from wOne of the Vatuadova girls took photos of their church and lunch on the verandah of one of the pink-painted houses. Vina'a va'alevu. Here are some of their pictures. Notice the smart white costumes, despite the rain and mud.
Tuesday, April 10, 2012
Easter photos from Vatuadova
from wOne of the Vatuadova girls took photos of their church and lunch on the verandah of one of the pink-painted houses. Vina'a va'alevu. Here are some of their pictures. Notice the smart white costumes, despite the rain and mud.
Flood came from inland
from w
As some were saying the floods in Nadi area didn't rise inch by inch but was like a tidal wave, several feet of water rushed through villages within an hour. That's the story from Nawaka village from our friends and relatives where only three buildings did not have great trouble.
The blame is not only on the monstrous amount of rain but on the rush of water from the inland. Was the dam overflowing or was some water released, some people are wondering. Here is a good letter from a writer from Nadi that was published in the Fiji Times today.
Inland tsunami
Coping through the floods
I have not been able to send my saqamoli piece to this column recently because I have been stressed out cleaning up after the flood, make that floods to be precise.
Just when everyone was admiring a job well done in returning most things to pre-flood condition, another flood hits.
On a positive note though, our home looks cleaner and spacious now than ever. Many shelves and corner stands are now rid of the useless sentimental stuff that our good ladies are so good at preserving, and we never knew existed; old newspapers, dusty books, magazines, pots, pans, containers, clothing, curtains, shoes, mats, etc. Amazing, they are gone and we are still surviving.
Our area is flood-free, supposedly, so to have waist-deep water in the house in less than one hour made me wonder if it really took that long, 40 days of rainfall, to produce the biblical flood which destroyed the world save Noah, his family and some animals in the ark.
Talking about the number 40, we might as well start counting how many more floods we have to endure before the transitional rain goes away and we welcome the traditional dry season from June to September.
As we are beginning to find out, there is more to the flood than rainfall and poorly structured waterways alone. Spring tide sounds gentle and is supposed to be a harmless natural event, but where the water table is already high, it is causing flash floods in coastal lowlands.
Reflecting on what our island country is going through and how we can mitigate the effects of climate change, we can start by replacing spring tide with giant tide and rainy season with monsoon season to underline the severity of these climatic phenomenon and warn our people to be better prepared.
Knowing that tsunamis develop out at sea, we the flood victims in Nadi may sound absurd for harping about inland or upland tsunamis, but when there are lakes of water stored somewhere up in the highlands, we have every reason to be wary.
SAMU RAILOA
Nadi
As some were saying the floods in Nadi area didn't rise inch by inch but was like a tidal wave, several feet of water rushed through villages within an hour. That's the story from Nawaka village from our friends and relatives where only three buildings did not have great trouble.
The blame is not only on the monstrous amount of rain but on the rush of water from the inland. Was the dam overflowing or was some water released, some people are wondering. Here is a good letter from a writer from Nadi that was published in the Fiji Times today.
Inland tsunami
Coping through the floods
I have not been able to send my saqamoli piece to this column recently because I have been stressed out cleaning up after the flood, make that floods to be precise.
Just when everyone was admiring a job well done in returning most things to pre-flood condition, another flood hits.
On a positive note though, our home looks cleaner and spacious now than ever. Many shelves and corner stands are now rid of the useless sentimental stuff that our good ladies are so good at preserving, and we never knew existed; old newspapers, dusty books, magazines, pots, pans, containers, clothing, curtains, shoes, mats, etc. Amazing, they are gone and we are still surviving.
Our area is flood-free, supposedly, so to have waist-deep water in the house in less than one hour made me wonder if it really took that long, 40 days of rainfall, to produce the biblical flood which destroyed the world save Noah, his family and some animals in the ark.
Talking about the number 40, we might as well start counting how many more floods we have to endure before the transitional rain goes away and we welcome the traditional dry season from June to September.
As we are beginning to find out, there is more to the flood than rainfall and poorly structured waterways alone. Spring tide sounds gentle and is supposed to be a harmless natural event, but where the water table is already high, it is causing flash floods in coastal lowlands.
Reflecting on what our island country is going through and how we can mitigate the effects of climate change, we can start by replacing spring tide with giant tide and rainy season with monsoon season to underline the severity of these climatic phenomenon and warn our people to be better prepared.
Knowing that tsunamis develop out at sea, we the flood victims in Nadi may sound absurd for harping about inland or upland tsunamis, but when there are lakes of water stored somewhere up in the highlands, we have every reason to be wary.
SAMU RAILOA
Nadi
Monday, April 09, 2012
This generation
from w
Some apt advice about taking responsibility, not just criticizing or praising or ignoring , but doing the hard work of helping Fiji at this time though I don't know who Gaby Atama is. A friend on facebook posted this:
"In God's timeline for the universe our generation was chosen to exist in this time. It is our responsibility to shape our world, i don't see a better time as this where we can put in our contribution in the public consultations for the formulation of the new constitution. with the technology available and the network of friends available we have the advantage of influencing our world. whatever little input comes from us makes a big difference, most of us have been brought up in urban and village settings and now settle locally and overseas with wealth of knowledge and life experiences. Isn't this a good basis of projecting for a better Fiji? Let's not miss this opportunity!!! sometimes or regret is not in what we do but in what we did not do." God is counting on us." Gaby Atama
Some apt advice about taking responsibility, not just criticizing or praising or ignoring , but doing the hard work of helping Fiji at this time though I don't know who Gaby Atama is. A friend on facebook posted this:
"In God's timeline for the universe our generation was chosen to exist in this time. It is our responsibility to shape our world, i don't see a better time as this where we can put in our contribution in the public consultations for the formulation of the new constitution. with the technology available and the network of friends available we have the advantage of influencing our world. whatever little input comes from us makes a big difference, most of us have been brought up in urban and village settings and now settle locally and overseas with wealth of knowledge and life experiences. Isn't this a good basis of projecting for a better Fiji? Let's not miss this opportunity!!! sometimes or regret is not in what we do but in what we did not do." God is counting on us." Gaby Atama
Commissioner Western
Vina'a va'alevu to the Commissioner Western for the job done during the recent floods Lautoka/Nadi/Rakiraki side of Viti Levu. Here are some comments from a blog about his task, well done.
PRAISE WHERE IT IS DUE.
by fijitoday
Praise where it is due.
Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki deserves praise for his actions in the response to the recent floods.
I had the privilege to be present when he lost his temper with a collection of government officials that were causing the normal bureaucratic holdup in the aid. He told them to ignore all the rules and concentrate on getting the aid to those who they served.
He told them that anyone he found causing an obstruction to the aid would be dealt with severely.
While in normal times this might seem overly authoritarian he is operating under a declared emergency so has full control.
