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Addressing domestic violence against women – an unfinished agenda

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY ELLISON VAHI

“DOMESTIC violence is a burden on numerous sectors of the social system and quietly, yet dramatically, affects the development of a nation batterers cost nations fortunes in terms of law enforcement, health care, lost labour and general progress in development. These costs do not only affect the present generation; what begins as an assault by one person on another, reverberates through the family and the community into the future.”

This was stated by DFAT rep Ms Jemma Malcom during her speech during the SAFENET trainers closing at the IBS compound.

In her speech she stated that with public knowledge and information, Solomon Islands is one of the highest rates of violence against women.

She said that as Domestic violence is a global issue reaching across national boundaries as well as socio-economic, cultural, racial and class distinctions, studies in 2009 has provided the evidence of 64 percent of women between the ages of 15-49 years have experience both sexual and physical violence by their intimate partners.

“This statistic is quite alarming,” Malcom said.

She also said that, that is why her ministry is responsible under the Family Protection Act, that SAFENET members must be equipped with the relevant skills and knowledge to implement the legislation in an informed and gender-aware approach.

“We have a responsibility as duty bearers to provide the basic essential services to our own women and girls, men and boys who experience violence, and I am urging you to take your responsibility seriously,” she said.

In assurance that the Government in its policy statement is clear on eliminating violence against women and girls, Malcom adds that her ministry has action this call though its commitment made in the revised policy on eliminating violence against women and girls.

Malcom adds that their responsibility in implementing the Family Protection Act is ongoing as well their collaboration with key government agencies, stakeholders and development of the national counselling framework, and for primary prevention initiatives, to change the attitudes towards violence against women to be consistent and sustainable.

She also said that as with the family protection Act, and the EVAW policy and advocacy and awareness, they consider the need for the referral network or SAFENET as essential and anticipate that demand for it in the provinces will soon call for them to expand.

She adds, but with the support of the UN women Essential services Packages for Women and Girls, they have seen through the full range of essential services that every victim of violence have prompt access to; sexual and reproductive health services, support to ensure mental and physical health, wellbeing and safety as well access to justice and police services.

“It is my hope that the members of SAFENET being trained under the FWCC for 2 weeks will further add value to their work as the frontline services provides in ensuring that victims of violence will have; rapid access to a health clinic that can and will administer emergency medical care and medical practitioner who can conduct a forensic examination within 72 hours of the attack, and as well have access to case management support, counselling and that they are able to counsel within their cultural and religious requirement.”

West to elect new Premier today

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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BY ALFRED PAGEPITU
GIZO

MEMBERS of the Western Provincial Assembly (MPAs) will meet today in Gizo to vote for a new Premier.

The vote is expected to kick off at 10am.

Western provincial clerk to the assembly, Mr Kevin Paia told Island Sun Gizo yesterday that only one candidate has been nominated by the MPAs.

He is David Gina, the MPA for ward 15 Munda.

He said the election will be held at the Western Provincial government conference room this afternoon.

“If we receive more than one nomination, we will have to do a round robin vote, but if only one candidate is nominated, then we will convene to declare the new Premier of Western province.

“We will announce the provincial premier straight after the counting,” said Paia.

Meanwhile, Police have tightened up security for the election today.

How technology change the way we think

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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By Ezekiel Talatau

SOLOMON Islands now lives in a digital world where everyone depends on faster and reliable communication, transportation and medication.

Over the years, most people in Solomon Islands are likely to travel by motor boats, ships and planes, use digital phones for communication and chemically processed drugs for medical treatments.

A Ms Marence Amiki yesterday, said that ‘before technology was introduce in Solomon Islands, people in the past used canoes to travel, written letters to communicate and herbs medicine to treat sick people. Nowadays, it’s different’.

“Increased technology is changing our way of living, to be convenient, easy and faster for our people especially in transportation, communication and medication.

“Technologies also creates opportunities in many ways such as Job opportunity and worldwide communication network.

“The world is turning into more advance technology and we must know the good and bad things about it.

Many studies has also revealed that technologies can increase the way how we think and improve human perspective on how we live around the globe and knowing how things around the world are connected.

Mr Trevor Hiro, a foundation Science Student from University of South Pacific (USP) believes that technology creates a world to be connected through many ways.

“For instance, internet help us to communicate and understand issues around the globe.

“Technology also create a system in which we people live in it, adopt to it and changes our way of thinking. Since Solomon Islands people living with different cultures and customs, I believe that the western world technologies will soon changes the way we think.”

