News Briefs

Report from Wallis and Futuna
Sports Minister Mark Brown and CISNOC President Hugh Graham are attending the three day Pacific Games Council meeting in Wallis and Futuna who will be the host for next year’s 2013 Mini Games.
A full agenda of the meeting includes voting on Constitutional amendment proposals, voting for executive positions on the PGC Board, and voting for the right to host the 2019 Pacific Games. The two countries bidding to host these games are Tonga and Tahiti. Both countries have been engaging in fierce lobbying of votes with the other member countries. Each country has hosted a reception highlighting and promoting their respective countries with Tonga flying in the second son of the current King of Tonga and also their sports minister Lord Vaea with a large contingent. Tahiti has included in their delegation Sports and Education Minister Tauhiti Nena who also holds the position of President of the Tahiti Sports Federation. Voting takes place on Friday.
In addition Minister Brown in his position as Chairman of the 2009 PMG Ltd was able to present the final financial report for the 2009 Mini-games held on Rarotonga. The Pacific Games Council received the report and congratulated the Cook Islands again for an excellent Mini-Games in 2009. The final chapter of the 2009 Mini-games will be the final audit of the accounts and the winding up of the 2009 PMG Ltd company. The winding up will include the final handover of sports equipment to CISNOC who will be responsible for disbursement to relevant codes.
Tomorrow we will report back on the results of the voting and also report on the outcome of the site visits for the sports venues and games village which will be undertaken on Saturday. The delegates return home later on Saturday evening.
Minister Mark Brown

Diva Workshop a hit
The four song birds set the tone at Tereora College on Thursday morning give a sneak peak performance of what to expect at Fridays Divas in Paradise concert to a moved crowd of students. The interval sing along was the prelude to an interactive workshop, a collaboration between Motone Productions and Tereora College Drama Department, was held and demonstrated by the four singers to ‘encourage our kids about performing and as a career,” says drama teacher Claire Waldren.
Drama students were taught a number of performance exercises and techniques to help train their voice and confidence, “this is allowing kids to touch base with the outside world of performing arts and I really think that they got something from this,” Waldron says of the second consecutive workshop, “it all about nurturing and supporting creativity.” By Maria Tanner

“TIKA and Sons” tei runga i te `enua

I tēia pōpōngi i roto i te `Are-Rātio o te Kūki `Airani, kua `āravei `ia atu mei Aotearoa mai te metua-tāne, ko Tika `e pērā tēta`i o tāna tamaiti ko `Akaperepere (kāre a William i aru mai i teia tere). `Ᾱe kua mātau oki tātou i te `akarongo i tō rātou reo `īmene i te `īmene`anga i te au `īmene navenave tei `atu `ia e rātou e pērā te matua rongonui ko Pāpā Akaperepere. Kua komakoma atu te kūtōroroi a Mr.Wahoo o te rātio kiā rāua no runga i tā rātou au `īmene `ou i runga i tā rātou tōpī-rīpene `ōu. Kua `akatangi `ē kua `īmene rāua i tā rātou au `īmene, `ē pērā tā Pāpā Akaperepere. `Ē rua a rātou tōpī-rīpene `ōu, koia ko Tika & Sons – Stranded `ē te Taku Metua Tane – tribute to Akaperepere Raki.
Kua akakite mai a Akaperepere Jnr, i `aere mai rātou `ē kua `oki atu ki Aitutaki no te pātū i te toka ō tōna pāpā- rū`au ko Akaperepere.
Te akakite nei te metua-tāne a Tika e, i te tūranga o te `īmene `ē te `akatangi, mē `e metua koe, e kite nei i te inangaro o te tamariki i te rave i tēia tārēni, kia turuturu `ē kia `akamāro`iro`i tātou ia rātou kia riro mai oki tā rātou koia e koia.-Rutera Taripo

Te ra o te kai o teia nei ao
I tēia pōpōngi i te ora nga`uru, te Varaire 19 Okotopa 2012, kua akatu`era atu te minita ngāteitei ko Nandi Glassie i Te Rā o te Kai ō Tēia nai Ao, koia oki ko te World Food Day i ko i te mākete Pūnanga Nui i Avarua nei.
Te akakite nei oki te minita `e ko te tāpura tumu o tēia ra koia oki ko te `akamou`anga i te turuturu`anga `ē te `akamātūtū`anga i te tūranga meitaki o tā tātou au kai tanutanu `ē pērā katoa oki tā tātou au kai moana.
Te `akakite katoa nei oki te tēkereterē o te tu`anga tanutanu (Agriculture) a Matairangi Purea ē, `e na roto i teia tanutanu`anga kia tāokota`i te kātoatoa i te `akameitaki atu i te au tūranga o te tēia tu`anga nei, `ē ka riro `oki te reira i te tūranga onge `e tupu nei.
No reira i ko i te mākete i teia pōpōngi, e ma`ata tikāi te au tu kai tanutanu tei tari `ia mai e te au tangata-tanutanu, no to okooko atu, `ē pērā katoa te au tu `uri mei te `ānani, rēmene, poroiti, tāmerēni, kōpi `ē te vai atūra.
Pera katoa oki te vānira `ē te ika no Atiu mai, pēra katoa te rimu te ika no Aitutaki `ē te vai atūra.
Na roto i teia rā, ka riro te reira i te `akamātūtū atu i te umuumu`anga ā to tātou iti-tangata i te rave ma te `akameitaki atu i tā rātou au `anga`anga tanutanu e rave nei. -Rutera Taripo

Calls for emerging sense of new optimism to be harnessed

The Prime Minister Henry Puna says an emerging sense of new optimism in Region should be harnessed to energize a more dynamic Pacific Plan. He made the call during his public address in Fiji last night before a crowd of more than 100 invited guests at the Headquarters of the Forum Secretariat, in Suva. The event, the Annual Pacific Leaders’ Lecture was streamed live to the internet and filmed for broadcast.
The Prime Minister spoke of a need to take ownership of the Pacific’s many successes and help support a revitalized identity as Large Ocean Island States.
The successes help define “who we are and what we have” to share with the world, he said.
Puna also took up a lead provided by New Zealand Prime Minister John Key last year when the previous lecture pointed to the strengthened spirit of cooperation among the Founding Leaders of the Forum, more than 40 years ago. Puna said that same spirit of optimism is present today and that this could be the driving force to develop the Pacific Plan into a more dynamic framework of regionalism and cooperation.
The Pacific Plan is subject to an upcoming review and the outcomes are expected to be placed before the Pacific Leaders at the next Forum in the Marshall Islands.
Following his speech, the Prime Minister took part in a panel discussion, which he led on a range of subjects and concerns. Questions were raised from the floor of the invited dignitaries and guests and Puna responded in a constructive and lively round of talks. The questions ranged from the future of the Pacific Plan and how it would impact upon civil society, women, and the disabled. The Prime Minister also fielded some sensitive questions about the re-engagement of Fiji and the proliferation of sub-regional groupings.

Headlines : Times 290 02 March 2009
- Lucky $1,000 winner
- Century old palm trees and the French connection
- Koutu Nui takes part in Raui meeting in Moorea
- WOM Award Dinner for Ake Hosea-Winterflood
- Island of Atiu to host Koutu Nui AGM in June 2009