He has been working long hard hours and looks very ragged and tired.
He is the right man in the right job and deserves our praise and support.
Peter Firkin
PRAISE WHERE IT IS DUE.
by fijitoday
Praise where it is due.
Commissioner Western Commander Joeli Cawaki deserves praise for his actions in the response to the recent floods.
I had the privilege to be present when he lost his temper with a collection of government officials that were causing the normal bureaucratic holdup in the aid. He told them to ignore all the rules and concentrate on getting the aid to those who they served.
He told them that anyone he found causing an obstruction to the aid would be dealt with severely.
While in normal times this might seem overly authoritarian he is operating under a declared emergency so has full control.
He has been working long hard hours and looks very ragged and tired.
He is the right man in the right job and deserves our praise and support.
Peter Firkin
Saturday, April 07, 2012
The kindness of strangers
from w
Though we all are appalled by the destruction of the recent floods in Fiji, one thing comes from these times of chaos and loss, that is the generosity and compassion of people who are strangers as well as kin. Here is a letter to the editor of the Fiji Times that tells such a story:
Act of love
MY cousin who lives in Nadi was in Suva on Good Friday. His home in Nadi was underwater up to the ceiling and he was thinking about all that he had lost.
During the church service the pastor's sermon was about giving and caring and he related this to the floods and that many people in Suva were not affected at all and that they could give to a worthy cause.
And then the pastor thanked the congregation for what they had collected. My cousin found out the items were bed linens, kitchenware, shoes, clothes of all sizes and types, school supplies, school bags and there were even a few kitchen sinks.
He was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people that he broke down and with tears in his eyes he went around to all the members of the church and hugged and shook their hands.
Many of them were surprised by this. It takes a lot for my cousin to breakdown and cry because he is as tough as nails.
He was thinking of all the people in the cane belt, villages and settlements who had lost everything and the families who had lost loved ones. Especially a second time just when they were picking up the pieces.
What made him breakdown was the fact that the people who had given so generously are strangers to him and the people of the West.
Of course there will be family connections, but the majority didn't know who would get what they had sent and they had just collected and given without thinking about ethnicity or religion or whatever.
He knew that Liga Gukisuva of Vodafone Fiji had conducted a house to house collection and this finally broke his heart and he wept.
He wishes to thank every soul in Fiji and organisation, social and church group for the kindness they have shown. This is Fiji at its best.
While we are all Fijians and related in so many ways, I call the overwhelming generosity the kindness of strangers.
From our family to all the families in Suva, a big vinaka vakalevu and may
God bless you all abundantly.
Allen Lockington
Lautoka
Though we all are appalled by the destruction of the recent floods in Fiji, one thing comes from these times of chaos and loss, that is the generosity and compassion of people who are strangers as well as kin. Here is a letter to the editor of the Fiji Times that tells such a story:
Act of love
MY cousin who lives in Nadi was in Suva on Good Friday. His home in Nadi was underwater up to the ceiling and he was thinking about all that he had lost.
During the church service the pastor's sermon was about giving and caring and he related this to the floods and that many people in Suva were not affected at all and that they could give to a worthy cause.
And then the pastor thanked the congregation for what they had collected. My cousin found out the items were bed linens, kitchenware, shoes, clothes of all sizes and types, school supplies, school bags and there were even a few kitchen sinks.
He was overwhelmed by the generosity of the people that he broke down and with tears in his eyes he went around to all the members of the church and hugged and shook their hands.
Many of them were surprised by this. It takes a lot for my cousin to breakdown and cry because he is as tough as nails.
He was thinking of all the people in the cane belt, villages and settlements who had lost everything and the families who had lost loved ones. Especially a second time just when they were picking up the pieces.
What made him breakdown was the fact that the people who had given so generously are strangers to him and the people of the West.
Of course there will be family connections, but the majority didn't know who would get what they had sent and they had just collected and given without thinking about ethnicity or religion or whatever.
He knew that Liga Gukisuva of Vodafone Fiji had conducted a house to house collection and this finally broke his heart and he wept.
He wishes to thank every soul in Fiji and organisation, social and church group for the kindness they have shown. This is Fiji at its best.
While we are all Fijians and related in so many ways, I call the overwhelming generosity the kindness of strangers.
From our family to all the families in Suva, a big vinaka vakalevu and may
God bless you all abundantly.
Allen Lockington
Lautoka
Should Lautoka be the capital of Fiji?
Picture is of children at an evacuation centre after the floods
from w
There's an interesting proposition floating in Fiji Exiles Board that Nadi businesses ought to relocate in Lautoka and even make the West city the prime city of Fiji. It makes a bit of sense - better weather for a start! One writer says:
I think business from Nadi and Ba atleast should consider relocating to Lautoka. Lautoka city itself is not subject to floods.
That would make Lautoka a very big and vibrant place. They should then make Lautoka the capital of Fiji. It only makes sense as the bulk of the economy, tourism and sugar are based in the West. It is only a 20 min drive to the airport. All headquarters of of the major government services should also be relocated to Lautoka. The location of Suva as the capital does not make sense. It is in the wrong end of the country. Common sense tells me the economy will boom just because the capital and centre of decision making will be located in the right place. As for Parliament...we do not need one.
Nadi businesses consider relocating April 07, 2012 01:54:07 PM A+ A-
Most Nadi businesses are now thinking about relocating, says Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr Ram Raju. Dr Raju said the recent severe flooding had caused big losses and some businesses are just trying to survive. He said a few shops are open while others are trying to get repairs and cleaning up done. The tourist town is expect to fully open by mid next week. By Mereani Gonedua
Read more at: http://www.fijilive.com/news/2012/04/nadi-businesses-consider-relocating/41483.Fijilive
Copyright 2012 © Fijilive.com
http://www.fijilive.com/n...elocating/41483.Fijilive
from wThere's an interesting proposition floating in Fiji Exiles Board that Nadi businesses ought to relocate in Lautoka and even make the West city the prime city of Fiji. It makes a bit of sense - better weather for a start! One writer says:
I think business from Nadi and Ba atleast should consider relocating to Lautoka. Lautoka city itself is not subject to floods.
That would make Lautoka a very big and vibrant place. They should then make Lautoka the capital of Fiji. It only makes sense as the bulk of the economy, tourism and sugar are based in the West. It is only a 20 min drive to the airport. All headquarters of of the major government services should also be relocated to Lautoka. The location of Suva as the capital does not make sense. It is in the wrong end of the country. Common sense tells me the economy will boom just because the capital and centre of decision making will be located in the right place. As for Parliament...we do not need one.
