brad brace contemporary culture scrapbook

September 4, 2008

Dengue fever outbreak in Fiji

Filed under: disease/health,fiji,global islands — admin @ 4:17 am

The medical authorities in Fiji confirmed a national dengue fever outbreak, the Fiji Times reported on Wednesday.

Sources close to the Health Ministry said divisional teams had been activated after a marked increase in cases reported at hospitals and health centers throughout the country.

It is understood that more than four cases of dengue per day have been reported at public and private health facilities over the past few weeks.

Interim Health Minister Jiko Luveni said as of Friday, 53 suspected cases of dengue had been reported throughout Fiji.

Luveni advised the general public to destroy all mosquito breeding places.

She said those who are suspected to be suffering from the disease should drink plenty of fluids.

But the Health Ministry has not made a public statement on the disease despite a meeting of senior doctors in the Western Division

Medical teams could soon begin massive spraying campaigns in an effort to kill the aedes aegyptii mosquito which carries the dengue virus.

Dengue is a mosquito-borne disease and has the potential to kill if patients are severely dehydrated or begin to lose blood.

Dengue fever symptoms include headaches, joint pains and bleeding from the mouth. The origins of the word dengue are not clear, but one theory is that it is derived from the Swahili phrase “Ka-dinga pepo”, which describes the disease as being caused by an evil spirit. The Swahili word “dinga” may possibly have its origin in the Spanish word “dengue” (fastidious or careful), describing the gait of a person suffering dengue fever or, alternatively, the Spanish word may derive from the Swahili. It may also be attributed to the phrase meaning “Break bone fever”, referencing the fact that pain in the bones is a common symptom.

August 13, 2008

RWB condemns Fiji police tactics against journalists

Filed under: fiji,global islands,government,ideology,media — admin @ 9:16 am

The international journalists’ organisation, Reporters Without Borders, has condemned two cases of Fiji journalists being arrested and questioned for several hours by police in the past 10 days.

The latest was that of Fiji Times reporter Serafina Salaitoga, who was arrested at her home in the presence of her children, after writing a story that quoted a businessman Charan Jeath Singh as commenting about Suva politics.

Isaac Lal of the Daily Post was arrested and interrogated about an article linking a convict, Josefa Baleiloa, to an alleged plot to assassinate national leaders.

Mr Lal was picked up after the police spokeswoman complained about being quoted in the report.

Reporters Without Borders says these arrests will foster a climate of fear among journalists and harm news coverage.

May 6, 2008

Fiji’s military threaten more expats and the media

Filed under: fiji,global islands,ideology,media — admin @ 7:02 am

More expatriates will be deported and Fiji’s military has threatened to close down the Pacific nation’s news media.

But military strongman Voreqe Bainimarama – who has installed himself as prime minister – says he did not want to close media down.

Bainimarama has confronted Fiji’s media bosses after last week deporting Fiji Times publisher Evan Hannah, three months after Fiji Sun publisher Russell Hunter was also kicked out.

Regional news agency Pacnews said Bainimarama told the meeting that Hannah will not be the last of the expatriates to be deported.

He told the executives he could not reveal why Hannah had been deported but said that others are likely to follow.

He said the news media were publishing “inciteful” articles and called for balance and fair reporting.

Pacnews said Bainimarama added the last thing he would want to do is close down the media and his government should not be likened to Robert Mugabe of Zimbabwe.

The Fiji Times is owned by Rupert Murdoch’s News Ltd.

The Australian, owned by the same stable, reported this morning that the Fiji Times editor Netani Rika described how Bainimarama claimed that local journalists hate him.

Bainimarama claimed that shutting down the country’s media would be the worst-case scenario.

“He told us that he can shut the media down, but in his quotes, ‘I don’t want to do that’,” Rika told The Australian.

“He told us today that he did not want us to go down the path of Zimbabwe, but he was quite clear … while he did not want to close the media down, that would be an option if we did not take on board the concerns that he raised today.”

During the meeting, Bainimarama became agitated when the media representatives made it clear they would not “roll over and do what he wanted”, Rika said.

Bainimarama refused to explain how Hannah had breached his work permit, he said.

“The actual words he said was: ‘There’s no use discussing that matter. This person, Russell Hunter, and the other, Hannah whatever-his-name is, are not coming back’.”

March 26, 2008

Sikhs Thrive In Fiji

Filed under: fiji,General,global islands — admin @ 5:01 am

Fiji has a dedicated and thriving Sikh community. From 1900- 1930 Sikhs from Punjab came to the Fiji Islands and became involved in farming, especially the sugarcane industry. The Punjabis have established themselves irreversibly, firmly and successfully in Fiji. The colorful and distinctive culture of the Punjabis have indeed contributed to the variety and attractiveness of Fiji.

