity.
The project is expected to cost around $US26.8-million, with the New Zealand Government providing a grant of $NZ17-million ($US12.6), ADB providing a loan of almost $US11-million from its concessional Asian Development Fund, and the Government of Vanuatu contributing $US3.4-million.
Witnessing the ceremony was Chief Mantoi Kalsakau III paramount chief of the traditional land owners of Ifira Wharf and South Paray Bay, the 40-strong delegation accompanying the NZ Foreign Minister, Leader of the Opposition Ham Lini, Vanuatu Government Ministers and senior officials and members of the diplomatic corp.
LAW&ORDER:
27) Samoa quarantine officer jailed over possession of imported drug
A quarantine officer in Samoa, Junior Patau, has been jailed for three years and eight months after he was found guilty in an assessor trial a month ago.
The former officer was charged by the police after customs officers who were on duty at the Faleolo International airport in December last year found contraband of methamphetamine drug in a luggage the defendant had claimed.
During the trial, the police said the luggage came on unaccompanied and the defendant was at the airport to uplift it.
28) Guadalcanal Premier Returns Apology To Malaita Over Tensions
Stephen Panga pours out heart over ethnic unrest
By Charley Piringi
HONIARA, Solomon Islands (Solomon Star, August 16, 2013) – Guadalcanal premier Stephen Panga poured his heart out as he apologised to the people of Malaita over the recent ethnic unrest.
Mr Panga was one of the guest speakers at Malaita's 30th second appointed day celebrations in Auki, Thursday.
"On behalf of the government and people of Guadalcanal, I wish to sincerely apologise to Malaitan families and individuals for the pain, traumas, and other negative consequences you have gone through during the ethnic unrest," Mr Panga told the large Malaitan crowd.
"I sincerely apologise to the women and children who were caught in between and became victims directly or indirectly.
"I am really sorry.
"I ask that you forgive us," he added.
Malaita premier Edwin Suibaea had earlier offered similar apology to the people of Guadalcanal when he spoke at the province's second appointed celebrations last month at Doma.
Mr Panga reminded the Auki crowd that the people of Guadalcanal and Malaita are one.
"We are all Solomon Islanders. Our shared cultural and traditional values will continue to hold respect for each other."
Mr Panga said the unfortunate situation that happened between the people of Malaita and Guadalcanal is something that we could not believe.
"It is one we stand to regret.
"However, it had already happened.
"The strategy to adopt now is for us not to continue to dwell on the past.
"But let us learn from those mistakes, identify and curb our weaknesses, build on our strengths and let us work together to reconstruct and rebuild our relationships, our provinces, and our country."
Mr Panga told Malaitans that reconciliation between the two provinces is a key policy priority of his government.
"It is my sincere wish to see the two provinces united together in common good and work to foster and rebuild the relationship that we once enjoyed as one people in the past.
"My presence this morning in joining you in your celebrations is manifestation and affirmation of my genuineness and commitment to the reconciliation process between our two provinces.
"It is important that our two provinces have restorative reconciliations before the national government sets a national healing day where the two premiers make joint apology statements to the whole nation for what had happened."
In urging the two provinces to embrace and progress the peace process, Mr Panga presented a Chupu (Guadalcanal traditional gift giving) to his Malaitan counterpart.
REFUGEE/ASYLUM+:
29) PNG Supreme Court fast-tracks challenge against asylum deal
Papua New Guinea's Supreme Court has ruled in favour of fast-tracking a constitutional challenge by the opposition against the government's asylum seeker deal with Australia.
The opposition's first case against the Manus Island asylum seeker processing centre was thrown out of court on a technicality.
Since then, the opposition has relaunched a fresh challenge after the government agreed to an extended refugee resettlement arrangement with Australia.
The deputy opposition leader Sam Basil told Johnny Blades they are confident that their case has merits.
SAM BASIL: They have broken the laws daily since the deal was signed and executed. That was the urgency of the matter that the Supreme Court has agreed to fast-track the case. So we should be very concerned about the constitution because the constitution has been broken and recently the Prime Minister's office, in response, suggested that they will amend the constitution in parliament to ensure that the asylum seekers treaty doesn't break any PNG laws, and that has upset the opposition and upset a lot of Papua New Guineans that the government is going to go back and fix the laws that they've broken by executing the asylum seekers deal.