Nadi businesses consider relocating April 07, 2012 01:54:07 PM A+ A-
Most Nadi businesses are now thinking about relocating, says Nadi Chamber of Commerce and Industry president Dr Ram Raju. Dr Raju said the recent severe flooding had caused big losses and some businesses are just trying to survive. He said a few shops are open while others are trying to get repairs and cleaning up done. The tourist town is expect to fully open by mid next week. By Mereani Gonedua
Read more at: http://www.fijilive.com/news/2012/04/nadi-businesses-consider-relocating/41483.Fijilive
Copyright 2012 © Fijilive.com
http://www.fijilive.com/n...elocating/41483.Fijilive
Friday, April 06, 2012
A different take on the week of floods
from wHere's a perceptive letter to the editor of the Fiji Times:
Floods and values
There is no power so the TV doesn't work (if we still had one), so we have spent the last week actually talking. For those of you who have forgotten what it is like to sit around a candle and actually listen to your wives and husbands , your fathers and kids, your friends, even yourself รน you'd be amazed at how very interesting they have all suddenly become. No internet at night means conversation has become the alternative to broadband. Suddenly we are really smiling from deep inside again amidst piles of wet things. I am generally an optimist but it is so good to see people reaching out to help each other without motive or agenda.
Until iPhone comes out with an application that helps your phone find dry land by itself, I am starting to see through the inconvenience of our circumstances to the "wake up" call it represents (at least to me and mine). I love my wife. I love my life. I love the people of Fiji for their sense of community and humanism. God bless you all (and maybe even throw you a towel if you need one).
IAN COLLINGWOOD
Nadi
Monday, April 02, 2012
Earth Hour in Labasa
from wThis story from Labasa about turning off the lights for an hour is rather ironic really because most of Suva and surrounds just lost their electricity for days because a tower tumbled down. Many, many times electricity goes off in parts of Fiji and of course in the Western side of Viti Levu with the massive floods many of the utilities are in chaos - clean water, electricity and so on. Anyway, it was a nice thing to do at St Mary's School in Labasa. Of course there was a time when most of the rural people out of Labasa never ever had electricity. When we lived at Nukutatava we used benzine and kerosene lights only.
Labasa earth hour the first ever
April 2, 2012 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
By LOSIRENE CHAND
Lights went off for one hour at Saint Mary’s Primary School in Labasa as everyone present observed earth hour on Saturday night.
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) national project coordinator for the Earth hour programme Monifa Fiu said this was the first earth hour programme in the North.
“Please let the lights burn for those affected in Ba, Lautoka, Sigatoka, Nadi, to all our relatives and friends who are being affected by this weather.”
“Consider this our action and mission to change the planet for a better future. I would like to acknowledge our National Fire Authority, business stake holders and all here.”
Also partnering with WWF at the Earth Hour was Jessi Computers. Jessi Computers Earth Hour organiser Aaron Singh said this year, with a few friends and a number of corporate sponsors, the first Labasa earth hour has been witnessed.
He said all participating were asked to bring their own candles with them but light refreshments were prepared.
“This was a family oriented event and a chance for the local community to get together for a common cause. Whether it is turning off lights when not in use or opening windows instead of using air-conditioning, we can all make a difference.” He said the initiative would show everyone, for the first time in Labasa, from children to chief executives and politicians, that everyone has the power to change the world we live in.
cyclone track below Fiji
from the Fiji Meteorological office: Looks like the cyclone hasn't hit Viti Levu which is better news. Raining though I suppose.
Sunday, April 01, 2012
The meaning of Hosana
from wYesterday was Palm Sunday for most Christians throughout the world and in Fiji it is also Children's Sunday with the children dressed in white reciting their memory verses, preaching, praying, singing. A lovely time. However this year for many the families wre advised to stay safely in their homes because of so much flooding throughout Fiji. Here's one story from Fiji Sun and I found some pictures from various places. Yesterday at the Colac Uniting Church where Peceli led the worship, I gave a small children's time talk about Fiji Children's Sunday. By the way the word 'Hosana' in its original meaning is not 'Praise' or 'Hoorah' but actually 'Deliver us' or 'Save us please' in the Hebrew. Very relevant for poor Fiji these days.
Children unlucky on Palm Sunday
April 2, 2012 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
Talei Niunitoga, 1, during Palm Sunday service at Rt Ifereimi Kubukasa Memorial Church at Kalabu yesterday. Photo: RONALD KUMAR.By SITERI SAUVAKACOLO
Children in the wider Tavua circuit counted themselves unlucky because they were unable to celebrate the one special Sunday they look forward to every year, Palm Sunday, yesterday. While children in other parts of the country enjoyed the special church service along with their family members, Tavua children could do nothing at home or in evacuation centers.
This was because a call was made by the circuit superintendent, Reverend Osea Tunidau, to cancel church services because of the current flooding affecting most parts of the Western Division. “We had planned for each individual family to have their own service in their own homes, including those in the evacuation centers to commemorate this special day,” Rev. Tunidau said. “It is indeed sad to see these children missing this special day but we couldn’t do much and we had to cancel it because of the bad weather. We are planning to have a special church service after this flood where our children can all take part as they have been practicing long enough to take part today (yesterday).”
Rev. Tunidau said more than 200 children from the Tavua circuit have been affected by the flood and could not take part in the Palm Sunday services yesterday.
Some parts of Naitasiri as well as the Ba and the Ra province could not hold their Palm Sunday service because of floods in their area. Plans have been put in place to have it once their life returned to normalcy so as to avoid disappointment by their children who have been looking forward to this special day.
However, churches in the capital, Suva, continued to record full attendance despite continuous rain. At Wakanisila Methodist Church, in Kalabu, just outside Suva, the congregation crowded into the church and watched as their children led the service while the young ones, as young as three years old, recited Bible verses.
Palm Sunday also marks the week before the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is commemorated, and will end on Easter Sunday, which is next week.
Update cyclone approaching Nadi
from wIsa Fiji, what a terrible time Fiji is having. Here's an update from two news media as a cyclone approaches Nadi today. Our family were sent home twice from Virgin in Melbourne even with boarding passes in their hands. Some planes apparently were going empty to Fiji to pick up stranded tourists but I doubt it any planes can go now. Govt warning from Fiji - no more tourists at present.
--------
from Fiji Village:
Tropical Cyclone Daphne forms to the west of Nadi
Publish date/time: 02/04/2012 [16:13]
The tropical depression to the West South West of Nadi has now formed into a tropical cyclone. The cyclone has been named Daphne by Nadi Weather Office Director, Alipate Waqaicelua.
A gale warning remains in force for Viti Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Southern Lau group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands.
A strong wind warning remains in force for the rest of the Fiji group.A severe flood warning remains in force for all major rivers, streams, and low lying areas of Viti Levu.