“There is a risk that technology will change our culture and identity. For instance, many small children in the past usually learn from their parents about their cultures, customs and their identity. Today, most children spend most of their time on phones and internet. This creates a problem within our society.

“Further research is needed to create a good knowledge on how we can link technologies and our cultures together.”

Malaita provincial youth division supports youths in business

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Malaita provincial youth officer Timson Talui.

BY GEORGE MANFORD

AUKI

Malaita provincial youth officer Timson Talui.

THE Malaita provincial youth division in Auki has fully supported the initiative of the youth@work office in Auki for youths in Malaita to involve in business activities.

Malaita provincial youth officer Timson Talui said this during the two days of refresher training for youths at the Rarasu leaf hut yesterday.

“The Malaita provincial youth division under the Malaita provincial government must ensure that the model where the youth @work components have done must be successfully done in every specific wards in Malaita province.

“The SPC has liaise with the malaita provincial government where a memorandum of understanding (MOU) is prepared to be signed so that the Malaita provincial government will take ownership of the programmes.”

He said in every stage of the programme the Malaita provincial government through the youth division must involve in any youth programme and activities through observing the model.

“So far the malaita provincial youth division in its full support towards this programmes we ensure that these programmes must reach out to the other youths in our rural areas in malaita so that they will contribute meaning fully in their respective communities they serve in.

“The malaita provincial youth division also wants to see all youths in all our communities in malaita province must be vibrant especially to improve our local economy especially in Malaita province through involving in business activities.”

Improving Health Service Delivery in Malaita Province

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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DEAR EDITOR, last week several clinics and hospitals in Malaita province were reported to have each received a boat and an outboard motor under a project worth $300,000.

It is my understanding that the support package was due to a three year partnership between Global Alliance for Vaccine and Immunization (GAVI), an organisation based in Switzerland, and the SI Ministry of Health and Medical Services.

It is also my understanding that three provinces benefit from the existing partnership, Guadalcanal, Western and Malaita.

While very pleased to read of the link-up between GAVI and the MHMS I was intrigued to find out a little more about GAVI and the work that the organisation does.

Surprisingly, I discovered that GAVI is a relatively new alliance created to build upon an earlier Children’s Vaccine Initiative, which had been launched in 1990.
 
Quoting from a GAVI Fact Sheet No, 169 it read:

“The Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization (GAVI) is an international coalition of partners. It includes national governments, international organizations such as the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank; philanthropic institutions, such as the Bill and Melinda Gates Children’s Vaccine Program and the Rockefeller Foundation; the private sector, represented by the International Federation of Pharmaceutical Manufacturers Associations (IFPMA); and research and public health institutions

 “Many of the GAVI partners have several decades of experience in immunization, including the work toward eradicating poliomyelitis. In GAVI, the pharmaceutical industry’s participation as a full partner is an innovation.

“The Global Fund was created with an initial grant of US$ 750 million from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. Since that time, the Governments of the Netherlands, Norway, the United Kingdom and the United States have joined in supporting the Global Fund, pushing its total resources to above US$ 1 billion for 2001-2005. More countries are expected to contribute to the Global Fund and contributions from corporations and foundations will also be pursued.”

I very much value the SI MOHMS being in partnership with GAVI and much appreciate what the partnership is already bringing about in the Solomon Islands and I really hope more SI provinces will soon benefit from the valuable support the organization gives in health service delivery.

Yours sincerely

Frank Short

SIWSAP helps Tuwo village with weather data system

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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Rachel from Tuwo village in Temotu. Photo from UNDP Solomon Islands.

BY LYNTON AARON FILIA

Rachel from Tuwo village in Temotu. Photo from UNDP Solomon Islands.

UNITED Nation Development Programme (UNDP) has partnered with the Solomon Islands Government to install a new weather data system for the people of Temotu province.

The new weather data system supports the rural people of Tuwo village access accurate information about droughts and extreme weather.

Currently, Temotu is also among islands across Solomon Islands experiencing severe impacts of climate change especially sea-level rise which puts villagers on uncertainty mode.

According to UNDP Solomon Islands, the angry rising sea makes people of Tuwo village face an uncertain future.

UNDP through the Solomon Islands Water Sector Adaptation Project (SIWSAP), ‘Gud Wata Fo Strongem Komuniti Lo Evritaem’, has worked with the Tuwo village.

During the project, Rachel from Tuwo in Temotu shared experience saying the rising sea-level has made the young generation question their future because currently their homes are being threatened by climate change.

UNDP said the weather data system will help Tuwo adapt to the volatile climate but Rachel and her generation could be the last one to live there because of climate change.

