Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 4

In a historic moment for the Pacific region, Broderick Mervyn, of Rotuman lineage and hailing from the Fiji Islands, has been awarded the prestigious Vanuatu Independence Commemorative Medal. At a ceremony held at the State House in Port Vila, Mervyn was celebrated as the youngest recipient from Oceania of this esteemed honor.

"This honor not only recognizes my contributions to youth empowerment through the 'Professionalising Youth Work in the Pacific' modules but also underscores Vanuatu’s exemplary commitment to excellence and its significant impact on individuals from diverse Pacific backgrounds like mine," Mervyn stated during his acceptance speech.

The medal was presented by His Excellency the President of Vanuatu, Mr. Nikenike Vurobaravu, as part of the festivities commemorating Vanuatu's 44th year of independence. "This accolade is more than a recognition—it serves as a clarion call to all Pacific nations to uplift and empower our emerging leaders, fostering a culture that believes nothing is impossible and always strives for excellence."

Mervyn highlighted the need for dedicated agencies focused on youth empowerment, pointing out that no such organization currently exists in Oceania.…more

In a world that thrives on diversity and innovation, it is exhilarating to witness Pacific-owned businesses making significant strides in their respective industries. Last week, Torisse Laulu, a Pacific business owner, saw her hard work come to fruition as her card game, designed to inspire deep talanoa (conversation), was stocked in eight Whitcoulls stores across the country.

The popular card game proved its worth when both Sylvia Park Whitcoulls stores sold out in just over 24 hours of being stocked!

Hailing from the villages of Afega, Lefaga, Salai'lua, and Falealili, the 29-year-old entrepreneur shares the genesis of her card game, Lalaga.

"Lalaga came about after I ran a platform called Plantation Convos and co-hosted Talanoa sessions with Anatola Finau. Women and men would come to these sessions and talanoa about topics that they never really had the space to talk about in their everyday lives. People would spend hours talking and unpacking.”

Inspired by these sessions, Laulu sought to create more of these spaces, making such talanoa more accessible through a card game – which we now know as Lalaga.…more

Google Translate continues to expand its reach, recently adding 110 new languages thanks to the advanced PaLM 2 language model. Including seven Pacific languages: Chamorro, Chuukese, Fijian, Marshallese, Tahitian, Tok Pisin, and Tongan.

The new Pacific languages join previously added Hawaiian, Māori, and Samoan.

Languages are key to preserving culture and identity, making this a very exciting development. For Pacific communities, Languages are vital links to our ancestral heritage. Including these languages in Google Translate will hopefully help support their revitalization and sustain their use for future generations.

Selecting languages for Google Translate involves prioritising the most commonly used varieties to make translations accessible and useful. With the help of advanced technology and collaboration with linguists and native speakers, Google is hopeful this will ensure accurate and culturally relevant translations.

While this expansion is a significant step forward, some are not optimistic about the accuracy of the translations. Machine translation, especially for languages with fewer resources or complex grammatical structures, can sometimes be imprecise.…more

Earlier this week the Bishop Museum announced the launch of an immersive virtual tour displaying their exhibition ‘The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu.’ 

The exhibition explores the meanings of four large stones that were historically placed on Waikīki Beach in honour of four māhū - individuals of dual male and female spirit - who brought healing arts from Tahiti to Hawaii. 

Although the stones, renderings of which took residence at the Bishop Museum two years ago, have survived for centuries, the story of their significance has long been suppressed and the respected role of māhū erased. 

In an effort to document and memorialise gender and sexual diversity across Hawaii the Bishop Museum alongside Lei Pau Ala Queer Histories of Hawaii are proud to offer the virtual tour which enables all to experience The Healer Stones of Kapaemahu from the comfort of home. 

The immersive experience enables viewers to virtually walk through the exhibition in its entirety. 

Encounter life sized renderings of the stones, absorb the written knowledge and stories and observe captivating film on the virtual tour of The Healer Stone…more

Saunoamaali'i Dr Karanina Sumeo, Acting Chief Human Rights Commissioner, sees the current proposal to increase Pacific workers in New Zealand's Recognised Seasonal Employer (RSE) Scheme as a pivotal opportunity to rectify longstanding issues.

