Archive - Dec 14, 2011

The Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) is calling for the independence of West Papua and her people from Indonesia.

In a statement that was endorsed by the church leaders at their recent meeting in Samoa, they declared that, “beginning in 2012, we will celebrate a day of freedom in support of our brothers and sisters in Maohi Nui, Bougainville, New Caledonia, West Papua and peoples who yearn to be free. We call on the Secretariat of the PCC to designate such a day.”

One of my earliest diaries this year covered some of the challenges I had to go through in order to find a suitable accommodation in Brisbane. I don’t think I told you that in the end I had to move houses three times! I am now settled but in a way it reflects how tricky it can be sometimes in finding what you need.

Reuters

Europe secured an historic agreement to draft a new treaty for deeper economic integration in the euro zone on Friday, but Britain, the region’s third largest economy, refused to join the other 26 countries in a fiscal union and was left isolated. The outcome of a two-day European Union summit left financial markets uncertain whether and when more decisive action would be taken to stem a debt crisis that began in Greece in 2009, spread to Portugal, Ireland, Italy and Spain and now threatens France and even economic powerhouse Germany.

China Business

China’s economic growth could fall to 8.9% in 2012, the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS), a government think tank, said on Wednesday.
“The 8.9% estimate is logical as exports, investment and consumption will slow down by different degrees in 2012,” Li Yang, deputy director of CASS, said at a press conference for the launch of a blue paper issued by the research institute.
Next year, exports will play less of a role in driving economic growth, consumption will be relatively stable and investment is expected to decline further, Li added.

ABC Vanuatu is set to upgrade its port facilities and shipping services to remote islands, with an $11 million loan from the Asian Development Bank.

The ADB says many wharves in Vanuatu are in poor condition, with delays and safety problems not uncommon either.

The loan will see new or upgraded jetties for Vanuatu’s outer-islands, plus a a central inter-island terminal in Port Vila.

Presenter: Geraldine Coutts
Speaker: Eugenue Zhukov, head of the Asian Development Bank in Australia

What’s so special about Christmas, in particular, 25 December? Are you already stressed out by the demands of Christmas?Or is the stress level quickly building up,knowing that the ‘big day’ is swiftly creeping toward you, you can’t escape it, and you know it is just around the corner?

“Without him I would not be the Prime Minister today, because he inspired me to become a politician,” Prime Minister Sato Kilman said of the late William Edgell, former MP and Minister of Lands who died in Port Vila in the early hours of Wednesday morning at the Vila Central hospital.

The Prime Minister was speaking at the State Funeral Service of the late William Edgell held at the Anglican Church in Port Vila on Thursday before his body was flown to his home island of Pentecost to rest at his home village of Amagao in the Hurilao District.

The Vanuatu National Council of Women in partnership with the United Nations Women Entity for Gender Equality and the Empowerment of Women Gender Equality in Political Governance are organising a Bridge Gender and Elections Module Workshop for women and men and youth from December 12 to 16.
The Workshop will be held in Erakor Island Resort.

United Press International reported December 5, 2011 that Japan, in conjunction with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank, is planning to establish a large scale insurance plan to help governments of small South Pacific and South East Asian countries fund recovery projects following natural disasters such as cyclones, earthquakes and tsunamis.

Unwanted pregnancies among high school students and the need to upgrade health facilities in Vanuatu were just two of the many population-related issues which dominated discussions at a two-day Parliamentary retreat in Port Vila this week.

Retreat participants ended the consultation with a draft work plan for 2012 to build on the progress achieved so far in this area, which had included a tour of health centers in rural areas to inform their advocacy role both at parliamentary and grassroots level.