JOHNNY BLADES: What do you see as being constitutionally wrong about the deal?
SAM BASIL: I am not a lawyer so I will not go through many of them but one of those was the amount of time required to hold suspects under detention – that would be one of those laws that would be broken. The others would be if the asylum seekers come into the country and they are part of same-sex couples, they will break some of our rules. How do PNG laws apply to those asylum seekers? There is no policy on asylum seekers currently being adopted by PNG or that is in PNG's constitution.
JOHNNY BLADES: The government, do you get the feeling that perhaps they under-estimated the depth of opposition to the deal?
SAM BASIL: As Papua New Guineans, we understand our role. We should play our part in this region to mitigate any of those issues and threats that come into our region. In doing so, we the opposition of PNG are asking that we have to do it properly. We have to do it accordingly by our constitution. We understand that there is a federal election coming up in Australia. We believe that the urgency was because the Labor Party wants to use this issue to maybe get popular votes and return Rudd and his team back in to parliament. But not at the cost of our constitution. There is a figure of 450 million Australian dollars that has been mentioned by the Prime Minister of PNG, that that money is what we're going to benefit from this deal… but that money is actually the normal AusAID money we get every year. But I don't think that our constitution is worth 450 million dollars. Our constitution is pre-eminent. We must respect it. The case must be brought back to parliament and debated properly but instead they've already put the cart before the horse. They realise they've broken the law and Prime Minister O'Neill is trying to change the law so that has upset a lot of Papua New Guineans and we must understand that we Papua New Guineans are very jealous of our constitution. When you mingle with it, we have something to say about it. That's why we bring it to the courts now for the five-judge bench to make a decision.
CLIMATE CHANGE/CONSERVATION & ENVIROMENT:
30) PNG's Port Moresby faces water shortage
Papua New Guinea's capital city, Port Moresby, could be facing severe water shortages in coming months, as levels in its only water source, the Sirinumu Dam, slowly recede with no sign of rain to replenish it.
On Sunday senior executives of the water supply authority, Eda Ranu, appealed to the public to be water conscious.
The chief executive, Henry Mokono and senior management took journalists to the dam to show them the critical state of the city's water supplies.
A Sirinumu Dam landowner says usually the dam, on the Sogeri plateau, is not affected by the dry weather that affects Port Moresby.
Mr Mokono says the situation is very bad and everyone must start taking some responsibility when using water.
He says washing vehicles with hoses, watering flower gardens and simply wasting water must cease or the city will run out of water.
The utility has also begun a water rationing exercise which will be publicised in the media.
31) NZ commits to 2020 climate change target
4:52 pm GMT+12, 19/08/2013, New Zealand
New Zealand has committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions to five per cent below 1990 levels by 2020.
Climate Change Minister Tim Groser says the target compares favourably with our traditional partners and reflects New Zealand's unique national circumstances.
"Our 2020 target is more ambitious than our Kyoto Protocol first commitment period target, " says Minister Groser.
"The target is affordable and demonstrates that New Zealand is doing its fair share to address global climate change. In deciding this target, the Government has carefully balanced the cost to New Zealand households and businesses against taking ambitious action to tackle climate change."
New Zealand is taking the 2020 target under the UN Framework Convention rather than the Kyoto Protocol itself.
"We're working towards a binding agreement under the Convention that, from 2020, will apply to all parties," said Groser.
"Taking this 2020 target allows us to take action in the interim, while the shape of this new agreement is being determined. It also gives us the flexibility to begin our transition to the new agreement's rules ahead of time.
SOURCE: TVNZ/PACNEWS
32) Scientists Find 40 New Species Of Beetles On Tahiti
Tahiti hosts 'some of the most diverse insects populations' on earth
MELBOURNE, Australia (Radio Australia, August 19, 2013) – A group of entomologists has found more than 40 new species of beetles on the steep slopes of the Tahitian mountains.
The team hiked into areas only accessible from helicopter drop-off points, and never before visited by scientists.
Tahiti is home to some of the most diverse insect populations in the world.
Professor James Liebherr from Cornell University in New York led the expedition and says it's uncommon to have so many different kinds of beetles in one place.