Tropical Cyclone Daphne was located near 19 decimal 4 South, 171 decimal 7 East or about 635 kilometres West South West of Nadi at midday today. Close to the centre, the depression is expected to have average wind speeds of 55 kilometres per hour. Daphne is moving South East at about 25 kilometres per hour. It is expected to intensify further and people will experience damaging gale force winds over Viti Levu, Yasawa and Mamanuca group, Southern Lau group, Kadavu and nearby smaller islands from later today into tonight although Daphne will not make landfall over Fiji. The most noticeable effect soon will be the strengthening of winds over Western Fiji.
Heavy rain is expected as we go into tonight so please be prepared for that. Prolonged rain is expected from tonight to about midday tomorrow due to the amount of rain bands associated with the system.
There is a very high possibility of heavy rain pushing rivers above the flood levels again.
You have to take necessary precautions now and please do not leave it to the last minute and act when the flood waters have reached your doorsteps. Make an assessment in you are living in flood prone areas and take action now.
Severe flooding of major rivers, streams and low lying areas including sea flooding of low lying coastal areas is expected later today and tonight.
Nadi Weather Office Director Alipate Waqaicelua looked at the weather system in the last hour and he said there are many rain bands over many parts of Fiji will result in a lot of rain this afternoon. You need to also get ready for gale force winds from this afternoon.
Waqaicelua said the people in the Western division need to be prepared now as they will record levels of rain going into tonight. There is also a need to monitor the levels at Vaturu Dam.
Story by: Fijivillage Team
---------
From AFP
NADI: Fiji struggled to cope Monday with devastating floods that have brought the country to a standstill with warnings that it could get worse as an incoming storm threatens to become a cyclone. A state of emergency was declared in the South Pacific nation on Sunday as flash floods claimed at least three lives and forced 8,000 people to seek refuge in evacuation centres.
Fiji has “had a bashing”, permanent secretary of information Sharon Smith Johns said, with water and power supplies cut in most areas and many roads closed.
“Regardless of whether we get a cyclone or not, we could get hit with more rain and more flooding,” she told Radio Australia.
Meteorologists have warned a tropical depression is forming which could turn into a cyclone, and Nadi Weather Office director Alipate Waqaicelua issued a fresh heavy rain warning.
“We are going to get further rain, more heavy rain from this system,” he said.
As the weather brought the island nation to a halt, cutting road access and isolating communities, holiday resorts struggled to cope with the Fiji government asking airlines not to fly in passengers until further notice.
International flights were arriving empty to take stranded visitors out of a country heavily reliant on its tourist industry.
“This is very bad for Fiji, it will take a long time to fix up and get the tourists back,” taxi driver Mohammad Yakub said as he surveyed the devastation.
He said his family was surviving on tinned food as all the crops in his small plot of land had been destroyed and his local market was unlikely to reopen for weeks.
“I don’t know what people will eat. They will have to bring food in soon,” he said.
Although Fiji has not called for international assistance, Australia and New Zealand said they were ready to help.
The regional powers have had a fractured relationship with Fiji since naval officer Voreque Bainimarama seized control in a 2006 military coup.
New Zealand Prime Minister John Key said they would work with non-government agencies rather than Bainimarama’s regime.
“Typically what we’ve done in the past is give the resources to a non-government organisation on the ground we trust, say the Red Cross, rather than give it to the government to administer,” he told Radio Live.
“Yes, we disagree with the formation of that government through force but we have a long history with Fiji, we love their people and we are going to support them.”
When some roads reopened in a respite from the rain Monday morning, fleets of minibuses headed out to pick up tourists stranded at resorts which were reported to be running low on food supplies.
About 2,000 Australian and New Zealand holidaymakers are estimated to be waiting for flights out. - AFP
Read more: Cyclone feared in flood-ravaged Fiji - Latest - New Straits Times http://www.nst.com.my/latest/cyclone-feared-in-flood-ravaged-fiji-1.69742#ixzz1qqzab1y5
Isa, a third flood for the summer
from wWe came back from a beautiful weekend in Colac where Peceli and I spent a day and a half in pastoral visiting and then leading worship for Palm Sunday today, the people there lovely with their hospitality and stories. Then we read the Fiji news with the stories and photos of devastation once again on the western side of Viti levu such as in Nadi and Ba. Also our family's travel plans have been messed up with planes cancelling flights into Fiji etc. It's so sad that floods just happen time and time again. Some people have made mistakes with infrastructure around Nadi, that diverts the water into torrests through the township. Perhaps Denarau designers? Anyway here are some photos of what has happened in the past two days.
Monday, March 26, 2012
Canterbury Fijian Church
from w
Peceli and I spent most of Sunday at the Canterbury Uniting Church in Sydney. (We went up there by plane for a family wedding on the Saturday.) Canterbury is a Fijian congregation with four or five other church communities as part of the parish. The morning worship was at 10.30 and at 4p.m. the three vanua groups gathered for second services scattered around the church compound. So there was opportunity for talking with old friends and making new friends, kava drinking (which was tabu for a while) and delicious meals of Island food. They have built a new hall which is very fine and useful. I went out with the Sunday School teenagers rather than listen to a sermon! They have a beaut big Sunday school with many older students. As next Sunday is Palm Sunday and in the Fijian custom - Children's Sunday, four girls were practicing their sermons under the tutoring of a fine young teacher. It was a lovely day for Peceli to meet up with friends, and I even met up with an old Lelean student. Now if he is now 67, what does that make me feel? Canterbury has one of the best Fijian choirs I have ever heard and they must miss their annual trips to Fiji conferences. Let's hope there'll be one next August. Vina'a va'alevu to our friends- old and new - at Canterbury, for the lovely time together. Praise God that we can use our own languages, customary ways, and music in our migrant community churches.
Saturday, March 24, 2012
An Oz wedding
from wPeceli and I attended a beautiful wedding of our nephew Alex and his bride Laura, in a delightful rural setting past St Alban's two hours and more out of Sydney. We drove by rental car after flying from Avalan by Jetstar to Sydney, and had to cross one river by ferry. As driving through Sydney suburbs is chaotic with many twists and turns and choosing the right lanes, Bibi, our Fijian nephew, came to our resuce and was navigator for half the journey. Vina'a va'alevu Bib. More news later as we are on the internet at a hotel this morning! We plan to attend the Canterbury Fijian Uniting Church later this morning.
Wednesday, March 21, 2012
New Foreign Affairs man from Canberra
from w
Bob Carr sounds very promising, a man of intelligence, humanity, and experience. I hope he can deal well with Fiji in the future. Here is an article from today's Age with a summary of his maiden speech in the Australian Parliament. His idea of 'an overlap of cultures' as a way of life where there is respect despite difference, many cultures and religions side by side without exaggeration is very fair.
History exhibits possibilities of tolerance and respect
Bob Carr
March 22, 2012
OPINION
We can aim for an overlap of cultures rather than a clash of civilisations.
