Friday | May 05, 2006

THE NEW ERA BEGINS

Hello to you, blogosphere surfers.
 
The past few weeks for me, have been both eventful and exciting.
 
Eventful, because Solomon Islands was emerging into a very challenging era, following the social unrest of 1998 and the years thereafter and the Honiara riots of April 18 and 19, 2006. It was also both eventful and exciting because I am a staff of the national broadcaster which helped informed the people both locally and overseas about the national elections. Kudos to all who were involved in one way or another.
 
I found the few past weeks exciting in many ways. Among them the challenges facing the media which I touched on in my last posting, the BBC's Creative Future and the two day "We Media Global Forum" of May 3 and 4. See below a lift from the Forum.
 
Required Reading for Editorial Strategists
Two key reports were issued this week: The State of the News Media 2006 and a long-awaited government white paper that maps a new future for the BBC. Together, they are essential reading for online editorial strategists.
 
Here's a link to the full report, A Public Service for All: The BBC in the Digital Age. We Media
 
A Call to Action
In addition to providing a forum for people who normally don't have a chance to interact, and as many tools as we can to enable those interactions, The Media Center is also focused on cultivating real, actionable goals to derive from its events and forums. Click on the Call for Action fo the draft from a Wiki established to help assist in that effort.  
A CALL TO ACTION
Specific, measurable, attainable, realistic and tangible goals.
 
SOLOMON ISLANDS
At home the national election process has finally come to an end. It ended yesterday, May 4 after the election of a new Prime Minister, a former holder of the post and MP for East Choiseul, Manasseh Sogavare. This is the second time a Prime Minister was elected after the April 5 national elections. Check previous posts for the reasons of a re-election.
 
Following yesterday's election as Prime Minister, Mr Sogavare announced his Cabinet line-up. The group can boast to have some of the best in the present house including three former Prime Minister; Mr Sogavare, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu and Francis Billy Hilly. Also in the group are two MPs who had held the top Public Service post of Secretary to Cabinet in Joses Wawari Sanga and lately Toswell Kaua. In Reverend Leslie Boseto, the groups can be proud of a respected and experienced religious and community leader and a politician and a state icon.
 
Another Solomon Islands can be found in the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Forestry, Environment and Conservation. A seasoned politician both at the provincial and national level he fits in well in his portfolio. Money? No problem. His Christian Fellowship Church community in the Western Province is sitting on a goldmine of Forest Plantations. A diplomat by profession, Patteson Oti, dove-tailed into the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
 
These seasoned MP will no doubt help nurture the "new kids on the block" MPs such as Clay Forau Soalaoi of Temotu Vatu, Stanley Sofu of East Kwaio and Patrick Vahoe Jr. among others.
 
The Ministry line-up
1. E Honiara MP, Charles Dausabea -- Police and National Security
2. C Honiara MP, Nelson Ne'e -- Culture and Tourism
3. N New Georgia MP, Job Duddley Tausinga -- Deputy Prime Minister and Forestry, Environment and Conservation.
4. Aoke-Langalanga MP, Bartholomew Ulufa'alu -- Finance and Treasury Department.
5. Simbo/Ranonga MP, Francis Billy Hilly -- Commerce, Industries and Employment
6. Temotu Nende MP, Patteson Oti -- Foreign Affairs.
7. E Malaita MP, Joses Wawari Sanga -- Public Service.
8. Gizo/Kolombangara MP, Gordon Darcy Lilo --- National Planning and Aid Coordination
9. Gao/Bugotu MP, Samuel Manetoali -- Justice and Legal Affairs
10. NE Guadalcanal MP, Dr Derek Sikua -- Education and Human Resources Development
11. Temotu Vatu MP, Clay Forau Soalaoi -- Health and Medical Services
12. S Choiseul MP, Rev Leslie Boseto -- Lands and Survey
13. S Vella La Vella MP, Trevor Olavae -- Agriculture and Livestock
14. East Kwaio MP, Stanley Festus Sofu -- Infrastructure and Development
15. Malaita Outer Islands MP, Patrick Vahoe Jr -- Communication, Aviation and Meteorology
16. EC Guadalcanal MP, Nollen Leni -- Fisheries and Marine Resources
17. Baegu/Asifola MP, Toswel Kaua -- Mines and Energy
18. W Makira MP, Japhet Waipora -- Provincial Government and Constituency Development
19. C Makira MP, Bernard Giro -- Home Affairs
20. W Kwara'e MP, Sam Iduri -- National Reconciliation and Peace
 
