 |
|
 |
The Pacific Financial Capability Project, which focuses on Pacific remittances, has produced a calendar with a different financial tip for Pacific consumers each month.
The initiative is the first step in a pilot programme to help people become more financially aware and to save money. The project team chose to do a calendar as people use them for the full 12 months of the year, and each month there is a new financial literacy tip.
The calendar is available in English, Samoan and Tongan and copies of the 2010 calendars have been sent out to community groups in New Zealand, Samoa and Tonga.
The project is supported by NZAID, the Ministry of Pacific Island Affairs, the Reserve Bank, the World Bank, and the Pacific Cooperation Foundation. It was set up to reduce the cost of remittances between New Zealand and Pacific and aims to have a remittance system which is fair, transparent, fast and secure; to stimulate greater competition and innovation in the market; and to assist remitters to make informed choices when sending money home.
For more information about NZAID's involvement in the remittances programme contact Ginny Chapman.
The University of the South Pacific (USP) and Landcare Research New Zealand signed a Memorandum of Understanding between the two organisations this month to support science collaboration and to develop a high-level science-based strategic partnership.
Through the latest partnership, Landcare Research will contribute to the scientific values and objectives of USP, based on their New Zealand experience and wider international collaborations. Given USP’s acknowledged scientific expertise, Landcare Research sees the partnership as strengthening the effectiveness and relevance of its own scientific activities in the region.
Financial assistance from the New Zealand State Sector Development Partnerships Fund (DPF) initially facilitated collaboration between the two organisations. USP’s and Landcare Research’s existing DPF project allows them to develop and share capacity in botanical collections and databases at USP and has been a catalyst for their most recent partnership. The MOU partnership is independent of the DPF project.
The UN and the international community marked Human Rights Day on 10 December by stressing the enduring need to eliminate all forms of discrimination. Human Rights Day, which commemorates the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by the UN General Assembly in 1948, was marked with numerous other events worldwide.
The focus for this year's Human Rights Day was non-discrimination. The first line of the Declaration reads "All human beings are born free and equal in dignity and rights", but discrimination is a reality for millions around the globe. The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Navi Pillay explained that non-discrimination was selected as the theme for 2009 because discrimination spreads mistrust and humiliation for victims and leads to violence, conflict and disharmony generally.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) is one of NZAID’s top priority multilateral agencies. For the 2009/10 year NZAID has provided US$3.5 million to support the core work of the agency. OHCHR's mandate is the promotion and protection of human rights for all.
For more information contact communications@nzaid.govt.nz.
Global Focus Aotearoa became the new name for the Development Resource Centre and its programmes the Global Education Centre and Dev-Zone this month.
Over 15 years, the Development Resource Centre has built a strong reputation as a specialist provider of information and education on global and development issues, particularly for development practitioners, tertiary students, teachers and young people. All of the organisation’s existing products and services will be available from www.globalfocus.org.nz. For further information, contact megan@globalfocus.org.nz.
For the 2009/10 financial year the New Zealand Government's international development programme has contributed $1,770,890 towards the core costs of Global Focus Aotearoa.
Published six times a year, Currents magazine is an interesting and informative way to find out more about how New Zealand is working to support development and respond to humanitarian crises in our region, and further afield.
To receive a free copy of the magazine please contact Nadine Koszler with your mailing details or visit NZAID’s website to download a copy.
The latest issue of Currents, available now, includes articles on New Zealand’s comprehensive response to the Pacific tsunami in September, the rise of development gift registers and fair trade products, an interview with Dr Inés Alberdi, Director of the United Nations Development Fund for Women (UNIFEM), and profiles New Zealand’s development programme in the Philippines.
 - The latest issue - out now!
|
|
|
NewZAID updates you in brief on key issues and events on the NZAID agenda. Please click on the useful links included in this newsletter to explore issues in greater depth.
The New Zealand Government signed a new three-year funding arrangement with the Solomon Islands Government this month. The SBD165,000,000 (NZ$33 million) agreement will help to improve the quality of basic education and to ensure all Solomon Islands children are able to attend school.
The new agreement builds upon the strong partnership that already exists between the two countries to improve education in Solomon Islands. The New Zealand Government has been working with the Solomon Islands Government over the past six years to improve the quality of basic education. New Zealand’s support has enabled promising results to date, including: - the number of children enrolled in primary school has increased by 30 percent since 2003
- 289 classroom blocks have been built under the partnership between 2004 and 2009
- 96 percent of schools received school grants in 2009 for materials and minor maintenance
- 1,850 teachers have been formally trained at the New Zealand supported School of Education since 2004
- student textbooks and teachers’ guides for English and mathematics have been developed, printed and delivered to every primary school in the country.
