Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 11

TheCoconetTV is extremely proud to acknowledge the knighting of Associate Pacific Dean, Dr Colin Tukuitonga, in the 2022 Queen’s Birthday Honours. Dr Tukuitonga is awarded with the Knights Companion Order of Merit (KNZM), a top accolade for his services to Pacific and Public Health.

The honour acknowledges Dr Tukuitonga’s extensive history of service to his Pacific community, both in Aotearoa, further into the Pacific region and on the global stage.

Sir Tukuitonga is one of our most prominent Pacific figures in the health sector in Aotearoa, the region and globally, having held leadership roles in public health and in Pacific development. His voice was crucial in advocating for Pasifika during the Covid crisis in Aotearoa, and he has been consistently vocal in pointing to inequities for Pasifika in the Health system and pushing for policy to impact Pasifika in better ways.

Sir Tukuitonga has held several highly influential offices, including Director General of the Pacific Community (SPC), Commissioner and Co-ordinator for WHO Geneva, Chief Executive of the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs and Director of Public Health, Ministry of Health.…more

Pacific scholar Toeolesulusulu Professor Damon Salesa earlier this year began his role as the vice-chancellor of AUT University.

He is the first Pasifika person in Aotearoa to be at the helm of a university.

In the spirit of Vaiaso o le Gagana Samoa, we chat to le afioga Toeolesulusulu about his humble beginnings, his drive and his vision.

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Public Interest Journalism funded through NZ On Air

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Director: Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

Camera Operator: Riki Reinfeld

Editor: Damon Fepulea'i

How to Loiter in a Turf War - A novel by Jessica Hansell aka Coco Solid has not only been flying off the shelves but has also made #1 on the Time Out Book Charts.

Māori (Ngāpuhi) and Samoan creative Jessica Hansell, also known as Coco Solid is well known for her work as a writer, musician, visual artist and general media-maker. She has an impressive portfolio of work including creating animated TV series Aroha Bridge, receiving the 2019 Arts Foundation Laureate Award, and completing her Fulbright Creative Residency at The University of Hawai’i where she began writing her first novel - How To Loiter in A Turf War, which was released just this month.

The novel follows the lives of three friends living in Tamaki Makaurau as they navigate gentrification, racial tensions, coming of age, and identity. It has been described as “Fast, ferociously brilliant, crack-up funny and unforgettably true.”

The book comes at a time where young Pasifika readers are hungry for Pacific stories told on pages by writers with shared experiences.…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

There’s a lot of sad juju around South Auckland at the mo, so let’s pick up the energy by shining light on some already bright Southside superstars.

I’m a bit biassed as a resident of the hood for all 21 years of my life.

There truly ain’t no better side than the Southside.

Blazes trailed, praises sung, paths paved. Not despite, but because it’s just how South Auckland rolls.

Here’s just four South Aucklanders carving up excellence in their respective fields:

Roger Tuivasa-Sheck, current Blues and former NRL player

Entering only his ninth union game for the Auckland Blues, after some nine years spent at the Sydney Roosters and New Zealand Warriors - you could say RTS is just getting started. He moved to South Auckland from Samoa, attending Ōtāhuhu College. Something about that water in Õtāhuhu breeding champions…

Roger is a Dally M Medalist (2018), Captain of the Year (2020), Winger of the Year (2013) and  Premiership Winner (Roosters, 2013).…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

Sole parent beneficiaries can claim child support without it being intercepted by the state, the Government yesterday announced.

"To look at a 2-bedroom situation in South Auckland, the rent of that would be about 85% of my benefit."

"I am hoping that the increase to a solo parent's income will mean that there is an increase in a better standard of living for the children."

Currently, the Government can retain child support payments from primary caregivers to recoup the cost of welfare. This will no longer be the case by July.

“This initiative means that child support payments for sole-parent beneficiaries will be passed on directly and charged as income for benefit purposes, as they are for most other beneficiaries raising tamariki,” Social Development Minister Carmel Sepuloni says.

Sepuloni has opened up before about once having claimed a benefit as a single mum.