Most of the new Ministers were sworn in at Government House this afternoon, while the rest are expected to be sworn in over the weekend. There you have the 20 Ministers. But Ne'e and Dausabea have yet to appear in court on May 8th and 9th for various charges. There lies their fate as MPs.
 
The general perception from the public is that the Government or the 50 MPs must perform. But my challenge to Solomon Islanders; men, women, boys and girls is that we must do our part to contribute and help our leaders whether they are at the national, provincial, community level achieve our common dream to make our country a better place to live.
 
Have an enjoyable and safe weekend.
 
Shalom
 
Joseph
Posted by Joe at 12:51:25 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Wednesday | May 03, 2006

EXCITING TIMES INDEED

Hi! folks, it is a while, since I last made a post on the blog. Ten days since April 22.
 
Of course time has moved on, and things evolved, some can be seen while others are invisible to the eyes.
 
BBC Creative Future
Something that has rejuvenated my curiosity and hobby to blog on, was BBC unveiling of its Creative Future. According to BBC it is its new editorial blueprint designed to deliver more value to audiences over the next six years. It aims to turn the BBC's public purposes laid out in the recent Government White Paper into quality content for the on-demand world.
 
"We Media"
Now we have this other new development
As I write "We Media", is putting the spotlight on trust in the media and citizen journalism. Hosted by Reuters and the BBC, the forum brings together opinion formers from the media, business and technology worlds to examine the key issues. Follow the debate live online from May 3.
 
SOLOMON ISLANDS
Back here in the Solomons, the thousands of people want anxiously and eagerly for a second go at the 50 members of Parliament electing a new Prime Minister. But the fate of two MPs now in police custody charged with among other things, inciting a riot which razed to the ground the Chinatown of Honiara, hangs in the balance.
 
Governor General Sir Nathaniel Waena will decide tomorrow morning whether or not two Honiara M-Ps in police custody will be able to cast their votes in the election of a Prime Minister. Central and East Honiara M-P's Nelson Ne'e and Charles Dausabea were arrested by police for offences allegedly related to the riots in Honiara following the election of Snyder Rini as prime minister on April 18th.
 
Candidates for tomorrow's elections are Fred Fono, nominated by the Caretaker Government and Manasseh Sogavare, nominated by the Parliamentary Opposition. The election of a new Prime Minister has become necessary after Snyder Rini elected on 18th April resigned on 26th April after he lost support in Parliament just before a motion of no confidence by the Opposition.
 
DIVIDED SUPPORT
It would be an election too close to call. Solomon Islanders are looking forwards for the new Prime Minister to be elected, so that a new government can start plotting the country's future. And everyone is hoping that everything goes swiftly and smoothly tomorrow. Solomon Islands and its people have a taunting, but not impossible challenge to overcome. The lessons learnt since independence in 1978, and particularly since the social unrest in 1998 and the April 18 and 19 events in Honiara are reminders to take stock of what had been happening since then.
 
These lessons would form a launch pad for a better future for Solomon Islands and its people. I have a dream. That's my dream.
 
Check out the "We Media" forum.
 
Cheers
Joseph
Posted by Joe at 12:55:41 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |

Saturday | April 22, 2006

CHINESE LEAVE SOLOMONS

Hello to you.  
 