"The significance in my mind is that the amount of diversity in Tahiti is all restricted to Tahiti.
"They are all endemic species.
"You go to any particular ridges that make up the volcano Tahiti Nui, and there's been extensive erosion and many of these ridges are quite isolated, and you go ridge to ridge, even then you find different species," he told Pacific Beat.
"The older volcano on Tahiti is only 1.4 million years old and we've discovered over 100 species there, so these things are clicking along at a very rapid rate."
Professor Liebherr believes many of the beetles can be traced back to one found in Australia.
"My hypothesis is that it's a very, very common species found across Australia.
"It has wings, it flies, you could be in Sydney or in Perth…it doesn't matter, it's everywhere."
"But when you get back to these island systems the flight wings have been lost, evolutionarily and at that point the ranges become much smaller."
"They become homebodies, they can't fly, they simply stay where they are and the populations diverge."
The group didn't discover any hybrid species, because they tend to stay in one place and breed with their neighbours.
"You'll have small populations, perhaps on a ridge constrained by a forest-type or levels of precipitation or particular tree species and they don't occur anywhere else, and as the slopes fall away in between they're left high and dry," Professor Liebherr says.
"We also found on this trip that there were other things that specialise on wet rock faces, so they're living between the layers of volcanic rock where springs are coming out of the ground.
"Other ones are specific to particular types of vegetation and seem not to be found on other things. and so they're very, very specific ecologically."
Professor Leibherr says it's highly likely there are many more species to be discovered in Tahiti.
"There are four major massifs in the south end of Tahiti Nui that no entomologist has ever been on, so the work certainly hasn't been done.
"I think we're about halfway there."
Radio Australia: www.abc.net.au/ra
33) Yere form sizzling
5:34 pm GMT+12, 19/08/2013, Papua New Guinea
The form of UK-based rugby league player Menzie Yere should earn him a place in the Papua New Guinea squad for the Rugby League World Cup, says rival international coach Mark Aston.
The powerful centre can win games on his own says Aston who is head coach of Ireland and Yere's club team Sheffield Eagles.
"Can he score a full-length try? Yes. Can he score a try from two yards out? Yes. Menzie can have an impact," said Aston.
"If I was Papua New Guinea's coach I would certainly be looking at having him in there because sometimes when it's a close game people like him can win it for you."
Yere is having his best season for Sheffield Eagles who lead the Championship – the second tier competition in the UK professional game. He has set a new club individual try-scoring record with 38 and his career total for Sheffield is 110, only four behind the mark set by Daryl Powell from 1984 to 1995.
Yere burst on the international scene for PNG in the 2008 World Cup and his ferocious tackling in the Four Nations three years later earned him the nickname 'Jukebox' – because he has all the big hits.
He joined the Sheffield club in 2009 and faces competition for a place in the PNG squad for this year's competition from players plying their trade in Australia.
"Menzie did enough to get in the squad in 2008 and I think he's got better," said Aston "He's back to his best.
He's scoring more tries and he's playing at a higher level. He's stronger, more mature.
"Menzie would certainly be given an opportunity to be in the Ireland squad.
What we are looking for at Ireland is that person that can do something different – that's what all the nations, even those with the riches of the NRL or Super League are looking for. "All the countries from that side of the globe will be full of NRL players.
But it's about getting the players to gel. The NRL is the best competition in the world but not every player is the best."
The Rugby League World Cup 2013 kicks off at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff, on Saturday October 26, with matches played in England, Wales, Ireland and France. PNG are in Group B and will face the cup holders New Zealand as well as Samoa and France.
SOURCE: POST COURIER/PACNEWS
34) Brigadier General Naivalurua lays down challenge for Team Fiji
5:31 pm GMT+12, 19/08/2013, Fiji
"You can win the battle but you must also win the war" was advice to Team Fiji from keynote speaker, Brigadier General Naivalurua in his address at the pre-Games departure Team Assembly held at the Fiji Arts Club on Saturday, August 18 in Suva.
Addressing the 108 strong contingent representing seven sports, Brigadier General Naivalurua stressed the importance of family values and maintaining the strong sense of discipline required on the field, also off the field. He said each member of Team Fiji were seen as heroes of their country and called for patriotism from the athletes and officials, who were not only going into "battle" for their own benefit but rather as representatives of their beloved country and their families.
