Climate Change | Must See Destinations

The pacific islands forum meeting

December 11, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The pacific islands forum meeting was held in Port Vial,Vanuatu. Held in the month of August this meeting invited the top leaders of the pacific. A lot of steadfast arrangements were made for this event by the government of Vanuatu. The country did well to make the event a grand success, considering that it had before this event celebrated its thirtieth independence day.

Topics of discussions revolved around the climate changes in the pacific islands, and its security concerns. Challenges that were being wrestled by the islanders was brought to the spotlight. The Pacific Plan was a new proposal that was discussed extensively.

The Pacific plan is a multipurpose strategy to look into issues faced by the inhabitants of the islands. It offered inventive strategies to overcome challenges by greater regional cooperation frameworks. A number of pioneering start offs was envisioned in the pacific plan. All these initiatives were directed at providing development across all regions of the pacific islands.

Strong growth, good policies, and sustained economic activity drivers were identified. Issue related to poverty and unhygienic living conditions came under the scanner. To improve living standards the forum leaders developed a strategy that combined employment opportunities with emphasis on education.

The main aim of the pacific islands forum has always been to work in unison to support the cause of welfare of the people of the pacific islands. This is done by bringing together the different governments and enabling cooperation and bilateralism.

From the forum members, Australia and New Zealand stand prominently as economically developed countries. This is a good thing for the other countries in the Pacific Islands. Australia and New Zealand are great markets for the island countires to market their goods. Also, Australia and New Zealand have supplied their troops to maintain peacekeeping activities in certain island countries of the Pacific.

India has been a dialogue partner. So is China. A lot of other countries are dialogue partners in the forum as well.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: China, Climate change, Oceania, Pacific Islands, Pacific Islands Forum, Pacific Ocean, Pacific Plan, Vanuatu

Health concerns in the pacific islands

December 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

Health concerns have been raised at the Pacific islands after the WHO (world health organization) issued an alert on the spread of epidemics. Islands have geographical challenges, in that it is predisposed to being epidemically quarantined. Because of its isolated geographical disposition, epidemic diseases might not get out of the geography easily.

Apart from infectious diseases, the WHO also spotted cardiovascular diseases on the rise in the pacific islands. Even obesity was on the rise. Since the islanders have a propensity to indulge in drugs and alcohol due to the tourist influxes, inhabitants now have addiction problems too.

Most diseases prevalent in the pacific islands are lifestyle-induced. Statistics indicate that the Pacific islands have the highest lifestyle-induced diseases. This is an alarming trend, and the WHO is taking steps to resolve this.

Recently the WHO held a workshop to help people realize the benefits of maintaining a healthy lifestyle. The workshop covered aspects of nutrition, and healthy lifestyle patterns. Intending to promote an increased level of awareness, this workshop was worth its efforts in spreading the message of healthy living.

Top ministers and politicians of the Pacific met in Vanuatu, in August 2010, to discuss this problem. They developed a guideline for applying a successful approach to resolve issues related to diet and lifestyle. Emphasizing the need to restrict minors to alcohol, the guideline will pave the way for a more controlled availability of lifestyle food and beverages.

WHO in coordination with the leaders of the Pacific islands, and other global healthcare consortiums are coming up with ways to tackle the problem. Aiming to block the access of alcohol and narcotics to children is the primary concern of the WHO. Young addicts are becoming common in the pacific islands. Given the influx of foreign nationals in most islands, the situation often times is something that is difficult to control. The health of the people of the Pacific islands need to be salvaged, before it is too late.

Filed Under: Cons Tagged With: Climate change, Health, Japan, Oceania, Pacific Island, Pacific Ocean, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu

Bring A Note

December 5, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

Once we graduate from high school, we stop having to bring notes from mom and dad explaining absences; it is too bad that the last prime minister of the Pacific Islands nation of Vanatu didn’t have the same luxury. The situation is a bit more complicated, but at its core, Prime Minister Edward Natapei lost his job in early December because his office failed to submit correct paperwork explaining his absence.

He had left the country for a week to meet with commonwealth leaders in order to prepare from a quickly approach climate change summit in Copenhagen. Climate change, specifically global warming, has long been a driving issue for the former prime minister. He believes that their island nation is suffering drastically from global warming and has long sought to work on creating a plan aimed at addressing his nation’s climate problems.