LAST month, US soldiers burned copies of the Koran at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Days later, young people destroyed 238 war graves in Benghazi, Libya.
Intentional insult or error of judgment, such acts can look like cultures at war, as did the Taliban when it dynamited the Buddhas of Bamiyan, carved in stone 15 centuries ago.
At such times, people might believe we are being tugged towards the nightmare that American writer Samuel Huntington predicted in his 1996 book, The Clash of Civilizations.
And yet … I remember King Abdullah of Jordan saying in a speech at Davos: ''Let us avert the clash of civilisations, and help the overlap of cultures.''
An overlap - the idea is inspiring, especially compared with the alternative notion of monochrome monoliths burning one another's books and smashing their statues.
There have been, in the world's history, some very fine cultures of tolerance.
In southern Spain in medieval times, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and worked together in the polity known as al-Andalus.
As Maria Rosa Menocal wrote in The Ornament of the World, it was a society that had the courage to ''live with its own flagrant contradictions''.
I've sometimes asked Chinese leaders as we've talked over dinner, ''What was your favourite dynasty?''
In my experience, the Chinese usually nominate the Tang, ruling between 618 and 907. It was the time, according to one of my interlocutors, ''when China opened to the world and the world opened to China''.
Its sometime capital was Xi'an, a walled city of a million people with mosques and churches and Buddhist monasteries, where ancient texts from India were being translated into Chinese. Persian princes in exile made it their home.
The grid-like streets were thronged with tradesmen, horsemen, acrobats and musicians who had travelled from central Asia along the Silk Route. It was cosmopolitan. The empire was full of foreigners learning from Chinese civilisation.
Sydney businessman John Azarias recently wrote an account of Greek-Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafy, whose ''constant companions of the mind were the multi-ethnic worlds of the Seleucids, of the Ptolemies, of Byzantium and of the Ottomans''.
Again, the culture was untidy, contradictory, pluralistic - not a culture demanding conformity to a single religion or language.
Surely rich enough to fit King Abdullah's ideal of ''an overlap of cultures''. As I heard Bill Clinton say once: ''Our differences make us interesting. Our common humanity is more important.''
What can we Australians do to steer the world away from Koran burnings and the bombing of Buddhas and towards peaceful overlap and pluralism?
We can make sure that our multicultural society continues to tick over. There is no need to fetishise multiculturalism … but simply to relax into our easy-going Australian ethnic and cultural diversity, based on tolerance and respect.
We can enhance our work in the region for interfaith dialogue. We can work with Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim community, which continues to spurn extremism. As Burma democratises we will give it aid to educate and feed its children. We will encourage it to resolve complex internal conflicts and to entrench human rights. But we will also encourage it to value the evidence of its pluralistic past - like the precinct in Rangoon that includes a synagogue created by Jews from Iraq in the 1890s sitting next door to a 1914 Sunni madrasah which, in turn faces a Hindu temple and a Hokkien temple, with Methodist, Catholic and Anglican churches all nearby.
Running foreign policy is not just about protecting our national interest.
It is also being an exemplary global citizen when it comes to protecting human rights and the world's oceans.
We can also promote and defend cultural diversity, the idea of a planet of 7 billion that celebrates and does not deny its contradictions.
This is an edited text of Senator Bob Carr's maiden speech yesterday.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/history-exhibits-possibilities-of-tolerance-and-respect-20120321-1vk1g.html#ixzz1pndrnVli
Bob Carr sounds very promising, a man of intelligence, humanity, and experience. I hope he can deal well with Fiji in the future. Here is an article from today's Age with a summary of his maiden speech in the Australian Parliament. His idea of 'an overlap of cultures' as a way of life where there is respect despite difference, many cultures and religions side by side without exaggeration is very fair.
History exhibits possibilities of tolerance and respect
Bob Carr
March 22, 2012
OPINION
We can aim for an overlap of cultures rather than a clash of civilisations.
LAST month, US soldiers burned copies of the Koran at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan. Days later, young people destroyed 238 war graves in Benghazi, Libya.
Intentional insult or error of judgment, such acts can look like cultures at war, as did the Taliban when it dynamited the Buddhas of Bamiyan, carved in stone 15 centuries ago.
At such times, people might believe we are being tugged towards the nightmare that American writer Samuel Huntington predicted in his 1996 book, The Clash of Civilizations.
And yet … I remember King Abdullah of Jordan saying in a speech at Davos: ''Let us avert the clash of civilisations, and help the overlap of cultures.''
An overlap - the idea is inspiring, especially compared with the alternative notion of monochrome monoliths burning one another's books and smashing their statues.
There have been, in the world's history, some very fine cultures of tolerance.
In southern Spain in medieval times, Muslims, Christians and Jews lived and worked together in the polity known as al-Andalus.
As Maria Rosa Menocal wrote in The Ornament of the World, it was a society that had the courage to ''live with its own flagrant contradictions''.
I've sometimes asked Chinese leaders as we've talked over dinner, ''What was your favourite dynasty?''
In my experience, the Chinese usually nominate the Tang, ruling between 618 and 907. It was the time, according to one of my interlocutors, ''when China opened to the world and the world opened to China''.
Its sometime capital was Xi'an, a walled city of a million people with mosques and churches and Buddhist monasteries, where ancient texts from India were being translated into Chinese. Persian princes in exile made it their home.
The grid-like streets were thronged with tradesmen, horsemen, acrobats and musicians who had travelled from central Asia along the Silk Route. It was cosmopolitan. The empire was full of foreigners learning from Chinese civilisation.
Sydney businessman John Azarias recently wrote an account of Greek-Alexandrian poet Constantine Cavafy, whose ''constant companions of the mind were the multi-ethnic worlds of the Seleucids, of the Ptolemies, of Byzantium and of the Ottomans''.
Again, the culture was untidy, contradictory, pluralistic - not a culture demanding conformity to a single religion or language.
Surely rich enough to fit King Abdullah's ideal of ''an overlap of cultures''. As I heard Bill Clinton say once: ''Our differences make us interesting. Our common humanity is more important.''
What can we Australians do to steer the world away from Koran burnings and the bombing of Buddhas and towards peaceful overlap and pluralism?
We can make sure that our multicultural society continues to tick over. There is no need to fetishise multiculturalism … but simply to relax into our easy-going Australian ethnic and cultural diversity, based on tolerance and respect.
We can enhance our work in the region for interfaith dialogue. We can work with Indonesia, home to the world's largest Muslim community, which continues to spurn extremism. As Burma democratises we will give it aid to educate and feed its children. We will encourage it to resolve complex internal conflicts and to entrench human rights. But we will also encourage it to value the evidence of its pluralistic past - like the precinct in Rangoon that includes a synagogue created by Jews from Iraq in the 1890s sitting next door to a 1914 Sunni madrasah which, in turn faces a Hindu temple and a Hokkien temple, with Methodist, Catholic and Anglican churches all nearby.