Today saw more Chinese leaving Honiara for home, mainland China.
 
The chaos seen in Honiara Tuesday and Wednesday caught everyone by surprise. Even the police were off guard. Now a 6pm to 6am curfew has been put in place.
 
CHINESE LEAVE SOLOMONS
Counselor Gao Feng of the Embassy of the People's Republic of China, Papua New Guinea says today just before 6pm, 95 Chinese left Honiara for Port Moresby. He says 20 others were airlifted early this week with other foreigners to Australia. The Embassy is chartering two other aircraft from PNG to come to Honiara to pick about 150 other Chinese who have decided to leave Solomon Islands. He says among them are some who have taken up Solomon Islands citizenship. Gao says the Chinese are leaving because feel unsafe in Solomon Islands. He says about 20 to 30 percent of the about 3,000 Chinese in Solomon Islands have indicated their desire to leave. He says the looting and burning of property of innocent Chinese in Honiara was deplorable, saying they were ordinary people not involved in politics. He wants Solomon Islands government would care for those who will be remaining in Solomon Islands.
 
REWARD FOR INFORMANTS
Solomon Islands Chinese citizen, Patrick Leong is offering a reward for people who would help with information to convict those responsible for the destruction of his business. His business include the Pacific Casino Hotel, and buildings housing the Fortune Restaurant, Supreme Casino, Top Ten Night Club and Pacific Casino Apartments.
Mr Leong says the business is worth about 60 million dollars(Solomon Islands).
 
OZ FOREIGN MINISTER VISIT
The Australian Foreign Minister Alexander Downer paid a visit to Honiara today. During his visit he met the new Prime Minister Snyder Rini and among issues they discussed is corruption. Mr Downer said corruption has been one of the major causes of problems that affect Solomon Islands for a long time. When asked about Mr Downers comments, Mr Rini said people who knew that corruption is rampant in the country should report it to police and other law enforcement agencies to investigate.
 
GOVERNMENT AND THE PEOPLE
People have different views about governance and the roles of elected members in governing a country.
A media report has said that the Solomon Islands government could lose up to 75 per cent of its revenue as a result of the two days unrest. The report has quoted a senior government officer saying the $615 million government revenue estimate for this year's recurrent budget, much of it comes from private businesses.
 
A former politician and media personnel, Ashley Wickham, has this to say in view of the report.
 
"The government is owned by the people and that the money government gets is because of what people put into it. The private business to which he refers cannot be sustained without the input of village and community resource owners, those who own the land seas and airspace. It is not big business burned down that sustains government. That group is the ‘user’ group, the extractor. The owners of the resources from which the wealth of this nation is created are the village people who own the land and all planted on it, the reefs seas and airspace. They are the ones who produce the money that is paid into government.
 
Big business is also not concerned with yesterday (tradition, custom etc), they only like to hear how they can make money from it. This is a disease our MPs suffer from and our village people need to educate them. And we who use modern technology like the Internet must step out from behind the computer and speak publicly.
The destruction has not cost ‘government’, it has cost the owners of ‘government’ the citizens. Why? Because their elected representatives have not listened to them. The elected representatives believe that after they are voted in, they can do anything they want. This is the gross misunderstanding they have. This is our problem. They are supposed to act in our collective interest, not in their own personal interests.
 
Please help our people to understand that. URGENTLY. And if we have to fill the streets to affirm that, let us do so, but without the violence. There is only so much a person can take before he or she feels debased, used, discarded or screwed. Let us move now to show that we know what is going on and we know how to correct it. Please wantoks. Step out publicly and say what you know to be true."
 
The above is the views of Mr Wickham. What's yours?
 
I'll catch up with you in the next post.
 
Peace be with you, as we remember the innocent Chinese friends who have lost their property in Honiara and are now going home.
 
Joseph
Posted by Joe at 12:55:23 | Permanent Link | Comments (0) |