Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

The United Nations regional human rights chief has hailed 2011 as a “significant year” for Pacific achievements with all outstanding national reviews being completed.

” It has been an excellent stocktaking exercise for the region and will now act as an important baseline from which to evaluate future progress over the next four years,” said Matilda Bogner, Regional Representative of OHCHR’s Pacific Office in  Suva.

Saturday 10 December marked International Human Rights Day. Read more »

Labour candidate for Waitakere Carmel Sepuloni is waiting and hoping on special votes. Photo: WCommons

Pacific Scoop:
Report – by Alex Perrottet of Pacific Media Watch

Labour MP Carmel Sepuloni says she is waiting for the “final call” and is holding out hope she can still be re-elected, despite trailing incumbent National minister Paula Bennett by 349 votes.

A circumspect Sepuloni says she is not putting all her hopes on the seat but thinks she is “definitely in with a chance”.

“If I am in, I’m in, and if not, it simply means I’m meant to do something else for the next three years,” she says. Read more »

John Minto condemns the lack of action for Pacific people in Manukau East for the Mana Party. Photo: 3News

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Alex Perrottet of Pacific Media Watch

Mana Party candidate for Manukau East John Minto has accused New Zealand of blatantly discriminating against many Pacific people who have made an “immense contribution” to the country.

He spelled out his party’s main issues with Pacific foreign policy in the election campaign.

“The most obvious discrimination is with Tongans and Samoans,” he said. “Cook Islanders and Niueans are effectively citizens of New Zealand.” Read more »

Relieved Kiwi fans celebrate the All Black victory over France in Auckland last night. Video: Telegraph

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Edwin Puni of Event Polynesia

So the All Blacks have won the 2011 Rugby World Cup by a whisker – 8-7 against a magnificent French team.

And now time to reflect what the triumph means for New Zealand and the Pacific.

Willie Jackson’s column in the Manukau Courier a few days ago sums up the RWC experience in New Zealand for me. Read more »

Indonesian repression in West Papua. Cartoon: © Malcolm Evans / PJR

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By PMC news desk

The killing and abduction of journalists in Indonesian-occupied West Papua has been highlighted in a special new report on Pacific media freedom over the past year by Pacific Journalism Review.

“By far the most serious case of media freedom violations in the Pacific is in West Papua—far from international scrutiny,” says the journal in an editorial.

The 39-page report on the state of media freedom in the Pacific in 2011 notes that in August, in particular, “sustained repression has also hit the news media and journalists”. Read more »

Alipate Mafile’o and his wife Emeline Afeaki-Mafile’o ... social mission, from coffee to a café. Photo: Nigel Moffiet / PMC

TUPU’ANGA, meaning to grow or spring-up from your roots, now involves a total of 14 farms each containing 8000 to 10,000  coffee trees in Tonga. The cooperative employs a total of 10 regular staff and up to 20 staff during the harvest season.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Nigel Moffiet

With a dose of can-do attitude and a pinch of serendipitous luck, Alipate Mafile’o and his wife Emeline Afeaki-Mafile’o started growing coffee in Tonga as a means of fulfilling wider social initiatives – including their Pacific youth mentoring programme run throughout South Auckland schools.

Now they are completing the final touches to their Otahuhu café in South Auckland, named the Community Café to reflect their wider social vision.

“There’s always an opportunity if you look to the land,” says Mafile’o. Read more »

Flashback to Nuku'alofa 2006 ... Pacific-wide fear of rioting, fuelled by jobless youth. Photo: SMH

THE 42nd Pacific Islands Forum came and went, but Pacific youth advocates are pleading with leaders to wake up to the increasing number of young people involved in crime and violence in the Pacific.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Christopher Chang

At 3:30pm on 16 November 2006, the first stone was thrown in Nuku’alofa, Tonga. Within three hours, rioters had tipped over cars and looted shops.

The Pacifica Royale hotel and ANZ Bank crackled under the blaze of fire. Eight people were killed.

The rioters were of all ages, but most were young males. It is a situation that Pacific youth advocates are still fearful of, five years on. Read more »

Kiribati children greet UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon at Eita Maneaba, Tarawa, during his visit to climate change problem areas last month. Photo: Naoki Takyo / UNICEF Pacific

CLIMATE change adaptation strategies in the Pacific are expected to have a big impact on  agriculture and food security, such as in the Solomon Islands, as communities seek to become more resilient.

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Henry Yamo

Displacement, loss of land, culture and identity is a looming and alarming problem encountered by Pacific people on islands that are most affected by global warming and climate change

This is the trend troubling most Pacific island states, especially Papua New Guinea, Kiribati, Solomon Islands and Tuvalu.

While coordinated efforts in partnership with governments, donor and implementing agencies have been progressing well, more concerted efforts are essential as the impact worsens each day for island people. Read more »

Guests were welcomed in a Cook Island turou to the second Pasifika Youth Court in Avondale. Photo: Lanuola Tusani / PMC

Pacific Scoop:
Report – By Lanuola Tusani

From the outside, it is another community hall in need of a coat of paint.

But the Nafanua Community Hall in Avondale is about to serve a serious role as the home of Auckland’s second Pasifika Youth Court.

It was recently opened by Pacific Island Affairs Minister Georgina te Heuheu before a gathering of community leaders, judges, police representatives and politicians. Read more »

Young Tongan fans in the kingdom's colours ... Tonga scored one of the greatest upsets in World Cup history by defeating France 19-14.

Pacific Scoop:
Commentary – By Edwin Puni

Manu Samoa, Ikale Tahi and the Flying Fijians have all checked out of their International Rugby Board- funded hotels at RWC2011 and are already on their way home.

For many of the players who have contracts in Europe, the call to return to rugby duties is immediate without the opportunity to return to the Islands.

The final pool games saw mixed results for our Pacific teams with Wales yesterday overpowering the Flying Fijians to win 66-0. Read more »