The latest funding commitment will further build on these achievements over the next three years. The Solomon Islands Government will use New Zealand’s funds to help implement National and Provincial Education Action Plans. The goals of the plans are to achieve equitable access to education for all people in Solomon Islands, improve the quality of education in the country and ensure more efficient management of resources.
Solomon Islands Minister of Education Matthew Wale expressed his appreciation to the New Zealand Government and noted that the Solomon Islands Government is committed to developing the education sector, but also needs the support of donors like New Zealand to succeed with the National and Provincial Education Action Plans.
New Zealand High Commissioner Mark Ramsden highlighted that “improving access to education and the quality of that education is crucial to supporting sustainable economic development in Solomon Islands.”
Solomon Islands is one of the New Zealand Government’s largest bilateral aid programmes with an allocation of NZ$36 million in 2009/10. For more information about New Zealand’s support for the education programme in Solomon Islands contact Kathleen Pearce.
 - New Zealand's High Commissioner to Tonga, Christine Bogle, congratulates a Niuatoputapu High School student on recieveing a school prize.
On 3 December an official ceremony was held to handover the recently reconstructed Niuatoputapu High School from the New Zealand government to the people of Niuatoputapu. New Zealand’s High Commissioner to Tonga, Christine Bogle, and NZAID’s Development Programme Coordinator in Tonga, Melelupe Vunipola, represented New Zealand at the ceremony.
In 2002, Cyclone Waka hit Tonga and the original Niuatoputapu High School was severely damaged. Reconstruction of the school buildings were never completed to a satisfactory standard and remained unused until NZAID responded to a request from the Government of Tonga to complete the reconstruction.
The completed $3.7 million Niuatoputapu High School construction project will provide a safe and appropriate learning environment for pupils and teachers in Niuatoputapu.
The project has seen the refurbishment of the existing school buildings and three on-site accommodation houses, as well as the construction of a new school hall, an industrial arts classroom, and additional accommodation houses. Site works including the provision of water and electricity supply, and levelling the playing area have also been completed.
At the ceremony, following a traditional greeting from school students, the High Commissioner completed the official handover of the school to Hon. Sione Ikamafana, grandson of late King Tupou the 4th and son of late Noble Ma’atu (the land owner of the estate where the school was built). A ribbon was cut to mark the official opening. The day was further commemorated by holding the High School’s prize giving inside the newly opened school hall.
Areas of Niuatoputapu were severely damaged by the September tsunami. The High School however was unscathed and spare rooms now double as working space for some government departments whose offices were damaged in the disaster.
For more information about the reconstruction project contact Melelupe Vunipola.
 - Taunganui Harbour on Mauke. The state of the existing Harbour makes it dangerous for boat handlers and people's safety.
The upgrade of Omutu Harbour on Mitiaro and repair of Taunganui Harbour on Mauke have been a priority for the Cook Island Government and targeted for NZAID funding since cyclones in 2005. In both harbours, cargo ships anchor beyond the reef, and barges transport goods back and forth to the harbour where they are unloaded. The damage sustained to slipways, wharfs and sea walls makes access to the harbours more difficult from both land and the open sea. The lack of protection makes conditions in the harbours rough and dangerous for boat handlers. This requires slower, more cautious handling of goods to avoid damage as they are brought ashore and to ensure people’s safety.
The New Zealand Government, through the Cook Islands Aid Management Division (AMD) and the Ministry of Infrastructure and Planning (MOIP), is funding the redesign and reconstruction of both these harbours. The current allocation is $4.25 million.
Beca engineers Richard Frankland, Katie Sherning and David Anstiss visited Mitiaro from 1-4 December and Mauke from 4-7 December. They were accompanied by Taukea Raui (MOIP), Steve Barrett (AMD), Julie Affleck and Pip Robertson (NZAID).
The engineers gathered information for the redesign of the harbours. Being on the island in person was vital for their understanding of how the harbours function, how they have been damaged, and how they can be improved to meet the needs of the island communities.
The engineers measured water depth and harbour size, observed wave patterns, the condition of the sea bed, assessed materials, and saw firsthand how the barges function in the harbours. David Anstiss investigated the availability of local materials for making concrete, which could reduce what will need to be brought in from Rarotonga, helping to keep construction costs down.
The Beca engineers’ met with the communities who use the harbours and have long-term knowledge of the sea conditions. On both Mitiaro and Mauke practical, consultative meetings were held with the island representatives, officials, fishermen, and harbour workers. Design drawings were laid out on the table and different options for the redesign were proposed and debated and different elements prioritised.