One must wonder if, after years of service, the prime minister was forced out because of this very issue. It seems that the majority of the citizens do not rank global warming as a primary concern. Instead, the residents of Vanuatu are focused on life necessities. Sewage treatment, clean water and basic needs are more important. What they may be failing to recognize is that, at least according to some studies, climate change is directly impacting sea levels and weather patterns. For a nation like Vanuatu that relies heavily on tourism and agriculture for its survival, global warming could literally wipe them out.

The good news for Natapei is that it is likely he will still represent the nation at the climate control talks. Currently his vacated position is held by a caretaker and elections will be held to find a replacement. Until then and because of his extensive background in climate control, Natapei will be able to participate in the talks on behalf of his country.

Filed Under: Benefits, Islands Tagged With: Climate change, Edward Natapei, Global warming

Problem of Unsafe Water in the Pacific Islands

November 23, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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Water-borne diseases are on the rise in the Pacific Islands. Countries in the Pacific Islands are now raising concerns of a potential mass-spread of an epidemic. The SPC Applied Geoscience and Technology Division (SOPAC) is coming forward to deal with this problem.

A lot of people die every year after consuming toxic water. Unsafe water is quite a bad thing to have in the picturesque countries of the Pacific Islands. Children are worst affected. Due to bad sanitation of the houses, children are getting infected faster. Hygienic imbalances are also creating perilous living conditions in the Pacific Islands.

Another contributing factor to this unhealthy condition is the spread of drought. Certain countries are experiencing prolonged periods of drought. Such situations aggravate matters, and make water storage a matter of survival. Water storage creates hygiene issues, in that it also creates a perfect setting for mosquitoes to breed.
SOPAC is now revving up plans to educate the people about safe ways to store water. They are also coming out with programmes to education people on how to make water clean and drinkable. Things like sanitation and general healthy living conditions are also being planned-out.

It seems that the only way out would be to educate people. As the saying goes that prevention is better than cure, education is in a way a preventive measure. Largely plagued by mass-illiteracy, some islands nations will offer challenging propositions to the volunteer organizations and SOPAC.

SOPAC had come out with a Drinking Water Safety Plan to encounter this problem. Successfully implemented in various countries of the Pacific Islands, the same is being envisioned across a lot of other countries.

To better dispense the program, communities living in the cities as well as the villages will be engaged into action. After providing them training, they will be given the tools and methodologies to conduct inspections. Trained people will then go forward and train others. In this way, a multi-level induction of training is achieved.

Filed Under: Cons, Islands Tagged With: Climate change, Drinking water, Environment, Health, Japan, Oceania, Pacific Island, Water

Pacific Islands Forum Education Ministers’ Meeting

November 11, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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The Pacific Islands education ministers’ meeting was held in Papua New Guinea, in the month of October 2010. The ministers’ meeting was held to take the education initiatives as enumerated in the Pacific Education Development Framework further by constructive actions.

Important ministers met to discuss educational initiative taken by the individual governments in the Pacific Islands. The meeting raised a lot of applause for Papua New Guinea’s initiative in the education space. The government of Papua New Guinea had offered scholarship to meritorious students. The forum members felt this was a great act to emulate by other countries in the Pacific Islands as well.

Acknowledging the fact that education was now the mainstay of the region, the forum ministers gave education the indispensability status that it should have always had. They felt that the development of the region was sustained of the basis of how much knowledge and skills the citizens of the country had. And this is only possible through sustained education programmes that supported meritocracy and inclusiveness.

The meeting was a perfect setting for the ministers to urge other members to work as a cohesive unit in successfully implementing the education framework. The Pacific Education Development Framework’s main aim is to incubate, and nurture the core values and sensibilities related to education. It aimed to provide children the necessary foundation and support to get access to primary education.

Realizing the fact that children of today are the custodians of the country tomorrow, the ministers lay a blueprint for implementation of the education framework. They felt that the education framework will help the youth participate in the development of their countries, maintain their cultural systems, and live enriching lives.

A plan was introduced to implement the education framework. The plan focused on things like an initial survey to assess the levels of literacy, followed by mapping educational initiative with the needs of the country, and then taking efforts to reach set educational goals, through coordinated action.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Business and Economy, Climate change, Education, New Guinea, Oceania, Pacific Islands, Papua New Guinea, Solomon Islands

Media Awareness in the Pacific Islands

November 9, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

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For many years, journalists in the Pacific Islands have been trying to create awareness of the media. Many residents of the Pacific Island territories do not pay attention to the media or the news coverage of their area or the whole Pacific Islands. There is a public outcry from journalist because of the lack of knowledge for residents of the Pacific islands on the media. Journalists have set out to make the residents aware of crisis in their territories.