There are five Gurdwaras in different parts of Fiji. They also have one Kindergarten, three Primary schools and one Khalsa College. There are about 800 members in the Sikh community in Lakoutta and about 1,500 in Fiji.

People of Indian descent have settled in Fiji for over 130 years and now constitute over 350,000 people. Most Punjabis arrived in Fiji during early 1900’s.

In Fiji however, the earliest Indians were brought over to the Fiji islands in by the British. They were brought to the Fiji Islands by the British Raj in India under 5 year term, but when they arrived in Fiji they were forced to work do menial labour for the Europeans.

July 31, 2014

Kiribati and Climate Change: The Fight You Don’t Read About

Filed under: climate change,kiribati — admin @ 4:32 pm

If someone was to google “Kiribati,” search results will speak of the sad realities of this Pacific Island nation.

“Plagued by sea-level rise,” “Besieged by the rising tide of climate change,” and “Climate change destroys Pacific Island Nation” are the headlines you are most likely to stumble across.

Sadly, this island nation, rose to fame as steadily as the level of seawater has been rising to consume their islands.

Recent news articles about the people of Kiribati speak of them becoming climate refugees, having to relocate to another Pacific Island nation close by, Fiji, because of the continuous threat of climate change to its people.

But these headlines miss the fact that there’s still several decades before such a move caused by climate change might be necessary.

Constantly, the reality of the people of Kiribati have been brought to life with a common narrative — that they are mere victims of climate change. This is not a narrative only unique to Kiribati, but one that is slowly blanketing the rest of the region — from Tuvalu to the Marshall Islands. Yes, they are a vulnerable group of islands at the forefront of climate change, akin to the canary in the coal mine, but the way Kiribati is talked about by global media is like climate change porn. Its superficial and there’s no character development — Kiribati has become defined as the nation that is drowning.

Yet when I travelled there earlier this year, I saw a dramatically different side of Kiribati. My experience was defined by the people I met, the strength of their unique culture, and their warrior-like commitment to fight for their islands in the face of climate change. Armed with nothing more than a smile, a spring in their step, and the conviction of their forefathers — they are the caretakers of these lands and the vast ocean that surrounds them.

This video is another side of Kiribati that isn’t being told enough.

The place is beautiful, the people are joyful and their positivity is infectious. It was shot on the fly, during our 350 Kiribati Climate Warrior training. It shows just a snapshot of what it is about Kiribati that makes it worth fighting for.

The people I met in Kiribati refuse to remain silent as they continue to be talked of as climate change porn. Sure, the fossil fuel industry and the burning of coal may result in the map having less green dots and more blue in their region one day, but they are convinced that they must continue speaking their truth, and showing the humanity of what is at stake.

While they are aware of the realities of climate change, they are not defined by it.

They choose to be defined by the commitment to a better future, they choose to be defined by hope, they choose to be defined by resilience, they choose to change the narrative of the Pacific, shouting, we are not drowning, we are fighting!

The enemy of Kiribati is not just climate change, but it is the disempowering notion that its time to give up on the people, and the nation.

Right at this time, Kiribati needs all the allies we can muster around the world to fight its enemies. These allies are the people who will no longer just read the headlines, get depressed, and do nothing. Instead, they’re the people who realize that wherever they are in the world, there is something they can do to be part of the solution.

Are you one of them?

The work that we do at 350.org is to act as a focal point for those people all over the world to take action – before it really is too late.

June 27, 2014

Vodafone ‘spying’ admission fuels election surveillance concerns

Filed under: consumer,fiji,human rights,ideology,institutions,media — admin @ 3:21 pm

Confirmation today there is cause for concern over phone and internet tapping by the regime leading up to the election.

Vodafone has admitted it has ‘secret wires that allow government agencies to listen to all conversations on its networks’, saying they are widely used in some of the 29 countries in which it operates ‘in Europe and beyond.’

Fiji is listed as one of those countries in a report by The Guardian newspaper, where Vodafone admits it allowed ‘state surveillance’ 760 times in Fiji in 2013.

Vodafone Fiji has denied as recently as April it even has the technology to allow phone and internet tapping.

Section 63 of the electoral decree prohibits people from communicating political messages by telephone, internet, email, social media or other electronic means 48 hours before polling opens and there is wide concern the regime will tap phones and monitor internet to prevent breaches.

Vodafone has previously denied it has the facilities to monitor calls and text messages, insisting it can only access phone records via police or court warrant.

It has also said there is no legislation in place which would allow for telecom operators to intercept text messages, phone calls or internet messages.

The Guardian newspaper report, however, says Vodafone has revealed ‘wires had been connected directly to its network and those of other telecoms groups, allowing agencies to listen to or record live conversations and, in certain cases, track the whereabouts of a customer.’