Running foreign policy is not just about protecting our national interest.
It is also being an exemplary global citizen when it comes to protecting human rights and the world's oceans.
We can also promote and defend cultural diversity, the idea of a planet of 7 billion that celebrates and does not deny its contradictions.
This is an edited text of Senator Bob Carr's maiden speech yesterday.
Read more: http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/politics/history-exhibits-possibilities-of-tolerance-and-respect-20120321-1vk1g.html#ixzz1pndrnVli
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Micro managing our lives
from w
It seems that these days the Labasa people are being instructed in all sorts of things by the local police. Gossiping is a crime. Leaving children home alone is a crime. And now we are told that it is not the job of schools to teach manners, but parents. Okay it's primarily a parenting role to instill into children good manners, excellent behaviour, ethics and a knowledge of right and wrong, or good, better and best. But to say that schools are only about academic achievement is incorrect. Teachers surely incorporate ethics and the desire for behaviour into their class management and in use of computers, books, sharing resources, respect for adults and fellow students and also in the way the play sport, the way they behave in the buses and so on. I do agree though that there are times when parents do put priorities a bit askew - running errands by the children is considered more important than doing homework, choir practice comes before talking with your teenagers about how they feel about life etc.
From the Fiji media I read this:
Better parents and teachers
Fred Wesley
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Villagers of Naqai outside Labasa Town were given an important message late last week.
They were told teachers are not responsible for imparting ethical behaviour and discipline to children. That responsibility, they were reminded, fell on the shoulders of parents.
It was all part of a residential community policing program by police in the northern division.
The school, they were told, was not an institution for imparting ethical behaviour, proper manners and conduct but instead it was only meant for preparing children to be academically stable.
Under the new Crimes Decree, they were reminded that parents could be charged with negligence if children complained about being left home alone.
Villagers were told some children did not perform well at school because of parental negligence. They were told that some parents had developed a habit of leaving their children alone at home.
In another part of Labasa, financial constraint was cited as a major cause for children drop-outs.
Fiji Teachers Union general secretary Agni Deo Singh said studies revealed that 48 per cent of students did not complete high school education while 2 per cent failed to reach Class Six. He was speaking at the opening of the new FTU office in Labasa at the weekend.
Students living in rural areas, villages, and outer islands, he said, usually dropped out because of a lack of financial support.
The two issues share one common factor. They both affect our children and how we educate them.
Obviously there will be differing views on the importance of parental guidance and lessons learnt from teachers.
It is not hard though to accept that both can play important roles in nurturing children.
While parents have a responsibility to provide the basic necessities for children, there's no doubt about the fact that a great teacher can make a difference in a student's achievements. It thus important that we recruit, train and reward such teachers.
The bottom line is we need better parents.
Parents who are focused on their children's education can also make a difference.
Ideally, as parents, we should be monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of furthering their education. Let us, as parents, get involved with our children's learning.
Better parents can help make teachers more effective. Better parents will also set priorities that place their children on a very high pedestal.
It seems that these days the Labasa people are being instructed in all sorts of things by the local police. Gossiping is a crime. Leaving children home alone is a crime. And now we are told that it is not the job of schools to teach manners, but parents. Okay it's primarily a parenting role to instill into children good manners, excellent behaviour, ethics and a knowledge of right and wrong, or good, better and best. But to say that schools are only about academic achievement is incorrect. Teachers surely incorporate ethics and the desire for behaviour into their class management and in use of computers, books, sharing resources, respect for adults and fellow students and also in the way the play sport, the way they behave in the buses and so on. I do agree though that there are times when parents do put priorities a bit askew - running errands by the children is considered more important than doing homework, choir practice comes before talking with your teenagers about how they feel about life etc.
From the Fiji media I read this:
Better parents and teachers
Fred Wesley
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Villagers of Naqai outside Labasa Town were given an important message late last week.
They were told teachers are not responsible for imparting ethical behaviour and discipline to children. That responsibility, they were reminded, fell on the shoulders of parents.
It was all part of a residential community policing program by police in the northern division.
The school, they were told, was not an institution for imparting ethical behaviour, proper manners and conduct but instead it was only meant for preparing children to be academically stable.
Under the new Crimes Decree, they were reminded that parents could be charged with negligence if children complained about being left home alone.
Villagers were told some children did not perform well at school because of parental negligence. They were told that some parents had developed a habit of leaving their children alone at home.
In another part of Labasa, financial constraint was cited as a major cause for children drop-outs.
Fiji Teachers Union general secretary Agni Deo Singh said studies revealed that 48 per cent of students did not complete high school education while 2 per cent failed to reach Class Six. He was speaking at the opening of the new FTU office in Labasa at the weekend.
Students living in rural areas, villages, and outer islands, he said, usually dropped out because of a lack of financial support.
The two issues share one common factor. They both affect our children and how we educate them.
Obviously there will be differing views on the importance of parental guidance and lessons learnt from teachers.
It is not hard though to accept that both can play important roles in nurturing children.
While parents have a responsibility to provide the basic necessities for children, there's no doubt about the fact that a great teacher can make a difference in a student's achievements. It thus important that we recruit, train and reward such teachers.
The bottom line is we need better parents.
Parents who are focused on their children's education can also make a difference.
Ideally, as parents, we should be monitoring homework; making sure children get to school; rewarding their efforts and talking up the idea of furthering their education. Let us, as parents, get involved with our children's learning.
Better parents can help make teachers more effective. Better parents will also set priorities that place their children on a very high pedestal.
Friday, March 16, 2012
Vatuadova church plan
from wOur village near Labasa has a new project - a new church. The first church was built about twelve years ago and it is now too small for the number of people coming to worship - some come out from Labasa. Vatuadova village started as two houses way back in about 1967 and is the extended family of the Ratawas with very good houses and cane farms. Vina'a va'alevu Epi Dakai, Ateca, Mila, Degei and others and to those who are hardworking with the new project. When Dakai talks about 'children abroad' this is a bit a hint isn't it for us guys in Australia, New Zealand, Ireland, England and elsewhere! The Fiji Times wrote up this story. A nice positive story amidst some of the disquiet of other news of the day.
Villagers build house of worship
Salaseini Vosamana
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Vatudova church building committee chairman Waisele Tuidama marks the construction of the new village church by laying the foundation of the building. Picture: SALASEINI VOSAMANA
VILLAGERS of Vatudova outside Labasa Town will soon serve God in a composed environment following the groundbreaking ceremony of their new church building yesterday. The villagers decided to embark on the $120,000 project because the existing building could not cater for the increasing congregation.
Vatudova church building committee chairman Waisele Tuidama said the villagers had put aside part of their money received from lease payments for the new building.