Many journalists in the Pacific Islands are freelancers that report for various news sources for companies in other parts of the world. Many residents do not understand the obstacles of covering major conflicts such as militant wars, natural disasters, and the poor. Because residents do not have a respect for what journalists do and refuse to watch media coverage of events, journalists are trying to make them understand.

Most residents of territories in the Pacific Islands believe that all journalists are corrupt. They believe that journalists in the media threaten, harass, and give into extortion, which is why they do not believe the news coverage is credible. Journalist want the residents of the territories to understand that their coverage is not bias and they put themselves in danger every day to make sure that the residents understand what is going on in order to keep them out of harms way.

The neutrality of local journalist are questioned by the residents whereas foreign journalist are well respected and listened to by the residents. Most journalists believe that the lack of knowledge of journalists is their own fault because they have not educated the public about the laws that are set to protect the community from corruption by media. Journalists are working hard to create awareness starting in schools so the future generation of the territories will come to trust the media in the Pacific Islands.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Climate change, Federated States of Micronesia, Japan, Journalist, Media, Pacific Island, Pacific Ocean, Svalbard Global Seed Vault

Journalism Awards in Pacific Islands Get a Makeover

October 19, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

In the Pacific Islands, journalism awards are getting a makeover to include more territories and more journalists. These awards are to encourage media that provides more coverage on public issues and to gain more coverage worldwide for the Pacific Island territories.

There are not many journalism awards available in the Pacific Islands. The makeover of the awards available is a step to increase the amount of awards available both locally and globally. The foundations set up to present the awards available in the Pacific Islands have been formed in memory of journalists who paved the way for the media in the territories to be widely recognized.

These past journalists are an example for future journalists because they represent the backbone of Pacific Island media and journalism by contributing creative and informed journalism of the territories gain national attention and put the Pacific Islands on the map as being more respected by other countries globally.

Every year, the awards are analyzed to ensure they are recognizing the right journalist and if they are creating awareness of the Pacific Islands. The awards have been successful through the years, but board members for each award do not believe they are doing enough. Journalism awards have been getting a makeover, which includes a monetary award that helps journalists travel to the United States and Europe to help create awareness of the Pacific Islands and their contributions to the world.

The Pacific Islands have not been recognized for their ideas on global policy that could provide solutions to the many problems faced by all nations. Journalism awards are presented to outstanding journalists that have created awareness of the territories and pressed the policy ideas that the territories have for global change. The award makeovers are an attempt to help those journalist take their coverage to the next level and get the Pacific Islands in the game of changing global policy.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Climate change, Japan, Journalism, Organizations, Pacific Islands, Pacific Ocean, Tonga, United States

The Pacific Island News Report

October 11, 2010 by admin Leave a Comment

: Image by Getty Images via @daylife

The Pacific Islands Report offers daily news and commentaries about the Pacific Islands. The report is informational and offers the territories up-to-date information through the Internet, so everyone has the report available to them. The Pacific Island Report is a collaborative effort of the East-West Center in Hawaii and the University of Hawaii’s program of Pacific Island Studies.

The Pacific Island Report does not just focus on the news from the island of Hawaii, it showcases news reports from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia to give a sense of what is going on throughout all of the Pacific Island territories. Pacific News Service, Radio Australia, and the Pasifik Nius are just a few of the programs available on the Pacific Island News Report. The online report offers news from Hawaii and the mainland that are specific to the Pacific Islands.

The online report is just one part of a bigger project on journalism that offers on-the-job training for students, journalists who are mid-career, and journalists who have only been in the business a few years. Internships are also available to journalists from the United States who desires to learn about the Pacific Islands or eventually work in the area.

The main goal of the Pacific Island Report and the programs that surround it is to create worldwide awareness of the Pacific Island territories. The islands are important to the United States and to the world because of their contributions and the area wants to make them known. The concerns or ideas of Pacific Islanders are not heard by the rest of the world even though their solutions to global issues could be significant to making a change. The news coverage of the Pacific Islands is sparse and sometimes ignored because they are remote and lack the communication operations to make themselves known to the world.

Filed Under: General Tagged With: Climate change, Hawaii, Oceania, Pacific Islands, Pacific News Service, Pacific Ocean, Radio Australia, United States