Brigadier General Naivalurua also presented the athletes and officials with their uniform kits consisting of sports gear from FASANOC sponsor JR White, walk out uniform and casual wear from Unitex and footwear from Dahia Shoes.
During the assembly, the team management also provided an update on what could be expected for Team Fiji's two-week competition in Wallis and Futuna.
Team Fiji departs Nadi on a Fiji Airways Charter on August 31 and returns on September 12 immediately after the closing ceremony.
Fiji will compete in athletics & parasports, rugby 7s, sailing, taekwondo, weightlifting, va'a and volleyball (Beach and Indoor Women)
Chef de Mission Alini Sovu in her vote of thanks acknowledged the contributions towards Team Fiji's preparation and participation costs from the Fiji Government, through the National Sports Commission, Team Fiji's Partners for Gold, FASANOC Sponsors and the International Olympic Committee.
SOURCE: FASANOC/PACNEWS
35) McCaw will never stop playing
By Chris Rattue, NZ Herald, www.nzherald.co.nz
Having watched Richie McCaw motoring around in the Sydney test I'm predicting he might make the 2019 World Cup.
After a long holiday, most people do boring things like mow the lawn and rescue the angry family cat from up a tree.
Maybe Richie McCaw does mow his own lawns and has a cat with a grumpy face but for the sake of this piece, he breaks the rules by – drum roll – playing a rugby test straight after his holiday.
It was absolutely amazing to watch him charging around as if he'd never been away, even though it was hardly unexpected. One of the many things about McCaw is that he is very noticeable. He's not the biggest of forwards, but he looks like the biggest forward. Whether he's nabbing a turnover or getting penalised or making a tackle, he seems to fill up the screen.
Sam Cane, his understudy, did a lot of work against France this year but he hardly got noticed. Even when he crucially charged down a drop kick, hardly anyone remembered Sam Cane.
The only time people don't notice McCaw is when they should. Israel Folau went on one burst late in Saturday night's test and there in the background you could see the inevitable – R. McCaw steaming into view, holiday forgotten, living on hope, putting himself in a position. And hey presto: Folau chucked the ball straight at – you guessed it – McCaw. Some opponents also claim that referees can't see McCaw, even though he's always tangled on their side of the ruck. But that's another story.
Okay, so this was hardly the perfect return. McCaw got pinged for three offences, fumbled the ball a few times, and was a lifter in a lineout that went wrong from which Will Genia scored a great try. But none of that matters much. He took an early hit, got up, got stuck in, made repeat tackles, made the most All Black runs, messed the Aussies up, scored a try, took everyone's attention. The Aussies will be having nightmares, thinking they are never going to see the back of McCaw. Cane might be wondering who retires first.
The legend has only grown. Will he ever stop? Did he run home after the test match? Why don't bits of his body break like everybody's else's and when they do, why doesn't he break?
Is there a chance one day he'll welcome a youngster with a name like Thorn into the All Blacks and reminisce, "I used to play with your dad"? Could McCaw create yet another record and become the first All Black to get two super sabbaticals? Maybe he'll play so long that by the end of his career, someone will have figured out decent scrum rules.
It all lies ahead for young, 32-year-old Richie McCaw. For a bloke with 117 tests, he's showing a lot of promise.
New scrum rules
The new scrum engagement rules are working but seem unfair. There are fewer resets and shenanigans, for sure. But at what price? In the Sydney test, the team putting the ball in – the team that strongly deserves to retain possession – is at a clear disadvantage. I counted 12 scrums in the match, and the team putting the ball in only retained or cleared it efficiently three times for one reason or another, including the concession of penalties. A renewed emphasis on the hooker having to strike for the ball might be handicapping the front row of the team with the put in.
update: 2013/08/19 | News
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Scout accelerates the site acquisition process by enabling virtual site walks and automating pole measurements to create candidate packages, site sketches, 1As and topographical surveys. It eliminates the need for back-office processing of the data gathered in the field because all field data is uploaded from the app and is immediately accessible through a complementary web portal called Base. Base manages search rings and auto-populates candidate packages and survey templates as soon as the field data is uploaded from Scout.
Cutting edge technology to make site acquisition and surveying work effortless.