"The villagers have taken a strong stand to put aside some funds from lease payments for the project," Mr Tuidama said. "The existing building is always full every Sunday because those people in nearby villages and settlements usually attend the service. Construction work started last week and we are expecting to complete the project in six months time," he said.
Mr Tuidama said the villagers, who were from the mataqali Nadogo in Wailevu, had made it an effort to contribute part of their income towards the development of their church.
Mataqali head Epi Ratawa said the project was a major investment. "It has become a norm for us to contribute one tenth of our income to the Lord because we believe it will spawn more blessings for us," Mr Ratawa said. "This project is a major investment we are working on this year and our children who have resided in other parts of Fiji and abroad have significantly contributed funds. We will not grow weary in trying to create a better house of worship because whatever we are doing will be rewarded one day," he said.
Thursday, March 15, 2012
When is chatting gossiping?
from wWhat will they think about next? Who is going to listen in to the conversation of a group of women at the marketplace? Since when has gossiping/talanoa/yarning/telling stories about people been a crime? Sobosobo! Talking is what we women do!
Gossiping is a crime
Salaseini Vosamana
Friday, March 16, 2012
A GROUP of women vendors in Labasa were yesterday told to refrain from gossiping because it was against the law. Organised by the community policing officers in the north, the short discussion was aimed at bringing women together to inform them about the new Crimes Decree associated with women issues.
In her formal address, police constable Mere Mocetoka told the women that anyone was liable to spend one year in prison if found gossiping or making bad remarks about another person.
"Every day, new faces visit the market and women are fond of sitting together in groups to make gestures and gossip about them," Constable Mocetoka said.
"It's an attitude we have grown up with but it is something the law recognises as illegal. Gossiping is a contributing factor to fights and hatred among one another, which is something very common in women," she said.
Constable Mocetoka said they decided to organise the brief discussion because they received complaints of gossiping from women last week.
"We have been receiving complaints since last week and the best way to solve this problem is by telling them (women) the penalties they are likely to face when they are charged.
"Nowadays, an old woman can be sent to prison if she is found gossiping.
"The law won't entertain such unsuitable behaviour," she said.
The women thanked the force for informing them about the new Crimes Decree, something they were not aware of.
----------
And also here's an article from the internet - that gossip is good for women!
Gossiping is healthy?
June 7th, 2011 | Author: admin
Gossiping ?..Mmm..mm!!.spontanously commented about someone else looks, friend’s affair, what and why someone doing or not doing are common behaviour isn’t it?!, particularly among women. Talking and laughing about beauty, men, fashion even watching tv gossip seems fun indeed, not surprisingly many women can stand gossiping for hours.
Is gossiping have benefits? Even healthy?.
Based on researches lead by Prof. Stephanie Brown from university of Michigan, shows that gossiping activity which always associated with women, is good for their health. Wow, ..how come?!. Stephanie and collegues explained that women tends to feel much eager and happier when they enjoy gossiping with their friends. Those actifivity can reduces stress, anxiety and worries. Gossiping can improve progesterone hormone. This hormone has significant role for women. Its affecting ability to interact with peoples. Research shows that women with less-gossiping activity experiences decreasing progesterone hormone. On the other hand, women with high-gossiping activity will be much happier, flexible, healthy and live longer.
Why women are gossiping?
Curiousity. People particularly women easyly curious about other people’s affair.
Women has need for sharing every informations about their daily lifes.
Women seeing gossiping as a media to seek informations around her.
Women loves a detail information about anything than men.
Some study shows that women more confidence to talking about something than men.
A study shows that women has powerful capability to spread information than men.
Most women liking and enjoying talking than men.
Women more expressive than men to talk or exposing about something than men.
Talking, and then go on to gossiping isn’t easily thing to avoid.
People or most women tends to easily interested, sensitive and focused on negative informations.
Surprisingly, human brain have strong capability to catch and remind negative than neutral or positive information.
Study shows that people having tendency to talking, gossiping, or even judging others.
Advantages of gossiping
A scientist Robin Dunbar from Oxford university says that gossiping isn’t always bad thing, it can be a media to collect unity among people.
Researcher Eliza Bliss-Moreau says that by gossiping, we can learn and stay away from any bad thing that people we are talked about. Its mean we can learn from bad examples.
Even gossing has positive effect, it doesn’t mean gossiping turned to a bad habit. So, go gossiping girl!,..but control it ok, don’t let it ruining our daily life by gossiping time to time and forgetting any others that is more important. Do you agreed ?..
Tuesday, March 13, 2012
Sea levels rising at Kiribati
from wAt first it seemed that the people of Kiribati want to move to Fiji, but no, the proposed purchase of land at Savusavu is for investment purposes they say. Good idea anyway, as we do feel pity for the people of Kiribati and also Tuvalu are having trouble with the sea rising and they eventually will have to move away from their islands.
Church offers land for Kiribati
Serelisoni Moceica
Wednesday, March 14, 2012
MORE than 5000 acres of land in Savusavu has been offered by the Anglican Church to the Kiribati government for investment.The freehold land that belongs to the church group costs more than $16 million.
The comment was made yesterday by the Kiribati High Commissioner to Fiji, Reteta Rimon, as she confirmed reports that the land sought by Kiribati was for investment and development purposes and not for relocation as reported in the media.
"There are plans to purchase this land and the church group has offered us this piece of land, which the Kiribati government seeks to use for investment like agricultural purposes," Ms Rimona said.
She says the agricultural purpose is to address matters like food security that is being threatened because of the effects of climate change in their island homes.
"This is a Kiribati government initiative and has been approved by Cabinet," Ms Rimon said. The Kiribati ambassador said the plans were yet to be endorsed by the Kiribati parliament. "The idea is supported by government and all that is left is the parliament's endorsement, the parliament is sitting in April," Ms Rimon said.
She said talks with the Anglican Church was still in progress. The church's Trust Fund will comment once talks have been finalised.
Kiribati, which straddles the equator near the international date line, has found itself at the leading edge of the debate on climate change because many of its atolls rise just a few feet above sea level.
Monday, March 12, 2012
There's usually a catch
from w
An article in Saturday's Fiji Times sounded an excellent opportunity for people who have been paying off their mortgages for years and years to the Fiji Housing Authority to be pardoned and get the debt paid off. Some have paid more than twice the original cost over the years. It seemed a good idea to investigate if it helps people in villages with several houses purchased through the Fiji Housing Authority. Okay, a family member checked it out and it's only for individuals and not for houses bought communally by a clan. Now that does seem unfair and favours only certain home-buyers and not others. There's usually a catch to 'good news' stories in Fiji isn't there!
Here's the story:
Home assistance
Elenoa Baselala
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A $2million government assistance will see at least 300 customers of Housing Authority having their debts partially or completely written off.
