Australian Foreign Minister Bob Carr ... looking into "progress" in Fiji. Photo: FBC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Ritika Pratap and Dev Narayan in Suva

The visiting Pacific Islands Forum Ministerial Contact Group is optimistic that talks progressing in the next two days will be positive, reports Fiji Broadcasting News.

MCG chair and New Zealand Foreign Minister Murray McCully, who arrived in Fiji earlier today, thanked the government for accepting to meet the MCG as part of “engagement”.

The meeting is an opportunity for members of the Ministerial Contact Group to see first hand the reforms being undertaken by the Bainimarama government as the country prepares for a new constitution next year and elections in 2014. Read more »

Press Release – Hikoi – Aotearoa Is Not For Sale

Following a warm welcome from Te Arawa yesterday, a group of 200 locals joined the Hikoi ‘Aotearoa is Not For Sale’ today as it marched from the Rotorua lake front to the office of National MP Todd McLay. Near the front of the march pallbearers … Read more »

Performance artist Kura Te Ua ... haka theatre the stage for story of love and revenge. Photo: Te Waha Nui

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Astrid Gjerde ⋅

Kura Te Ua is one of around 120 Māori and Pacific artists chosen to represent New Zealand at the 11th Festival of Pacific Arts in the Solomon Islands from July 1 to 13.

Her performance, The Cries from Down Under, combines elements of kapa haka, contemporary Māori dance, and drama in a new concept known as haka theatre.

She says although haka theatre may have originated as far back as the 1920s, younger generations were only introduced to the genre last year during the Rugby World Cup, with the production Arohanui – The Greatest Love, by Te Matatini Society Inc. Read more »

Speech – The White House

Good evening, everybody. Good evening. I could not be more thrilled to be here tonight at the White House Correspondents’ Dinner. This is great crowd. They’re already laughing. It’s terrific. Read more »

Press Release – Salvation Army

The strain on The Salvation Army’s welfare services in the wake of the recession, the Christchurch quakes and increasing client referrals from government departments means some services are approaching breaking point. Read more »

Tamaki Primary students enjoy the fun day out. Photo: Jessi Mee/PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By  Jessi Mee

Tamaki Primary School students were treated to a free school party at the weekend thanks to C3 Church, Auckland.

The event, which had more than 150 C3 church volunteers involved, included food, face-painting, giveaways, bouncy castles and dance performances.

One of the pastors from C3 Church, Jackie O’Dwyer, says the church has been hosting free school party days for five years as part of Random Acts of Kindness day (RAK.co.nz). Read more »

Press Release – Salvation Army

The Salvation Army launches its annual Red Shield Appeal today expecting an increase in demand throughout the South Island for its already stretched welfare services. Read more »

Thirteen PICs ... ""delusion of sovereignty". Photo: Dev Policy

Pacific Scoop:
Analysis – By Professor Wadan Narsey

Everyone knows that PACER Plus negotiations, if successfully conducted by Office of Chief Trading Adviser (OCTA), have the potential for offering major development benefits to Forum Island Country peoples.

The most important benefit should be generous access for unskilled guest workers to Australia and New Zealand, to assist in employment of unskilled FIVC people, and the strengthening of remittance flows of valuable foreign exchange, in return for trade liberalisation.

However, Forum Island Countries (FICs) allege that Australia and NZ are dragging their feet when it comes to the funding of the (OCTA) which is supposed to be the secretariat for PACER Plus negotiations. Read more »

PasiMA's "peacemaker" deputy chair Kalafi Moala of Tonga (from right) with Michael Jackson of Niue (elected the new vice-president of PINA) and Radio Djiido's Magalie Tingal. Photo: Wansolwara/USP

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Pacific Media Watch

An award-winning Fiji-born investigative journalist has attacked a Radio Australia news item about last month’s PINA Pacific Media Summit in Fiji, describing it as the “biggest crack at revisionism in recent Pacific media history”.

Australian-based Graham Davis, who publishes the independent blog Grubsheet, challenged RA’s Pacific Beat reporter Bruce Hill and the University of the South Pacific head of journalism, Dr Marc Edge, a Canadian, over their version of events given a month after the event.

Davis and other commentators had earlier described the summit – controversially held in Fiji in spite of the military-backed regime’s pressure on news media – as “peaceful” and a contrast with past stormy Pacific Islands News Association (PINA) conventions, especially the last one in Port Vila, Vanuatu, in 2009. Read more »

Press Release – United Nations

New York, Apr 27 2012 12:10PM A top United Nations official today voiced concern about recent steps taken by the Government in Papua New Guinea that undermine the rule of law, breach international human rights standards, impinge on the independence … Read more »