Wendell Sparrer, Triple "A" Professional, Agent, Appraiser, Auctioneer! | Abbitt Realty Co.
Triple "A" Professional, Agent, Appraiser, Auctioneer!
As a life long Peninsula resident with over four decades of real estate experience, Wendell has been involved in listing, selling, appraising, and financing properties. He is an experienced real estate investor with the knowledge it takes to purchase, rehab, sell, or rent properties. He is licensed to sell, appraise, and auction real estate. Call Wendell, your Triple "A" Professional, Agent, Appraiser, Auctioneer!


text:
package com.tle.core.connectors.blackboard.beans;

import java.util.List;

public abstract class PagedResults<M> {
  private List<M> results;
  private Paging paging;

  public List<M> getResults() {
    return results;
  }

  public void setResults(List<M> results) {
    this.results = results;
  }

  public Paging getPaging() {
    return paging;
  }

  public void setPaging(Paging paging) {
    this.paging = paging;
  }
}

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Genetic risk factors identified for sudden cardiac death
Published: Monday, March 23, 2009 - 08:29 in Health & Medicine
Building on these findings, the Helmholtz scientists and their clinical partners want to obtain further insights into the pathogenesic mechanisms of the disease and gain perspectives for early diagnosis and therapy. The results of the genome-wide study have been published online in the journal Nature Genetics. Together with scientists of the international research consortium QTSCD (QT Interval and Sudden Cardiac Death), Dr. Arne Pfeufer of the Institute of human Genetics at Helmholtz Zentrum München has identified 10 gene variants which predispose to an elevated risk for arrhythmias and SCD. In interaction with other, still undiscovered factors, these gene variants influence heart repolarization and raise or lower the risk of cardiac arrhythmias. In their study, the scientists examined the electrocardiograms of more than 15,000 persons from Germany, Italy and the U.S.
"The results of a second science consortium, QTGEN, were nearly identical to our findings," said Pfeufer. This provides assurance for the scientists involved in the study – the Munich research team led by Professor Thomas Meitinger, institute director at Helmholtz Zentrum München and holder of the chair in human genetics at the Technische Universität München (TUM) and Assistant Professor Stefan Kääb, MD, senior physician at the University Hospital of Munich, Campus Grosshadern, along with their German, Italian and American colleagues – that their approach was correct and that the findings are absolutely reliable.
"For clinicians, an important indicator for increased arrhythmia risk is the QT interval in the ECG," Stefan Kääb explained. The QT interval describes the time span needed to send the electrical impulse into the heart ventricles and then to recharge. A prolonged QT interval can – depending on the underlying disease – increase the risk of arrhythmias and SCD up to five-fold.
The scientists were not looking for rare variants carried by only a few people. Rather, they were particularly interested in common gene variants, which in each person can influence the length of the QT interval. They do not increase the personal disease risk as single genes, but rather in combination of genetic factors and in context with other risk factors such as medications or ischemia.
"We view this form of genome-wide search for common gene variants associated with widespread diseases as a very promising approach for making discoveries in totally uncharted territory," said Thomas Meitinger, describing the method. "In contrast to the study of single genes, this genome-wide approach offers entirely new starting points for the investigation of common diseases such as sudden cardiac death."
The provision of highly valid population-based data of test persons from the KORA study platform headed by Professor H.-Erich Wichmann, director of the Institute of Epidemiology at Helmholtz Zentrum München, formed an essential basis for the successful realization of the research project.
The QTSCD study arose from long-standing close collaboration between human geneticists, cardiologists, epidemiologists and informaticians of Helmholtz Zentrum München, the university hospital Klinikum rechts der Isar of the Technische Universität München and the university hospital of Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU), Campus Grosshadern. Other partners of Helmholtz Zentrum München in the QTSCD consortium were the scientists of the Heinz Nixdorf RECALL Study in Essen and the research center Life & Brain of the University of Bonn. Professor Aravinda Chakravarti of John Hopkins University in Baltimore was director of the project.
In a next step, follow-up studies shall confirm the connection between the new gene variants and sudden cardiac death. "We want to collect and evaluate further data on the respective individual genetic risk for arrhythmias in a large number of patients," Dr. Kääb said. The common objective of the Helmholtz scientists and their clinical partners through these studies is to gain further insights into pathogenetic mechanisms and thus gain perspectives for improved risk prediction and more successful therapy.
Source: Helmholtz Zentrum München - German Research Center for Environmental Health
Common gene variants influence risk factor for sudden cardiac death
Hopkins scientists ID 10 genes associated with a risk factor for sudden cardiac death
Sun, 22 Mar 2009, 18:30:41 UTC
Study ID's sudden cardiac death genes
Genes linked to risk of sudden cardiac death
from CBC: Health
Study finds 10 genes that raise sudden death risk
from Reuters:Science
Ten genes identified in connection with sudden cardiac death
Ten Genes Associated With A Risk Factor For Sudden Cardiac Death Identified
Scientists ID ten genes associated with a risk factor for sudden cardiac death
genetic risk factors
institute of human genetics
journal nature genetics
munich campus
prolonged qt interval
sudden cardiac death

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


Hi. I 'm a Visual Artist/Photographer and film maker. My aim here is to develop upon my portfolio, network and build a broad range of styles mainly within the fields of fashion, makeup and hair and to generally have fun doing it. I'm open to many styles ranging from vintage, gothic, reportage to standard fashion editorial. I would frequently travel to other areas in the UK so I am available far and wide. Message me for my very reasonable rate. If the model and shoot is right for my portfolio I will do TFCD. So if you want to work on something a little bit more creative than 'the norm' say hello.
More of my photographic work can be seen at my facebook page.


text:
Q: Creating new class by program API classes in C#(not recognized as program's model objects ) I'm working with a program's API in C# (Tekla Structures). I created a new class with the program's default classes in the namespace and then in the main program I created an object of it.
It works fine - the object will create in the program. But then when I want to do another function like cutting on this object that I created it won't work and the error message is here:

