Lemauga Lydia Sosene delivers Parliamentary maiden statement
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
Women Inspiring Women
By The Pacific Business Hub
Ladies, Make Time! was the call to action for an event that was held in Manukau City over the weekend. An event that was inspired by women and organised by women for women business owners, entrepreneurs, and professionals.
The event was organized by Laura Keil-Hall, owner & founder of The Pacific Business Hub, Nora Swann of Nora Swann Ltd, Dressed in Confidence & Pacific Fusion Fashion Show and Peninatautele Schmidt of Karas Fashion.
Laura says, “The event was simply about creating a space where women can come and just take a load off.”
“Over the years, I’ve heard our Pacific women mentioning and wishing for something or somewhere they could go to and just be themselves, to be around other like-minded women, where they can share their frustrations & tribulations. Some wanted to have a day of pampering and just focus on themselves. So, this event was trying to accomplish all those things, and we wanted to have an event where we get to celebrate women and our contribution to society as well.…more
Coco Talanoa with American Song Contest finalist - Tenelle Luafalemana
Our girl Tenelle has made it to the finals of NBC's 'American Song Contest' representing the US Territory and South Pacific islands of American Samoa.
Let's go American Samoa!
She shares how she got the opportunity to be on the show, where she got the inspiration for her song, competing against industry heavyweights like Michael Bolton, Allan Stone, Sisqo & Macy Gray & how much of an honour it is to be able to represent the Pacific Islands on this platform.
Check out Tenelle's My World here -
Top Samoan lawyer mistaken for criminal defendant, stopped by court security
by Mariner Fagaiava-Muller
Tiana Epati spent four years as president of the New Zealand Law Society, but was held up by security when security wrongly thought she was one of the accused.
The barrister and former crown prosecutor posted about the incident to her Instagram story on Monday.
“So it finally happened. Got mistaken for a criminal defendant this morning when going to enter court,” she wrote.
“Held up by security and asked for my name on the [court appearance] list.”
“Thought I would include a selfie to show I was actually wearing one of my nicest suits too. #nowords”
Epati told TheCoconetTV, “I realised pretty quickly the security guy thought I was a defendant and I said really loudly ‘you know I am a lawyer, aye?’.
“Oh no, so sorry,” the guard replied.
“I wasn’t that rattled. More at a loss to understand how a well groomed brown woman wearing an Issey Miyake suit and carrying a file could be the defendant.”
“And that a Māori security guard in Gisborne could make that mistake,” she said.…more
'A Boy called Piano' documentary premieres tonight at the NZ International Film Festival
'A Boy called Piano' premieres in Auckland this evening at the 2022 NZ International Film Festival playing both tonight and tomorrow morning before it heads south to screen in Christchurch, Wellington and Dunedin over the next couple of weeks.
"This heart-breaking story details Fa'amoana John Luafutu’s time as a state ward. At its core, it is a story about fathers and sons, intergenerational trauma and redemption. Using his voice for the voiceless, Luafutu and Fijian director Nina Nawalowalo vitally bring this story to light. A must-watch for all New Zealanders. Using his voice for the voiceless, he vitally brings the story to light.
'A Boy Called Piano' is the product of a long-term collaboration between Nina's theatre company 'The Conch', Fa'amoana John Luafutu and the Luafutu aiga. The film blends dramatised sequences and powerful interviews with beautiful aerial and underwater photography – translating Nawalowalo’s celebrated visual storytelling to the screen for the first time." - Lana Lopesi.…more
POLYNESIANS IN THE 2022 NFL DRAFT
The 2022 NFL Draft was the 87th edition of the National Football League's annual draft and was held from April 28–30th at the Caesars Forum in Las Vegas.
This year there was a total of two players of Polynesian Heritage who were picked up in the 2022 NFL draft - Daniel Fa'alele who is of Samoan/Tongan heritage from Melbourne Australia and Khalil Shakir who is also of Samoan/Tongan heritage born in California but also lived in Hawaii and Japan as his father was in the Marines.
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Polynesian 2022 Draft Picks in order below:
Daniel Fa'alele: Samoan/Tongan - Offensive Tackle
#110th pick overall, drafted by the Baltimore Ravens.…more
Coco Sports Talk: The 2022 NFL Draft edition
Coco Sports Talk with Penina and Ashley - covering all things sports from a Pasifika female lens!
#CocoSportsTalk looks at the many stories of Pasifika people involved in sports of all kinds, and the trials and tribulations of the talented athletes from all sectors of our community.
This episode we cover recent sporting headlines and Ashley is back with her Round of Reckons PLUS we take a look at the NFL Draft which is happening this weekend (29th April 22 NZT).
We speak to Calum Niuafe, San Francisco 49ers & NFL fan/stats guy who lets us know what Pasifika players we should be looking out for in the draft this weekend, why he loves American Football and who his fave player of Pasifika heritage is. We also talk to Epenesa Pakola - a college football Mom in the US who gives us a bit of insight as to why College Football is so important in regards to getting drafted to the NFL.…more
'Sounds of the Moana' podcast series wins Gold at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards
Cover photo - Ma’ara Maeva and Tau’ili’ili Alpha Maiava during the recording of 'Sounds of the Moana'
Coco congrats to the SOUNZ podcast series 'Sounds of the Moana' which has won Gold (the highest category award) at the prestigious New York Festivals Radio Awards (NYFRA).
Entries for this year's awards were received from over 30 countries and some of the global broadcasters shortlisted include BBC, Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, CBS News Radio, NBC News, RTÉ Ireland, Deutsche Welle (DW), Australian Broadcasting Corporation, and Mediacorp.
Hon Carmel Sepuloni, Minister for Arts, Culture and Heritage, says, “Malo lava and a big congratulations to SOUNZ and the ‘Sounds of the Moana’ podcast team for receiving the Gold award at the 2022 New York Festivals Radio Awards. I’m proud that the stories of Moana-Nui-ā-Kiwa and its vibrant history of indigenous sounds have been recognised internationally for its unique beauty. This is an exceptional feat and a big win for our Pacific whānau.”
Gold has not been awarded in the ‘Music Podcast’ category in at least the previous two years, making this a rare win.…more
TikTok superstar Drew Afualo gets emotional talking about her Polynesian roots
Drew Afualo is a juggernaut with a following of millions, drawn into her clapback crusades against misogyny and sexism & now a New Yorks Best Selling Author! What can't she do?
Drew opens up with journalist Mariner Fagaiava-Muller, about fighting for Pacific Island representation in the media industry. She also spills on Coachella, why the NFL is close to her heart, and her next career moves.
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Interviewer: Mariner Fagaiava-Muller
Editor: Sefa Taouma
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Public Interest Journalism funded by NZ On Air.
3 Pacific Practices that’ll save the Planet
When people imagine the cure for the climate crisis many would picture white coats in labs creating new formulas to solve the problem or government officials in expensive suits signing lengthy documents. The reality is, the cure is not in a test tube or document, it is in a relationship that needs mending. It’s as simple as healing the relationship between humans and Earth.
Samoans call this relationship a “vā”. A sacred relationship between people and the environment. The land gives and the land also takes. The ocean cares for the village as long as the village cares for the ocean. This concept of connection to nature is also found across all indigenous cultures. In Kenya they call it “Tunza” which is Swahili for “taking care of and guarding”.
Indigenous languages point to the crucial relationship people have with the planet and it informs how different cultural practices honor this. Across the Pacific, villages and communities practice conservation practices that if implemented worldwide could be a part of the solution to combat environmental damage.…more