Coco Talanoa — Coco News / Page 52
CARMEL SEPULONI
In a historic moment for Pasifika people in Aotearoa and the region, Samoan/ Tongans MP Carmel Sepuloni has been sworn in as the Deputy Prime Minister of Aotearoa. This is the first parliamentary appointment at this level for Pasifika people and is hugely significant in presenting a Pasifika presence at senior political level.
“I am truly humbled” were her first words to media about the appointment. A long standing MP for Kelston, Carmel Sepuloni was born and raised in Waitara but has lived in Auckland since 1996. Outside of politics Carmel has worked broadly across the health and education sectors, working as a Literacy Educator with youth in West Auckland, teaching in Samoa, managing equity programmes at the University of Auckland, managing the non-regulated Pacific health research project and acting as CEO of New Zealand’s only national Pacific health provider, Vaka Tautua.
Carmel has always been committed to improving social, health and educational outcomes for all New Zealanders but has especially focused during her career on low socio-economic groups, Māori, Pacific, disabled people and sole parents.…more
Call to Ensure Transgender Recognition
Tonga’s Leiti’s Association calls for recognition of transgender people
The Vice President of Tonga Leiti’s Association has called for a clear definition of gender equality to ensure that everyone, including transgender people, are included and taken into consideration in decision-making.
Joey Mataele, who was born male but lives as a woman, was in Suva as part of the 13 Triennial Conference of Pacific Women where a platform for gender equality was approved and passed by Pacific Ministers for Women for endorsement.
“When you talk about gender equality , you are talking about the overall population not just women and men, people living with HIV, people living with disability, transgender women, transgender men, that do exist in this world,” Mataele said.
She said one of the challenges that they faced in Tonga was the limitation of being recognised for who they are.
“We are known to be the decorators, we are known to be the chefs, we are known to be the hard- labour people but when it comes to decision making, we are nowhere to be seen,” Mataele said.…more
Violence and Bullying Against Pacific Minorities
Discrimination against sexual minorities limits chances for economic development.
Horrific experiences of violence and bullying are preventing lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) people of the Pacific from achieving their potential and making more of a contribution to society.
A group of courageous young LGBT people shared their stories with women attending the 13th Triennial Conference of Pacific Women in Suva this week. Gillio Baxter, 29, from Vanuatu was born male but feels deeply that she was supposed to be female. She told how she was bullied at school because she allowed her feminine side to show.
“In my days of High School, I was bullied, faced harassment and violence every day,” Baxter said. She said at one incident, she was attacked by 45 students with the presence of a school teacher but nothing was done to stop the assault.
“That was April 18, 2005, I was in year 12 or form 6. That same year, I quit school only because going to school was a torture for me,” Baxter said.…more
MAILELANI - Organic Samoan Skincare taking over!
Mailelani – Organic Samoan Skincare taking over!
By now we’re all aware of the endless benefits received from the coconut, so it’s no surprise that one of Samoa’s leading skincare and natural beauty companies, has put Samoa on the map using organic coconut oil magic. Mailelani, meaning ‘a gift from heaven’, was established in 2005 by Kitiona and Sylvie Salanoa.
Using organic suau’u popo (coconut oil) in their products, sourcing local ingredients and employing local villagers, Mailelani is providing not only work opportunities, but also superior natural skincare with those unmistakable island fragrances.
“What makes Mailelani unique is that it’s the peoples business; it’s not just us. We have people who make the coconut oil, koko samoa and sell esi, so everything we do and put in, is made by the people, Mailelani just makes the finished product. That’s why I always say without the people, Mailelani wouldn’t exist.” – Kitiona Salanoa.
The first product created was a handmade scentless soap, which eventually developed into a range with seven various fragrances.…more
I'M A PROUD PACIFIC ISLANDER
The video “I’m a Proud Pacific Islander” is one of two videos created by the Pacific UN Free & Equal campaign for equal rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and intersex (LGBTI) people.
It features the faces and voices of LGBTI people and their allies from across the Pacific, calling for everyone to take a stand for LGBTI equality.
Tautai: Sāmoa, World History, and the Life of Ta’isi O. F. Nelson
‘We are what we remember, the self is a trick of memory . . . history is the remembered tightrope that stretches across the abyss of all that we have forgotten’
Maualaivao Albert Wendt
‘Ta’isi O.F.Nelson, Political Campaigner & Statesman’
Credit: Sir George Grey Special Collections, Auckland Libraries, 31-66440. Photographer, H.J. Schmidt, article from The Museum of Sāmoa. Photos courtesy of Tony Brunt via the Museum of Samoa
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Ta’isi Olaf Frederick Nelson (24 February 1883 - 28 February 1944) was a successful businessman, scholar, and the leader of the Mau movement in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Despite a firm position against violent protest of any kind Ta’isi was banished for two long stints, spending more than seven and a half years of forced residency in New Zealand without the right of return to attend to family or business matters. He was absent from Samoa during the shootings in Apia on ‘Black Saturday’ 28 December, 1929.…more
Miss Galaxy 2017 LIVE Stream
Night 1 - " The Beauty of Oneness " Miss Galaxy Pageant 2017 Program at Queen Salote Memorial Hall, Kingdom Of Tonga 12th July 2017
Coco Talanoa Media Panel Discussion July'17
Coco Talanoa - Media Panel, join Johnson Raela (Journalist, Tagata Pasifika) and the panel, Adrian Stevanon (Associate Producer, The Hui), Henry 'Jandals' Tuipe'a (Radio personality), Susana Guttenbeil (Jounalist and Communications Manager) and Yolande Ah Chong (Television personality and Media Liaison for Pacific Media Network) discussing issues of the day.
Today's discussion centres around Pacific representation in Aotearoa media and out there in the World.
Mangere Community kicking the kilo's with Town Centre Zumba
"That's why I love this group. They help me to walk again. I call this group - it's my family."
Every day for the past five years, about 100 people have showed up to a Zumba class at the Mangere town centre shopping mall for this fun daily dance jam - kicking up the fight against obesity and diabetes that so many of us are struggling with.
Story by Indira Moala for RNZ
Murder in the Pacific
“I decided that if I stayed, I would will be killed. I didn’t know where I would go but I prayed and said to my people ‘Today I will leave you with tears, but one day I will come back and you will smile’. If I escaped alive, maybe West Papua can be free.” - Benny Wenda
You’d pay attention if Samoans were tortured and imprisoned for raising the Samoan flag, or if Fijians were murdered for peacefully protesting.
You’d pay attention if Tongan villages were burnt to the ground, women raped and children killed.
Yet there is an island in the Pacific where these horrors are actively taking place and the Pacific region isnt paying enough attention, says Saina Tomi Setu from Samoa First Union, who is helping to publicise the plight of West Papua in Apia while the Pacific Islands Forum Summit is being held.
As Pacific people we are often too comfortable in our freedom, scrolling through global news of recent race hate violence but not connecting to the human rights violations happening right next door.…more