“It is estimated that 41,550 sole-parent families will be better off, with a median gain of $24 per week,” she says.…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

Amidst the backdrop of Covid, war and a cost of living crisis - the Government today unveiled its $128.4 billion budget.

The Pacific Peoples’ package gets a $196 million piece of the pie, an increase of $88m from last year.…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

It was 15 January when Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai erupted, but only now has it been found as the biggest explosion ever recorded by modern instrumentation.

According to academic journal Science, the Tonga eruption produced a larger amplitude than nuclear bombs conducted after World War II.

Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha’apai generated what are known as lamb waves.

These lamb waves circled the earth at least four times, which has never been done before. At their tallest, they exceeded beyond Earth’s surface.

A disaster of similar scale is the 1883 Krakatoa eruption, in which 70% of the Indonesian island was destroyed - killing 30,000 people.

"Tonga was a truly global event, just as Krakatau was, but we've now got all these geophysical observation systems and they recorded something that was really unprecedented in the modern data," The University of California’s Dr Robin Matoza told BBC News.

Here’s what you need to know:

• Those as far north as Alaska reported hearing repeated booms.
• Tonga’s volcano blast was so colossal it was picked by nuclear activity monitors.…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

The Samoan/Tokelauan 23-year-old is the first Pacific person to be presented with the award, which has previously honoured the likes of Elton John and Warren Buffett.

The Global Citizen Prize recognises unsung activists in communities across the world, whose efforts towards social change are proven and diligent.

Fruean is among eight changemakers from each continent.

She has contributed several years in the organisation and leadership of climate change activism within the Pacific. At 16, she became the youngest winner of the Commonwealth Youth Award for her contributions to environmentalism.

She currently sits on the Pacific Climate Warriors’ council of elders and its youth representative.

Fruean, also a digital producer for TheCoconetTV and FreshTV, was nominated by executive producer Lisa Taouma.

“I didn’t even know about it,” Fruean says.

“I just got told one day to keep my phone off silent, and there might be a call coming my way. I didn’t expect it at all.”

“The first time I heard about it was in a [work] meeting and [Lisa] announced it.…more

by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller

Pasifika account for nearly half (43.4%) of Covid deaths per 100,000 people since the Omicron outbreak began, TheCoconet can reveal.

87 Pacific peoples with Covid-19 have died since 19 January, according to Ministry of Health data obtained by TheCoconet.

No other ethnic group in New Zealand is dying relative to their overall population more than Pasifika. The entire Pacific population is shortly above 350,000.

Māori stand at 23% of deaths per 100,000 people. The rate for Asians is 6.8%, while European and other ethnicities account for 26.7%.

Elderly Pacific peoples are at much higher risk of death. 73 people aged over 60 have died since the beginning of Omicron, compared to 14 aged 0 to 59.

University of Auckland associate professor of public health, Dr Collin Tukuitonga, says the deaths were expected and preventable - given socioeconomic factors were well looked after.

“Clearly in terms of poor access to health services, poor quality housing, difficult access to healthcare - there is a responsibility on the health system and people within it to have done better,” he says.…more

History was made again with a new Pasifika Member of Parliament joining the largest ever Pacific caucus in Aotearoa's parliamentary history.  It will now have a total of 11 Members of Samoan, Tongan, Cook Island and Tokelauan descent.

Lemauga Lydia Sosene was sworn in at Parliament on Tuesday afternoon.  She joined the Labour Party in 2000 and was the highest-ranked Labour list candidate who was not elected at the 2020 election. She replaces Louisa Wall who resigned recently.

Born and raised in South Auckland, Sosene hails from Māngere and has been a strong advocate for Pacific communities during her 12 year background in local body affairs. She was elected to the Māngere-Ōtāhuhu local board in the 2010 local elections and spent the last 9 years as the Chair.

“My parents dream was that I served my community, to know where I come from and to know where I am going. They both had service backgrounds and they didn’t have much, so to become a Member of Parliament to serve Aotearoa is very humbling,” Lemauga Lydia Sosene said.…more