“Hearing this local knowledge and having time to observe the harbour is what makes coming here worthwhile,” Richard Frankland said. “We have learned so much from being here. We could not have designed the harbours sitting in our office in Auckland, as we would have got a lot of things wrong.”
The Beca team will now design the harbours based on the information they have gathered. The communities in Mauke and Mitiaro will have the opportunity to give feedback on the designs before they are finalised. After that, the next stage will be detailed design and then tendering for the harbour reconstruction.
Reliable, safe transport of goods is essential for the economies of the two islands, as well as for the well-being and quality of life of the islands’ residents. It is intended that the New Zealand Government’s investment in these harbours will improve the efficiency of inter-island transport of goods and make the harbours safer for all who use them.
For more information about the project contact Julie Affleck.
New Zealand is making a $100,000 contribution to relief efforts in Fiji following Cyclone Mick, Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced on 16 December.
"Tropical Cyclone Mick forced around 3,800 people in Fiji to evacuate their homes. There is localised damage to homes, roads and public utilities in Fiji as well as a need for humanitarian assistance in some areas," Mr McCully said.
"Fiji remains a close neighbour despite our differences with the regime. Our contribution to relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Mick is a reminder of New Zealand's continued willingness to help the people of Fiji. The money will be used on essential relief supplies, including the replenishment of supplies used by the Red Cross to assist people in the immediate aftermath of the cyclone,” Mr McCully said.
For more information contact communications@nzaid.govt.nz.
 - Prime Minister John Key discusses the work of the Agan Khan Development Network with Bashir Sumar at a recent visit to the Auckland Ismaili Community Centre.
A delegation of representatives of His Highness the Aga Khan, led by Amyn Ahamed, the International Special Projects Coordinator for the Aga Khan Development Network, visited Wellington on 4 December to meet with various government agencies, including NZAID and the wider Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and Crown research institute Geological and Nuclear Sciences (GNS).
The Aga Khan Development Network operates for-profit and not-for-profit programmes across 30 countries. The Aga Khan Foundation (AKF) and the related Aga Khan Education Services and Aga Khan Health Services are part of the not-for-profit arm of the network. The AKF is a key partner of the New Zealand Government in Afghanistan in the areas of education, health and rural development. Despite being an Ismaili organisation, AKF is non-denominational, with staff from a variety of ethnic and religious backgrounds. The AKF provide services to all regardless of religious belief.
The visiting delegation comprised of Mr Amyn Ahamed, Secretariat and Special Projects Coordinator of His Highness the Aga Khan; Mr Azeem Chunara, President of His Highness Prince Aga Khan Shia Imami Ismaili Council for Australia and New Zealand; Mr Bashir Sumar, Communications Coordinator for the Aga Khan for Australia and New Zealand; and Mr Shiraz Haji, from the New Zealand Ismaili Community.
The group’s visit included a meeting regarding disaster risk response with representatives from the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Ministry of Civil Defence and Emergency Management, and GNS. The agencies briefed the visitors on their work in the New Zealand context around disaster risk management and disaster risk response. The delegation also had the opportunity to visit the GNS offices where they were given a presentation which covered the GeoNet project, NZ Seismic Hazard Research, the Riskscape Project, and GNS’s International work in disaster risk response. This was of particular interest to the Aga Khan delegation due to their growing engagement in disaster risk and seismic risk management.
For more information about the work of the Aga Khan Development Network visit http://www.akdn.org.
Foreign Minister Murray McCully announced on 8 December that New Zealand will contribute $1 million to United Nations (UN) agencies working to resettle Tamils forced from their homes by the recent civil war in Sri Lanka.
"It is estimated that more than 140,000 Tamil people have now returned home, or been released from camps for internally displaced people, and there is now an urgent need to ensure they can access basic services," Mr McCully said.
New Zealand's support will be split between the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA) and the United Nations Children's Fund. Funding will be used to help provide healthcare to mothers and infants, and to make sure communities have clean drinking water and sanitation facilities.
The funding announcement follows Mr McCully’s meeting with the visiting Executive Director of UNFPA, Ms Thorya Obaid. As well as discussing the situation in Sri Lanka, the meeting between Ms Obaid and Mr McCully focused on the ongoing UN reform process, including the need for UN programmes to be more effective on the ground, and to ensure that donor support, especially humanitarian assistance, got to where it was most needed.
For more information contact communications@nzaid.govt.nz.
|
|
