The news that Samoa will ban single-use plastic and straws in 2019 is certainly good news for the environment and a no-brainer for helping our ocean. But it does raise certain questions, like how will this ban be enforced? Will retailers be fined or prosecuted if they...
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Faaliliuina – T.T.A.S.F O se tasi o tagata lilo ua iloga, po o se isi o loo tusia ni tala i luga o upega tafailagi, faapea ai ma ni isi o loo lagolago i ana tusitusiga, sa latou leotetele mai ma tuuaia le nusipepa o le...
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20 March, 2018. Samoa – Concerns are being raised about the possible danger of tensions erupting in Afega as the result of a popular anonymous Facebook page. Earlier this month, the page writers attacked prominent businessman Ututaaloga Charlie Ulia and his family with multiple allegations. Page writers...
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She came bearing gifts – several million dollars worth – on a ‘reboot’ Pacific mission, fuelled perhaps by a fear of what the Chinese are getting up to…ohmigoodness are they replacing us in the special friend’s circle?! $3 million for Cyclone Gita recovery and $6.5million for...
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“There’s really no such thing as the voiceless. There are only the deliberately silenced or the preferably unheard.” Arundhati Roy. Several months ago, I received an all-expenses paid invitation to attend a South Pacific arts and literature conference in Sydney, Australia. My participation would include giving a reading...
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20 January, 2018. – If you’re a Samoan who has been harbouring secret dreams of a working holiday picking oranges in sunny California, then forget it. The US Dept of Homeland Security has barred Samoan nationals from qualifying for temporary work visas, together with two other...
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17 November, 2017. Bonn, Germany. – Samoa’s struggles with nutrition, obesity and non-communicable diseases are well-known. There are many strategies for addressing these and much good work being done already. Perhaps another possible solution for us to consider, is the humble bicycle? A visit to the German...
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16 November, 2017. Germany – High level delegates to the UN Climate Conference were greeted by a ‘Red Carpet’ against coal as Pacific Climate Warriors united with German 350.org activists in an action targeting Germany’s Chancellor Merkel and other leaders. Painted in bold red, the 80 meter...
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The Drua, symbol of Fiji’s COP23 presidency is a reminder to the world that we are all in the same canoe when it comes to climate change, and must “fill the sail with a collective determination” to move the work forward. It is work that...
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11 November, 2017. Germany/Kiribati – What’s required to be a climate warrior who advocates for the Pacific? Youth warriors in this fight will speak of ‘standing on the shoulders of giants’. They pay tribute to the pioneers who first started calling for the world to accept...
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