Pacific meets South Korea

Letters to the Editor | Friday, June 2, 2023

A legacy is set While calling it a day, The Fiji Times sports reporter Paulini Curuqara set a legacy. Having spent valuable time with the Sports department and covering sporting events Paulini earned accolades for the work that she did. She described her journey as amazing with some amazing people (FT: 01/06). That’s the beauty...

Editorial comment | Facing challenges

The fact that only six of the eight operating theatres at the Colonial War Memorial Hospital (CWMH) are operational is a concern. It is worrying that the Health Ministry needs $400,000 to fix the two that are not working. Health Ministry permanent secretary Dr James Fong made the revelation at a media conference during World...

New gender strategy | Are all gender strategies created equal? Examining the new German, US and UK approaches (Part 1)

Earlier this year, Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong announced that the Albanese government would be developing a new international gender equality strategy. The current gender equality and women’s empowerment strategy, developed two years after the merger of AusAID and DFAT in 2013, was ground breaking for Australia in that it covered all areas of foreign...

Letters to the Editor | Thursday, June 1, 2023

The late statesman, a true son THE week-long Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna Day celebration concluded on a bright and high note at Albert Park on Monday. The week’s celebration to commemorate the first statesman for the country was well-received by many, considering that the celebration was taking place after more than a decade. I agree...

Editorial comment | Making things work

The fact that health services, or the lack of it, is a reason people are leaving for better opportunities abroad is a concern. Nadi private doctor Ahmed Shariff, speaking at a National Budget consultation, said a taxation system needed to be implemented for the health sector to improve and upgrade its services and facilities. The...

Menstrual health

Menstrual health is essential to gender equality and the wellbeing of women, adolescent girls and all people who menstruate. Yet the menstrual health needs of millions of girls and women continue to go unmet; and those who menstruate face restrictions on their mobility, choices, and participation in school and community life. As Menstrual Hygiene Day...

Letters to the Editor | Wednesday, May 31, 2023

A nail-biter in the end THE Moana Pasifika was seconds away from creating history (recording its first ever win in the Super Rugby Pacific competition) and breaking thousands of Fijian hearts, but former ACT Brumbies star player Christian Leali’ifano, missed the crucial conversion that would have seen the Pacific Islanders sneak ahead by a point....

Editorial comment | A united front

The revelation that threats of new drugs entering the Pacific region cannot be ruled out is a concern. It isn’t new though. This is why it is important that we listen to and appreciate what Acting Commissioner of Police Juki Fong Chew is suggesting. Speaking at the Pacific Detector Dog Programme (PDDP) annual workshop last...

Nuclear water into Pacific Ocean

On the coastline of Bougainville’s capital, Buka, small dinghies carrying men back and forth from the ocean are a common sight. The people here rely on fish for their income. Their daily catch is proudly put up for sale at a local market, keen to attract the eyes of wandering customers. “Our culture is different...

Ratu Sukuna’s three-legged stool concept – its value for the 21st century

INTRODUCTION Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna’s life story — his personal background and upbringing, his education, military service, work and contribution as a senior officer in the British colonial Administration in Fiji — are generally well known. In my readings and research on Ratu Sukuna, there was one particular feature of him that stood out. Of...

Letters to the Editor | Tuesday, May 30, 2023

Defending round for Drua OUR Fijian Drua was given a lifeline when it narrowly won the game against Moana Pasifika. Now Drua fans are praying for the same magic to happen again this week. Looking at the points table, we have five teams whose performance this week will decide which team will sit on 7th...

Editorial comment | Vigilant parenting in digital age

The revelation that a non-governmental organisation is calling on parents to be vigilant with the content their children upload online should attract attention. In fact it is the way to go. There must be vigilance on the part of parents and guardians. The call by the NGO comes in the wake of a surge in...

Point of Origin | Jannif in the ’60s (Part 3): St Paul’s, UE year, Maori culture and the twins

The 1960s are not referred to as the swinging ’60s for no reason. The cultural revolution against the old-world ways by the new world youth truly heralded the age of Aquarius. From the technological advancements in computers, flight, and space exploration, to the fashion, political upheaval, rebellion and nonconformity, the Vietnam war protests, the environmental...

Beading her way to FJFW | Helen Oro – First Nation indigenous fashion designer of Canada

We at Fiji Fashion Week are preparing ecstatically to receive the first group of indigenous First Nations people of the Pelican Lake Band from Saskatchewan in the middle of Canada. Fashion and Jewellery Designer Helen Oro is from the Pelican Lake Tribe of the Bear Creek Clan. She is “thrilled to be the first indigenous...