Cannot implicitly convert type 'test_class.Form1.CreateBeam' to
'Tekla.Structures.Model.ModelPbject'

Code:
namespace test_class
{

    public partial class Form1 : Form
    {
        public Form1()
        {
            InitializeComponent();
        }

        private void Form1_Load(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {

        }

        private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
        {
            Point Point1 = new Point(0, 0, 0);
            Point Point2 = new Point(3000, 0, 0);
            CreateBeam MyBeam = new CreateBeam();
            MyBeam.BeamStartPointEndPoint(Point1, Point2);

            Fitting EndFit_1 = new Fitting();
            EndFit_1.Plane = new Plane();
            EndFit_1.Plane.Origin = new Point(100, 0, 0);
            EndFit_1.Plane.AxisX = new Vector(500, 0, 0);
            EndFit_1.Plane.AxisY = new Vector(0, -500, 0);
            EndFit_1.Father = MyBeam;

        }

       //new Class

        public class CreateBeam
        {
            public void BeamStartPointEndPoint(Point Point1, Point Point2)
            {
                Beam MyBeam = new Beam();
                MyBeam.StartPoint = Point1;
                MyBeam.EndPoint = Point2;
                MyBeam.Finish = "PAINT";
                MyBeam.Profile.ProfileString = "PL10*200";
                MyBeam.Insert();
            }

        }

    }

}

The error occurs at this line:
EndFit_1.Father = MyBeam;

Documentation: https://developer.tekla.com/tekla-structures/api/14/14118
Does anyone know what should I do?

A: Providing an answer now the question is re-opened, based on the comments above.
https://developer.tekla.com/tekla-structures/api/14/13757 notes that the Father property has a type of ModelObject. It can accept objects of that type, or any type which inherits from it. But CreateBeam is obviously not ModelObject and it also doesn't inherit from it.
Within the class you're creating a Beam object. As per https://developer.tekla.com/tekla-structures/api/14/13623 Beam does inherit from ModelObject so it looks like that's what you really need to assign to Father.
At the moment your object exists only within that BeamStartPointEndPoint method. So to make it work, one approach is to return the Beam object from the method so you can assign it later on.
For example:
    public class CreateBeam
    {
        public Beam BeamStartPointEndPoint(Point Point1, Point Point2)
        {
            Beam MyBeam = new Beam();
            MyBeam.StartPoint = Point1;
            MyBeam.EndPoint = Point2;
            MyBeam.Finish = "PAINT";
            MyBeam.Profile.ProfileString = "PL10*200";
            MyBeam.Insert();
            return MyBeam;
        }
    }

and then:
    private void button1_Click(object sender, EventArgs e)
    {
        Point Point1 = new Point(0, 0, 0);
        Point Point2 = new Point(3000, 0, 0);
        CreateBeam MyBeam = new CreateBeam();
        Beam beam = MyBeam.BeamStartPointEndPoint(Point1, Point2);

        Fitting EndFit_1 = new Fitting();
        EndFit_1.Plane = new Plane();
        EndFit_1.Plane.Origin = new Point(100, 0, 0);
        EndFit_1.Plane.AxisX = new Vector(500, 0, 0);
        EndFit_1.Plane.AxisY = new Vector(0, -500, 0);
        EndFit_1.Father = beam;
    }

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaStackExchange


text:
Federal Public Lands and Sulfide-Ore mining in NE Minnesota
« Pollinators in Peril
Fully Charged: Can Minnesota transition to electric buses? »
Our speaker will feature Becky Rom. Board member of the Wilderness Society and past Board member Of The Friends Of The Boundary Waters. She will speak on the Federal Public Lands aspect of the Sulfide-Ore mining controversy and the opportunity to protect significant portions of the Superior National Forrest and the Boundary Waters from the harm that would be caused by proposed Copper mining. Becky Rom is a great inspirational speaker on an area important to most Minnesotans.
Becky Rom is retired from her position as President of the Twin Cities Community Land Bank and from 30 years the practice of law at Faegre Baker Daniels. Becky currently lives in Ely, MN, where her family has resided for three generations, and is a leader of the Campaign to Save the Boundary Waters. Becky has served on the Governing Council of The Wilderness Society since 1996 and on the Boards of numerous conservation and community organizations during the past four decades. Becky has received many awards and recognitions for civic engagement including the Willard Munger Award for Public Service, Corporate Women of Achievement (NAWBO), 25 Most Influential Women in Business (City Business), John Benson Pro Bono Award, and the Boundary Waters Conservation Award.
Walter J. Breckenridge Chapter
8816 W River Rd
Brooklyn Park, MN 55444 United States + Google Map


Bubbly, friendly and an all round laugh.
It would be amazing to be part of a magazine, considering that's what I'd like to do in the future. I'd love to get such exposure as well.
I'd save a lot of it but I would definitely buy clothes and beauty products that I can review on my blog and give myself a makeover.