Installing the system will support local fishermen avoid rough seas and help farmers optimise their harvest to avert food crises in the future.

Vulnerable communities like Tuwo may be remote, but now they get regular weather reports that are shaping their water usage and preparedness for climate change, the UNDP said.

The SIWSAP, “Gud Wata Fo Strongem Komuniti Lo Evritaem”, is funded by the GEF-Least Developed Countries Fund and implemented by the Water Resources Division of Ministry of Mines, Energy and Rural Electrification with technical support from the United Nations Development Programme.

The project aims to improve the resilience of water resources to the impacts of climate change and improve health, sanitation and quality of life so that livelihoods can be enhanced and sustained in the targeted vulnerable areas.

COP23 to draw attention to vulnerable small islands states

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY ELLISON VAHI

THE impacts of climate change are already being felt on a global scale, especially on small islands scattered around the oceans.

These vulnerable island nations are planning to make their voices heard at COP23 in Bonn.

With Fiji set to chair the United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP23) in Bonn, Germany later this year, attention is turning to the plight of small island nations and the need to develop sustainable solutions to rising sea levels and extreme weather events.

Local Governments for Sustainability ICLEI – formerly known as International Council for Local Environmental Issues, is an organization comprised of local governments who have made a commitment to sustainable development. It aims to share knowledge and provide training at a local level, particularly with towns and provinces in small island states.

One of its current projects focuses on developing successful resilience practices on the Solomon Islands, which is already experiencing the effects of sea level rise which Over the last few decades, the country has already lost five small islands to rising waters.

According to statement from Andrew Mua, mayor of the Honiara City Council, with Steve Gawler, the regional director of ICLEI Oceania, during the 2017 Resilient Cities Conference in Bonn about some of the challenges facing the Solomon Islands and how it plans to tackle the issue stated that the Sea level rise is a very big concern for island nations including the Solomon Islands.

“We are slowly losing our beaches and small islands are already sinking underwater and hence are very thankful to ICLEI and other organisations who are helping us to address this issue and prepare our people for the worst to come.”

Speaking of how the ICLEI cooperates with the Solomon Islands in order to implement climate change adaptation strategies Steve Gawler said that coming last year in 2017, his group with the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction to conduct a disaster risk self-assessment has come with funds to help them work out how they can deal with disaster, like the flash floods in 2014 as well what lessons were learned and what needs to be put in place so that the city can respond more effectively to another disaster with less loss of life and less damage.

“Interestingly, one of the local partners working with the UN Habitat Cities and Climate Change Initiative (CCCI) was a university based in Melbourne. So the funding came from the UN to local partners for the benefit of Honiara, and we’re still working together on various projects. It’s an example of good international coordination, which doesn’t always happen,” said Steve.

Steve adds that the ICLEI is different from other agencies in the sense that they talk with the local authorities about the issue first and then help bring in those external agencies to start implementing solutions.

He also said that Small islands need to be treated with great respect because they have incredible strengths, such as connected communities, which are the envy of Western developed countries as well they have identified that one of the main strengths of Honiara is the community structure that It’s so strong that ICLEI was actually approached around the past years ago by the Alliance of Small Island States because they represent one party in the climate talks, but their voices are small.

Steve further stressed that the Part of the reason they are working is to see how they can use their global networks to help raise small islands state voices more effectively, so to develop a strategy to go to COP 23 specifically to draw attention to towns and cities on small islands and say to the international community: “You’re forgetting about them”.

“All of the new climate change adaptation frameworks you have developed are not tackling the problems in Honiara, in Suva, in Port of Spain, and many others,” he said.

Climate change a major threat to Solomon Islands

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

BY ELLISON VAHI

 GLOBAL sea levels are rising and the world’s land ice is disappearing.

Sea levels have risen 6 to 8 inches in the past 100 years, and Antarctica has been losing more than 100 cubic kilometres of ice per year since 2002, according to NASA satellite data.

It is estimated that by the year 2100, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change estimates that sea levels will rise as much as 20 inches.

While rising sea levels ultimately influence the entire planet, they pose the greatest threat to the islands currently residing at sea level.

Solomon Islands as a sovereign country consisting of six major islands and over 900 smaller islands in Oceania lying to the east of Papua New Guinea and northwest of Vanuatu and covering a land area of 28,400 square kilometres (11,000 sq mi) is also one of the most vulnerable islands ever debated.

With rising sea level, it is an issue where some still ignore, however is destroying land and the livelihoods of many islanders.

For many small islands residing on low lying islands or atolls, sea level rises have become a major concern, as huge chunks of their coastline in their area are now washed away.