In response to Prime Minister Christopher Luxon's push to expand the RSE workforce, Commissioner Sumeo emphasized that addressing past shortcomings is essential. She pointed to a comprehensive inquiry conducted by the Ministry of Business, Innovation and Employment in 2022, which uncovered significant concerns about the treatment of Pacific workers. Issues such as substandard accommodation and unfair pay deductions were highlighted, prompting calls for urgent reforms.

In an interview on Pacific Mornings Commissioner Sumeo expressed "This moment presents a crucial chance for New Zealand to implement the recommendations from the inquiry,"

"By doing so, we can not only improve the RSE Scheme but also ensure that the dignity and rights of Pacific workers are upheld."

She noted that Samoa has been particularly vocal in advocating for reforms on international platforms, underscoring the global scrutiny on New Zealand's human rights record in this area.…more

In a market where products from Pasifika and Maori communities often aren't as visible in big stores, Pasifika-owned business 'Drink Da Milgy' is breaking new ground. Landing a deal with Woolworths (Countdown), making them one of the first Pasifika-owned beverage companies to be sold in a major supermarket. 

Founded by a visionary entrepreneur of Niuean and Tongan heritage, this Pasifika venture is reshaping the dairy industry with a mission to amplify representation and inclusion.

"At the beginning of 2023, I noticed a stark absence of Pasifika and Maori products in supermarkets," shares the founder, Saion Angi. "I realized I needed to be the one to create that change."

The journey commenced with a strategic focus on the milk market, a fiercely competitive domain. "I chose milk because it's a highly competitive space," the founder explains.…more

Samoans were elated with the news that their controversial citizenship history might take a new turn, with the Restoring Citizenship Removed by Citizenship (Western Samoa) Act 1982 Bill that passed its first reading in NZ Parliament in April 2024. 

This bill, championed by Green Party MP Teanau Tuiono, aims to provide a pathway to citizenship for Samoans born between 1924 and 1949, the period of NZ’s colonial rule of Samoa.

In a landmark case that successfully fought for this citizenship, a Samoan woman Falema'i Lesā was working as a kitchen hand in Wellington when she was threatened with deportation. She took her case for citizenship to court and in 1982, after a five year battle, a Privy Council ruling found her a citizen of New Zealand.

The Privy Council ruled that all Western Samoans born between 1924 and 1948 were British subjects and that in 1949 they and their descendants had become New Zealand citizens.…more

"For me it was good and challenging to add new life to the fale and add colour to bringing the old fale to life and it still old technique and traditions and colour of the ropes give us the change of our time and relationship of the traditional fale to the modern and western fale." - Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi

Paul Johansson, of The Kongakava Hotel was thrilled and honoured that renowned Tongan artist and sculptor, Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi, agreed to do the Lalava that graces the main entrance to the Kongakava Hotel.

The lalava (traditional lashing) by Sopolemalama completes the reconstruction of the 100 year old faletonga to its former glory, bringing the old traditions into a contemporary setting for the entrance to the Hotel.

The art of lalava is a ancient traditional Tongan art form and Sopolemalama Filipe Tohi would like to see this art revived and used in contemporary settings in the Kingdom of Tonga.…more

From Fairburn Primary School, to De La Salle College, and now he takes on the IVY League College of Brown University. Raised in South Auckland, against a backdrop of love and support, this determined young man has forged a path that led him to what some may say the pinnacle of academic excellence: The Ivy League’s. 

Hailing from the villages of Siumu and Leauva'a in Samoa, Charm Tuala has gone from strength to strength academically. As a young man his parents have always emphasized the importance of education. 

“They always put an emphasis on education and taught me that sports was just a privilege…So I’m really grateful for them always keeping me in check with my grades.”

Tuala’s parent’s teaching did not fall on deaf ears. Tuala states that while his parents emphasized the importance of education for him, so did he. He too valued achieving academically himself.

 “I didn’t feel the need for my parents to always keep that pressure on me, because they instilled it in me, so I had high expectations of myself too.…more