Letters to the Editor | Monday, May 29, 2023

Souvenir currency TODAY we commemorate the life of one of Fiji’s most visionary leaders, Ratu Sir Josefa Lalabalavu Vanayaliyali Sukuna, after a lapse of 13 years. A grand salute to our Coalition Government for reviving Ratu Sukuna Day and the first Girmit Day. Allow me to propose that we have souvenir notes and coins in...

Editorial comment | A soldier, scholar and statesman

Today we celebrate the life of a special man. He was a man of many hats. He was soldier, a scholar, a chief and a statesman! Prime Minister Sitiveni Rabuka raises some fundamental issues in his message to the nation for Ratu Sukuna Day today. He draws our attention to what Ratu Sukuna did to...

Postcard from Oxford | Over and out Oxford!

Bula everyone! I did it! After four years I have finally finished studying at the University of Oxford. It feels incredibly surreal, to even type that to all of you, but after years of hard work it is all over. The past few years have been anything but boring, I’ve loved, lost, celebrated, cried but...

Letters to the Editor | Sunday, May 28, 2023

Proud Fijian I enjoyed the groups of entertainers who performed their traditional meke for the last two days at the recent Great Council of Chiefs meeting which I haven’t seen for a very long time, like the much talked about lakalaka titled “Ofa ki Nakula” which went viral via mainstream and social media from people...

Editorial comment | A nailbiter in the end

What a joy it was to see the Fijian Drua and Moana Pasifika run the ball yesterday on firm underfoot conditions at Churchill Park in Lautoka in Round 14 of the Super Rugby Pacific competition. The teams obviously loved the intensity, and the fans loved the show. In the end it was a classic display...

Opinion | A divided aspiration

In the last article in this series, I focused on the activities and festivities that were organised to mark the arrival of the girmitiya in Fiji. In the process, I outlined a number of things that stood out in the organisation of these events. In this piece, let me elaborate and discuss one key point...

Opinion | Crisis in our identity – Rightful place for ‘driftwood’ of the Pacific

Saturday, May 20, 2023 evening bore a gloomy note with overcast skies, blustery winds and pelting rain. There was no secure place except being indoors. And it immensely worried the Fiji Girmit Foundation NZ members who had organised the Fiji Girmit Remembrance Day annual event at the Malaeola Hall, Auckland from 5pm. They feared that...

Opinion | Who failed to protect our media freedom?

On World Press Freedom Day (May 3, 2023) there was an excellent two-page personal account by The Fiji Times Chief Editor (Fred Wesley) on “Never again must we be suppressed”. To refresh your memory about the personal trials and tribulations faced by not just the brave journalists but also their families (including their traumatised young...

Opinion | The 11th Henry Kila Memorial Address: Reversing rural decline in PNG

I was born in the mid-1980s, and grew up in the Highlands of Papua New Guinea, in Enga, in Porgera District, in a beautiful government outpost called Kolombi, which was established by early Christian missionaries during the colonial era. During its heyday, Kolombi was more than just a government outpost. When I was a kid,...

Being a good pet owner | ‘They’re a source of endless blessings’

This article refers mostly to dogs as pets but could equally apply to cats. A definition of “pet” is interesting: – noun: a domestic or tamed animal kept for companionship; and – verb: stroke or pat (an animal) affectionately. Words such as companionship and affection are important components of the meaning. Patting is important for...

Letters to the Editor | Saturday, May 27, 2023

Review team’s recommendations WHAT if the GCC had met after the GCC Review Team had completed its task following the nationwide consultations? This would have enabled the GCC to consider and subsequently endorse — among other agenda items — the review team’s recommendations. That would appear, in my humble opinion, to be a more logical...

Editorial comment | Life and road rules

Now that the first meeting of the Great Council of Chiefs in 16 years has ended on the island of Bau, we look forward to celebrations to mark Ratu Sukuna Day. Events have been scheduled reflecting on the life of a man who has been described as a statesman, a leader and a chief. Students...

Beyond the Scope | Welfare recipient numbers skyrocket

Social welfare assistance is provided by governments to individuals and families in need. This assistance aims to help individuals meet their basic needs, overcome financial difficulties, and improve their overall wellbeing. Governments design these programs to provide a safety net and help individuals and families overcome temporary or long-term challenges they may face. These safety...

Opinion