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From The Crowd
New gender strategy | Are all gender strategies created equal? Examining the new German, US and UK approaches (Part 1)
Earlier this year, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the Albanese government would be developing a new international gender equality strategy. The current gender equality and women’s empowerment strategy, developed two years after the...
31st May
Menstrual health
Menstrual health is essential to gender equality and the wellbeing of women, adolescent girls and all people who menstruate. Yet the menstrual health needs of millions of girls and women continue to go unmet; and those who menstruate face restrictions on their mobility, choices, and participation in school and community life. As Menstrual Hygiene Day...
30th May
Nuclear water into Pacific Ocean
On the coastline of Bougainville’s capital, Buka, small dinghies carrying men back and forth from the ocean are a common sight. The people here rely on fish for their income. Their daily catch is proudly put up for sale at a local market, keen to attract the eyes of wandering customers. “Our culture is different...
Ratu Sukuna’s three-legged stool concept – its value for the 21st century
INTRODUCTION Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna’s life story — his personal background and upbringing, his education, military service, work and contribution as a senior officer in the British colonial Administration in Fiji — are generally well known. In my readings and research on Ratu Sukuna, there was one particular feature of him that stood out. Of...
29th May
Point of Origin | Jannif in the ’60s (Part 3): St Paul’s, UE year, Maori culture and the twins
The 1960s are not referred to as the swinging ’60s for no reason. The cultural revolution against the old-world ways by the new world youth truly heralded the age of Aquarius. From the technological advancements in computers, flight, and space exploration, to the fashion, political upheaval, rebellion and nonconformity, the Vietnam war protests, the environmental...
Beading her way to FJFW | Helen Oro – First Nation indigenous fashion designer of Canada
We at Fiji Fashion Week are preparing ecstatically to receive the first group of indigenous First Nations people of the Pelican Lake Band from Saskatchewan in the middle of Canada. Fashion and Jewellery Designer Helen Oro is from the Pelican Lake Tribe of the Bear Creek Clan. She is “thrilled to be the first indigenous...
28th May
Postcard from Oxford | Over and out Oxford!
Bula everyone! I did it! After four years I have finally finished studying at the University of Oxford. It feels incredibly surreal, to even type that to all of you, but after years of hard work it is all over. The past few years have been anything but boring, I’ve loved, lost, celebrated, cried but...
27th May
Opinion | A divided aspiration
In the last article in this series, I focused on the activities and festivities that were organised to mark the arrival of the girmitiya in Fiji. In the process, I outlined a number of things that stood out in the organisation of these events. In this piece, let me elaborate and discuss one key point...
Opinion | Crisis in our identity – Rightful place for ‘driftwood’ of the Pacific
Saturday, May 20, 2023 evening bore a gloomy note with overcast skies, blustery winds and pelting rain. There was no secure place except being indoors. And it immensely worried the Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ members who had organised the Fiji Girmit Remembrance Day annual event at the Malaeola Hall, Auckland from 5pm. They feared that...
Opinion | Who failed to protect our media freedom?
On World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2023) there was an excellent two-page personal account by The Fiji Times Chief Editor (Fred Wesley) on “Never again must we be suppressed”. To refresh your memory about the personal trials and tribulations faced by not just the brave journalists but also their families (including their traumatised young...
Opinion | The 11th Henry Kila Memorial Address: Reversing rural decline in PNG
I was born in the mid-1980s, and grew up in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, in Enga, in Porgera District, in a beautiful government outpost called Kolombi, which was established by early Christian missionaries during the colonial era. During its heyday, Kolombi was more than just a government outpost. When I was a kid,...
Being a good pet owner | ‘They’re a source of endless blessings’
This article refers mostly to dogs as pets but could equally apply to cats. A definition of “pet” is interesting: – noun: a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship; and – verb: stroke or pat (an animal) affectionately. Words such as companionship and affection are important components of the meaning. Patting is important for...
Beyond the Scope | Welfare recipient numbers skyrocket
Social welfare assistance is provided by governments to individuals and families in need. This assistance aims to help individuals meet their basic needs, overcome financial difficulties, and improve their overall wellbeing. Governments design these programs to provide a safety net and help individuals and families overcome temporary or long-term challenges they may face. These safety...