According to a study published in Environmental Research Letters have stated that five of the Islands in the western Pacific have disappeared due to rising sea levels over the past seven decades as well with another six islands there having lost more than 20 percent of their surface area, forcing people to relocate.

A study’s lead author, Simon Albert of the University of Queensland stated also stated that the Sea levels in the Solomon Islands have been climbing by 7 millimetres per year since 1994.

According to his studies Simon Albert said that the human element of this is alarming and whilst said that working alongside people on the frontline who have lost their family homes that they’ve had for four to five generations it’s quite alarming

Be vigilant to transnational crime trends in the Pacific region

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, I was re-reading the excellent report made by Neil Boister, Senior Lecturer at the School of Law, University of Canterbury, New Zealand, in 2017 and published on line by the USP.

Mr Boaster’s report laid out his thoughts on how he perceived the threat of transnational crime was beginning to pervade the Pacific and what he believe to be the counter measures to contain the threat.

In one of his opening statements he wrote (quote)

“THREAT ASSESSMENT

“The justification for collaborative action in the region is the threat presented by transnational crime to the safety and security of Forum members. In 1992 the Forum considered that if it increased in scale transnational crime could threaten the sovereignty of member states and the stability of the region.

“By 2001, however, the Forum stated that there was ‘clear evidence of serious transnational crime moving into the region and posing serious threats to the sovereignty, security and economic integrity of forum members.’

“These threats included money laundering, terrorist recruitment, identity fraud, West African fraud, people smuggling, issuing passports of convenience, engaging in electronic crimes, small arms trafficking, illegally trading in endangered wildlife, drug trafficking and organised crime.”

It is now 2018 and while the Solomon Islands has been guarded and so far avoided most, if not all, the threats envisaged by Mr. Boister, with the exception, perhaps, of border incursions and illegal trading in wildlife, and excluding the tragic years of the internal conflict know as the ‘Tensions,” the authorities must remain highly vigilant and I will raise just three incidents in the past few days in neighbouring states to highlight my concerns.

It was said the Police in Tonga had seized 58 kilograms of cocaine with an estimated street value of US14.8 million dollars, during an operation in the Ha’apai Islands.

Likewise, the authorities in Fiji seized $US15 million worth of cocaine and ecstacy from a yacht.

“The police and customs authority said the yacht, which last stopped at Bora Bora in French Polynesia, was searched at Denarau last Thursday.

“They found 15 kilograms of cocaine and ecstasy on board, $US15, 000 in undeclared cash, along with guns and ammunition.

Today, Thursday, also in Fiji, the police arrested a foreign national and charged him with bringing a large stack of ammunition into Fiji waters that had been found on his yacht.

It was reported that Fiji Customs Officers had searched yacht and that led to the seizure of a large quantity of mixed ammunition.

Today, economic and environmental concerns must not dominate security precautions and preparedness by the relevant authorities in the Solomon Islands to contain any potential threats that could arise to national sovereignty and security

Yours sincerely

 

Frank Short

Deadly fire leaves children injured and family desperate for help

Written by
Milton Ragaruma
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0

DEAR EDITOR, local news reports in the past few days said a family has survived a deadly fire that razed and burned down their house at Kobe village in Ngella, Central province last month.

It seems five people; four kids and their aunt were in the house sleeping when the fire broke out and engulfed the home.

The incident was said to have occurred between 9-10pm in the night and they could not do much because it was dark and the fire was all over the house within minutes.

Ms Wale, an occupant of the house, said they were unaware where, how and why the fire started.

“She said when she realised the fire she quickly got the kids out of the house.

“Ms Wale said because of the heat of the fire one of the kids was severely burnt during the process of escaping from the house.

The house was turned into ruins and ashes.

The kids were immediately referred to National Referral Hospital (NRH) for emergency medical attention.

It is believed most of the children have recovered but one of the younger ones who was injured in the fire is still recovering and under medical observation at the NRH.

It is understood that Empower Pacific, a volunteer group that assist kids at the hospital’s children’s ward, has launched a public appeal to support the four (4) kids that survived the fire and help the victims return to their village.

The group welcomes any help and donations through clothing and household items to support the family rebuild their lives.

Should you wish to help, call Empower Pacific on 30065.

I endorse the appeal launched by the Empower Pacific and, while wishing the four children a speedy and full recovery, I also request that the Solomon Islands Red Cross Society and the community do everything possible to help the stricken family re-build their home and their lives.

Please try to help.

Yours sincerely

FRANK SHORT

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