In the age of digital connectivity where everyone is connected to everyone else with the push of a button, the initial reaction to a world culture festival that brings millions of people together in one place to celebrate different cultures was ambivalent to me. A television broadcast would reach millions more with lesser effort, was my first thought. Why all this fuss? Why fly people from the Far East, far west, places in between and then herd them all into one place in India?
Then the probing and analytical side of my mind took over and surprised me. Here's what I found: I Googled the phrase 'celebration of diversity' with a few key word variations. I learnt that the United Nation has sanctioned a day to celebrate and honour the world's cultural diversity. I was impressed with the goals and ambitions set out by this great organization but found that the magnitude and reach of their programs were rather local, scanty and scattered. The United Nation's programs were global in intention but lacked a global stage to present the differences it aimed to unite and celebrate. And then I searched for events that brought large numbers of people together in celebration. The search results ranged from the world renowned Kumbh Mela to large musical concerts to political rallies to papal parades. These congregations were huge, no doubt they brought over a million denizens of our planet together in one single place, but they were either religious, political or purely musical in nature – far from diverse – far from celebrating diversity.
We celebrate the earth, we celebrate seasons, we celebrate love, new year, harvest, graduation, art and even food and drinks, but we have no significant way to commemorate and celebrate the different cultures of our world! This eye opening fact was an 'ah-ha' moment for me. We don't have a unified forum or a global stage to present the colourful melange of world cultures. Like a mosaic that is created by assembling small and different pieces together, we could present a unified world by assembling a variety of people and culture in one place.
The Republic Day Parade in India is an example of national diversity. Similarly, the opening ceremony of the Olympics offers a stage for different countries and its people in one place – although the predominant competitive mood soon leads only the winning countries into celebration and leaves the rest a bit paler in comparison. Most global events induce a nationalistic feeling or a fierce sense of competition. Somehow, intentionally or unintentionally, they are inherently designed to divide us over our differences. They leave us with a sense of 'us' versus 'the-rest-of-the-world sentiment'. In addition, political issues that make daily headlines reinforce our differences and further polarize us.
No wonder our religious, national and racial identities are stronger than our alliance as humans. We are ingrained to unite over superficial human attributes like colour of hair, eyes, place of birth, mother tongue and so on, while we overlook human emotions and values that are universal. You would agree that the basis of most regional and global conflicts is this very parochial sense of belonging.
Just like language, culture can bind or divide. That is why the world needs an event like the World Culture Festival 2016 – to unite our cultural differences. When 155 countries, a hundred or more languages and cultural performances take the same stage, it instils a sense of belonging and oneness that would transcend national borders, languages, religions and physical appearances. Diverse congregations like the World Cultural Festival could potentially soften inter-religious strife that has over the last few decades led to the loss of innumerable human lives.


text:
State Law Newsletter: Federal Court Rules on Minimum Wage & Per Diems
Industry News, News And Press
Written and edited by Robert C. Pitcher, American Trucking Associations
Federal Court Rules on Minimum Wage & Per Diems — The U.S. District Court for Nebraska has held that per diems paid by an interstate motor carrier to its drivers to cover meals and incidental expenses counted as wages for purposes of calculating the minimum wage. The carrier paid its drivers either a flat wage of so many cents per mile driven or, at a driver's option, a lower cents-per-mile rate and a cents-per-mile per diem allowance, under an accountable plan approved by the federal Internal Revenue Service. Since per diems are not, for tax purposes, considered wages, no income tax was withheld from those payments, and drivers choosing to receive them wound up with somewhat higher take-home pay. On the other hand, those drivers had, by accepting per diems, given up an opportunity to claim those expenses as deductions on their personal income tax returns. The carrier admittedly used the per-diem payment method as a tool in recruiting drivers. A group of drivers who had chosen per diems sued the carrier, claiming that the cents-per-mile wage rate they were paid did not alone meet federal minimum wage standards, and that the per diems they got couldn't be counted toward that requirement. The court disagreed, noting that prior decisions involving other industries had considered per diems that varied with the work performed to be wages, and that in this instance the per diems served more like wages than like reimbursed expenses. Nor, concluded the court, was the carrier estopped by IRS's acceptance of the payments as reimbursed expenses for tax purposes. All the carrier had to show the IRS, noted the court, was that the drivers were likely to incur expenses that the carrier had a business purpose in reimbursing. Baouch, et al. v. Werner Enterprises, docket no. 8:12CV408, decided March 23, 2017
State Laws Newsletter, September 4, 2015
Written and edited by Robert C. Pitcher, American Trucking Associations MI to End Pay to…
American Trucking Associations Hails Creation of National Drug and Alcohol Clearinghouse
Long-Awaited Rule Will Help Industry Keep Drug and Alcohol Users Off the Road Arlington, Va.…
FMCSA RELEASE: Electronic Logging Devices to be Required Across Commercial Truck and Bus Industries
WASHINGTON – The U.S. Department of Transportation's Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) today announced…
previous post: 2017 6th Annual SuperTech Competition Information
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text:
Nikifor Timofiejewicz Kalczenko, ros. Никифор Тимофеевич Кальченко, ukr. Ники́фор Тимофі́йович Ка́льченко (ur. 9 lutego 1906 w Koszmaniwce, zm. 14 maja 1989 w Kijowie) – radziecki działacz partyjny i państwowy, premier USRR, Bohater Pracy Socjalistycznej (1976).

