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The Contemporary Pacific Volume 21, Number 1, Spring 2009, pp. 162-169

Margaret Mutu  

In the latter part of 2007, relations between Māori and the New Zealand government came close to the breaking point. A raid carried out by a New Zealand Police armed defenders squad in full combat gear traumatized a small Māori community in the central North Island on 15 October, just weeks after the NZ government had joined Australia, Canada, and the United States to vote against the adoption of a United Nations declaration on indigenous rights. The raid coincided with the release of a government report showing that almost 20 percent of Māori currently live in Australia. Many had left New Zealand for better economic opportunities, but also "to escape the perceived prejudice of Pākehā (New Zealanders of European descent) and mainstream negativity about Māori issues" (Hamer 2007, 14). Yet by mid-2008, with polls indicating the likelihood of a change of government in the upcoming...

Drought conditions to cause rationing

By Gemma Q. Casas

SAIPAN, CNMI (Marianas Variety, June 2, 2009) – Water supply may be rationed soon on Saipan as the island continues to experience moderate drought condition mainly because there hasn’t been any significant rainfall over the past three years, the Commonwealth Utilities Corp. said yesterday.

CUC said water production is short of about 1 million gallons a day because two of the largest water sources on Saipan, both located on Capital Hill, have been depleted.

The other Saipan water wells are experiencing extremely high salinity level while overall aquifer levels are falling due to the drought.

"The island of Saipan in the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands has experienced moderate drought conditions for the preceding six months and a complete lack of significant rainfall events since the latter half of 2006," CUC said in its water shortage declaration submitted to the Legislature....

Micro-credit scheme funds women’s projects

APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, May 28, 2009) – A micro credit scheme run by the Development Bank of Samoa has won an international award.

The DBS Micro Credit Scheme for Women Groups captured the ADFIAP (Association of Development Financing Institutions in Asia and Pacific) 2009 Development Award.

It was presented at ADFIAP’s Annual Meeting in Muscat Oman, in April 2009. The DBS Micro Credit Scheme was DBS’s entry in the category of Development Finance – led Poverty Reduction Projects.

The scheme was re-launched in the second half of 2008, in partnership with the Ministry of Women Social and Community Development (MWSCD), targeting women groups in the villages.

The micro loans under the scheme assisted small income generating projects undertaken by women members in each group.

At end of March 2009, the scheme has assisted 783 women in 25 villages in both Upolu and Savai’i, with total micro...

120,000 visitors seek a new, exciting destination

PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea (The National, June 1, 2009) -- Papua New Guinea earned an estimated K960 million [US$365.4 million] in foreign exchange last year, thanks to the record high 120,000 visitors to the country during the period, Peter Vincent, chief executive officer of PNG Tourism Promotion Authority (TPA) said.

"This is largely in line with the growing international trend for tourists looking for new and exciting destinations around the world, and we believe PNG stands to gain further in the coming years," Mr. Vincent said during the launch of TPA’s re-branding tagline and online image library last Friday in Port Moresby.

Vincent said TPA was working closely with tourism industry partners to redefine the agency’s marketing strategy by focusing on specific needs of the seasoned traveller.

"We are quite confident that with our new strategic market approach, we can capitalise further on the...