And yesterday, one of the 300, Navosai resident Peni Waqaimoala was still reeling from the news of his windfall. "I have no words to describe how I fell, I had the best night of sleep in ages," Mr Waqaimoala said. "I am thankful to the government and Housing Authority for having the vision of providing assistance to people like my family."
Yesterday, HA confirmed that the first 16 homeowners who have qualified for the scheme would have received their letters this week. "In this instance, we are extending the social housing policy to assist more homeowners by considering those who have paid over two times the principal loan amount, are retired and can prove genuine financial difficulties in repaying their home loans," Housing Authority chief executive Alipate Naiorosui said.
"The assistance under the social housing policy is in line with the announcement by the Prime Minister in January, 2011 to ensure that all Fijians have access to decent and affordable housing by 2020, which saw 92 families having their home loan accounts completely written off.
"Initially under the policy, homeowners who had paid over two and a half times the principal loan amount, are retired and or who are facing genuine financial difficulties were considered for full or partial write off", he said.
HA spokesman Dwain Qalovaki said if existing Housing Authority homeowners were facing genuine financial difficulty, they were requested to contact HA to see if they qualified under the policy.
"In special cases where the homeowners are temporarily facing financial difficulties, we are able to facilitate freezing of interest charges to their home loan account. The financial assistance to the 16 homeowners this month totals over $200,000 of both government grant and HA provisions. Housing Authority is expected to assist more homeowners in the coming months by providing full or partial write offs," Mr Qalovaki said.
The main objective of the policy is to encourage home retention and ownership.
An article in Saturday's Fiji Times sounded an excellent opportunity for people who have been paying off their mortgages for years and years to the Fiji Housing Authority to be pardoned and get the debt paid off. Some have paid more than twice the original cost over the years. It seemed a good idea to investigate if it helps people in villages with several houses purchased through the Fiji Housing Authority. Okay, a family member checked it out and it's only for individuals and not for houses bought communally by a clan. Now that does seem unfair and favours only certain home-buyers and not others. There's usually a catch to 'good news' stories in Fiji isn't there!
Here's the story:
Home assistance
Elenoa Baselala
Saturday, March 10, 2012
A $2million government assistance will see at least 300 customers of Housing Authority having their debts partially or completely written off.
And yesterday, one of the 300, Navosai resident Peni Waqaimoala was still reeling from the news of his windfall. "I have no words to describe how I fell, I had the best night of sleep in ages," Mr Waqaimoala said. "I am thankful to the government and Housing Authority for having the vision of providing assistance to people like my family."
Yesterday, HA confirmed that the first 16 homeowners who have qualified for the scheme would have received their letters this week. "In this instance, we are extending the social housing policy to assist more homeowners by considering those who have paid over two times the principal loan amount, are retired and can prove genuine financial difficulties in repaying their home loans," Housing Authority chief executive Alipate Naiorosui said.
"The assistance under the social housing policy is in line with the announcement by the Prime Minister in January, 2011 to ensure that all Fijians have access to decent and affordable housing by 2020, which saw 92 families having their home loan accounts completely written off.
"Initially under the policy, homeowners who had paid over two and a half times the principal loan amount, are retired and or who are facing genuine financial difficulties were considered for full or partial write off", he said.
HA spokesman Dwain Qalovaki said if existing Housing Authority homeowners were facing genuine financial difficulty, they were requested to contact HA to see if they qualified under the policy.
"In special cases where the homeowners are temporarily facing financial difficulties, we are able to facilitate freezing of interest charges to their home loan account. The financial assistance to the 16 homeowners this month totals over $200,000 of both government grant and HA provisions. Housing Authority is expected to assist more homeowners in the coming months by providing full or partial write offs," Mr Qalovaki said.
The main objective of the policy is to encourage home retention and ownership.
Thursday, March 01, 2012
Oz new Foreign Affairs minister
from w
Bob Carr apparently relented and decided to take up a Senate position and the Foreign Affairs role after Rudd moved to the back bench. A good man, smart and popular I think, so I wonder what will be his relation to the people of the Pacific Islands, especially Fiji.
Former premier was ready to take the stage
March 1, 2012
OPINION
If Bob Carr had become foreign minister he'd have brought to the job extensive contacts, very firm views, and an activist approach to Australia's diplomacy. Carr would have been determined to make a splash, both in the Senate and on the world stage.
According to those with whom he has shared his views, he would have very likely closed down the Australian drive to get a seat on the UN Security Council.
The expansion of Australian activities in Africa would have been reviewed in favour of more representation in Chinese and Indian cities and the Gulf area.
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And the government would have been looking carefully at its guiding principles for dealing with the US-China competition in the Asia-Pacific region.
Carr knows personally a dozen members of the US Senate, and calls Henry Kissinger a friend. He has spoken to many in the Chinese leadership and is at home talking about Chinese dynastic history.
As he settled into the job, one of his first tasks would have been to consult those who had earlier run foreign policy, including former prime ministers Bob Hawke, Paul Keating and John Howard, and former foreign ministers Gareth Evans, Alexander Downer and Kevin Rudd.
In the Senate, the theatrical Carr style might have attracted a few more journalists to tune into the upper house's question time.
Although the NSW ALP and, it seems, the PM, were attracted to the radical idea of the Carr experiment, Stephen Smith and presumably some others were not. Smith had had to stand aside when Rudd demanded the foreign affairs job.
Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/politics/former-premier-was-ready-to-take-the-stage-20120229-1u3fi.html#ixzz1nwAPxAyW
-------------
and more recently
from ABC
Carr rejects talk of softening Fiji stance
By New Zealand correspondent Dominique Schwartz
Posted March 09, 2012 20:26:46
Foreign minister designate Bob Carr has rejected media reports that he is planning to soften Australia's hard stance against Fiji.Mr Carr was speaking in Auckland after holding informal talks with his New Zealand counterpart Murray McCully. Mr Carr said he had noted Friday's announcement by Fiji's military leader Frank Bainimarama about planned public consultation over a new constitution.
Both Mr Carr and Mr McCully greeted the announcement with caution and said time would tell if the Fiji's rulers were truly moving towards democratic elections. The former New South Wales premier also says he will be seeking more information from the ACTU about the human rights situation for workers in Fiji. Mr Carr says he wants to further investigate claims that any union official who speaks out against the interim government still risks life imprisonment.
"Certainly one of the tests we'd consider in the future is the right of organisation in the workplace," he said. "That's a fundamental human right. I'd expect to have more conversations with unionists, in particular the ACTU."
Mr Carr said his hour-long discussion with Mr McCully about the region was wide-ranging and helpful. He will meet prime minister John Key on Saturday morning.
It is his first overseas trip since being named the replacement for Kevin Rudd. He is due to be sworn in as a senator and foreign minister on Tuesday.
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