W latach 1921–1924 uczył się w szkole sadowniczej w Połtawie, następnie do 1928 studiował w Połtawskim Instytucie Rolniczym.

W 1932 został członkiem WKP(b), w latach 1938–1941 był I sekretarzem odeskiego obwodowego komitetu partii.

W latach 1941–1946 był w Armii Czerwonej członkiem Rady Wojskowej 1 Frontu Ukraińskiego, służbę wojskową ukończył w stopniu generała porucznika.

Od 1946 zajmował stanowiska ministerialne w rządzie USRR, w latach 1954–1961 był przewodniczącym Rady Ministrów USRR, później zastępcą przewodniczącego Rady Ministrów, w latach 1965–1976 I zastępcą przewodniczącego Rady Ministrów.

Odznaczenia
 Medal Sierp i Młot
 Order Lenina (ośmiokrotnie)
 Order Rewolucji Październikowej
 Order Czerwonego Sztandaru
 Order Czerwonego Sztandaru Pracy
 Order Bohdana Chmielnickiego I klasy (dwukrotnie)
 Order Czerwonej Gwiazdy (trzykrotnie)
 Order Virtuti Militari IV Klasy
 Order Krzyża Grunwaldu II Klasy (uchwała KRN z 24 kwietnia 1946r.)
I medale.

Literatura, linki
 biogram Nykyfor Kalczenko na portalu Gabinetu Ministrów Ukrainy
 Informacje na warheroes.ru (ros.)
 http://www.knowbysight.info/KKK/02986.asp (ros.)

Przypisy

Bohaterowie Pracy Socjalistycznej
Deputowani do Rady Najwyższej ZSRR
Generałowie porucznicy Sił Zbrojnych ZSRR
Ludzie związani z Połtawą
Odznaczeni Orderem Bohdana Chmielnickiego
Odznaczeni Orderem Czerwonego Sztandaru
Odznaczeni Orderem Czerwonego Sztandaru Pracy
Odznaczeni Orderem Czerwonej Gwiazdy
Odznaczeni Orderem Lenina
Odznaczeni Orderem Rewolucji Październikowej
Premierzy Ukraińskiej Socjalistycznej Republiki Radzieckiej
Politycy KPZR
Urodzeni w 1906
Zmarli w 1989

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaWikipedia


text:
MSU holds annual spring Career Fair
Academic Excellence Student Success
Morehead State University held its annual Spring Career Fair March 7.
There was a record recruiter participation with a total of 106 organizations attending including employers and graduate schools. Nearly 400 students, alumni and community members attended to network with employers in hopes of landing an interview for an internship, part-time or full-time position. A number of graduate programs also attended the fair.
Career Services offered the Morehead State Career Fair Plus app again to allow attendees to better prepare for and navigate the event.
"Attendees were able to see a comprehensive list of employers and graduate programs attending the career fair, research those organizations, mark their favorites and then locate them on an interactive map directly from their phones," said Chad Cantrell, Career Services technology resources specialist.
The next career fair will be Tuesday, Oct. 3.
"Organizations who take the time to attend a career fair are particularly targeting our MSU students, alumni and community job seekers. Networking at a career fair is one of the best ways to get job leads and an on-the-spot interview. Current students need to begin applying for internships to build relevant skills. We encourage all job seekers to take advantage of the next career fair," said Megan Boone, Career Services employer liaison.
The Office of Career Services is always available to help employers recruit interns and full-time employees. Additional information is available by calling 606-783-2233 or visiting www.moreheadstate.edu/career.