Singh: Fiji has ‘corrupt’ tag
Fiji is perceived as a corrupt place to do business, says Transparency International Fiji Chairman Hari Pal Singh. Mr Singh said a survey conducted by Transparency International two years ago revealed corruption was rampant with people even bribing officials in Fiji’s judicial system to obtain justice.
The Fiji Times, March 16, 2008

Fijians urged to grow their own food
Fiji’s interim Prime Minister has urged people to grow their own food as food prices in the country soar. Fijilive reports that Frank Bainimarama says “it is healthy and cost effective to ensure there is sufficient supply of food crops” on individual land.
Radio Australia, March 16, 2008

Pacific island States, facing unique development challenges, win UN boost
The United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (ESCAP) will strengthen its Pacific Operations Centre as part of its campaign to provide greater support for the region’s island nations, which are facing critical development challenges given their size, relative isolation and vulnerability to climate change.
UN News Service, March 14, 2008

Human rights abuses shatter south Pacific image
The palm-fringed island nations of the South Pacific may have an idyllic peaceful image, but a US human rights report cited unlawful killings by police and armed forces, tribal violence, corruption and media intimidation throughout the region.
Reuters, March 12, 2008

Melanesia on our radar
Last week in Papua New Guinea, Micheal Somare, PNG Prime Minister and Australia’s PM Rudd, issued the Port Moresby Declaration, promising more aid and a new era in bilateral relations. And yesterday the Australian Strategic Policy Institute issued two new papers on Australia’s policy in the region. The focus, both in government and think tanks, is Melanesia rather than Polynesia. There are three reasons for this. Melanesia is closer to Australia than Polynesia. Melanesia is facing more economic and social challenges than Polynesia and New Zealand tends to take the lead in Polynesia.
The four big nations of Melanesia - PNG, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu and Fiji each face significant development challenges.
The Australian, March 8, 2008

Pacific Island Futures: Governance in the Pacific
This web quest sets up a series of small research tasks for students to discover some general background information on the Pacific Island nations and on the concept of ‘good governance’. The students are directed into roles to conduct more specific individual research related to aspects of the governance of a fictitious small, newly independent, Pacific Island nation. Students-in-role as members of a Ministry then make informed decisions about how that nation might best be governed for future sustainable human development. This web quest involves students in challenging activities using internet search skills, co-operative group work and negotiation skills for dealing with different perspectives during decision making.

www.uq.net.au

Pacific Stories
Pacific Stories, a co-production between Film Australia’s National Interest Program and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, is a project that crosses time, place and media. On TV (ABC2), the series of films explore events spanning the past century, tracing the remarkable shift in social, cultural and environmental realities for people of the Pacific. The Pacific Stories website extends the experience of each film with new material including production interviews and stills, updates on people and issues, film trailers and supporting graphics, maps, text and audio.

www.abc.net.au/pacificstories

The Way of the Cross – Sharing the burden
The Way of the Cross invites us to recall the suffering of Jesus in a particular way. Today many people in our world continue to carry the cross of Christ, whether it be the burden of unpayable debt, the lack of access to basic human rights or the fear of living in a world where peace is no longer a certainty. Caritas Australia invites you to make the journey of the cross.

Download a PowerPoint presentation here
and a PDF reflection here.