Concerns about phone and internet monitoring in FIji is not new. The subject has come up before on this blog, including revelations from former 3FIR commander, Roko Ului Mara, who says the regime started tapping phones in 2007.

Mara said both Connect and Vodafone do it, but Vodafone was the worst. Others have attested also that the regime uses experts from both India and China to spy on Fiji citizens, especially its critics. —–

World’s First Climate Change Refugee Denied Asylum in New Zealand

Filed under: climate change,kiribati,new zealand — admin @ 3:16 pm

A Man from the small Pacific islands of Kiribati applied as a “climate refugee” in New Zealand. Mr. Teitiota is the first to apply for such a refugee status. A New Zealand Judge dismissed Mr. Teitiota case and denied him and his family refugee status. This ruling was appealed the New Zealand Court of Appeals upheld the decision of the lower court. Mr. Teitiota and his family have been living illegally in New Zealand for the past seven years, after his initial visa exprired he applied for refugee status. Since Mr. Teitiota’s case and appeal have failed in the New Zealand courts, he and his family are to be deported back to Kiribati. Mr. Teitiota is married with three children, all three children were born in New Zealand; however, New Zealand does not recognize the offspring of illegal immigrants born in the country as citizens.

Kiribati

Abandoned Kiribati farm that has been destroyed by sea water

The New Zealand court held that under international law Mr. Teitiota does not qualify as a refugee. The UN Refugee Convention of 1951 states that a refugee must fear persecution if they returned home, the courts determined that this is a criterion that Mr. Teitiota does not meet. The court went on to say that if refugee status were granted, the floodgates would open for all medium-term environmental deprivation or damage refugees, which would create an influx of refugees. The court further said that Mr. Teitiota and his family would be able to resume their prior subsistence life with dignity in Kiribati.

The islands of Kiribati are quickly being swallowed by the Pacific Ocean. Projections show that the Island will cease to exist by the end of this century. However, the island will become uninhabitable even earlier due to the rise in the rise in the sea-level combined with a more severe storm cycle that will contaminate the water table and with it all the agricultural land. The main atoll, Tarawa is six square miles in total, crammed into this space are 50,000 islanders and that space is quickly shrinking.

The President of Kiribati is exploring options for a mass migration and the Kiribati government hoped that the case in New Zealand would give them that option. Other options the government is pursuing include the purchase of land in Fiji as a possible resettlement option. The government has also explored the option of building a man made island to resettle the population. In total there are over 100,000 people in Kiribati that will eventually be displaced by the rising sea level. With any option the the option of building a man made island to resettle the population. In total there are over 100,000 people in Kiribati that will eventually be displaced by the rising sea level. With any option the government pursues it will be difficult to relocate such as large group of people.

Strong M6.4 earthquake registered off the coast of Vanuatu

Filed under: climate change,disaster,vanuatu — admin @ 2:47 pm

Earthquake registered as M6.4 on the Richter scale struck off the coast of Vanuatu on June 19, 2014 at 10:17 UTC. USGS reports depth of 59.9 km (37.2 miles), EMSC is reporting same magnitude at depth of 60 km.

Epicenter was located 85 km (53 miles) WNW of Sola, and 219 km (136 miles) N of Luganville, Vanuatu.

There are about 6 295 people living within 100 km radius.

USGS issued green alert for for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides that might have contributed to losses.

Seismotectonics of the Eastern Margin of the Australia Plate

The eastern margin of the Australia plate is one of the most sesimically active areas of the world due to high rates of convergence between the Australia and Pacific plates. In the region of New Zealand, the 3000 km long Australia-Pacific plate boundary extends from south of Macquarie Island to the southern Kermadec Island chain. It includes an oceanic transform (the Macquarie Ridge), two oppositely verging subduction zones (Puysegur and Hikurangi), and a transpressive continental transform, the Alpine Fault through South Island, New Zealand. Since 1900 there have been 15 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded near New Zealand. Nine of these, and the four largest, occurred along or near the Macquarie Ridge, including the 1989 M8.2 event on the ridge itself, and the 2004 M8.1 event 200 km to the west of the plate boundary, reflecting intraplate deformation. The largest recorded earthquake in New Zealand itself was the 1931 M7.8 Hawke’s Bay earthquake, which killed 256 people. The last M7.5+ earthquake along the Alpine Fault was 170 years ago; studies of the faults’ strain accumulation suggest that similar events are likely to occur again.

North of New Zealand, the Australia-Pacific boundary stretches east of Tonga and Fiji to 250 km south of Samoa. For 2,200 km the trench is approximately linear, and includes two segments where old (>120 Myr) Pacific oceanic lithosphere rapidly subducts westward (Kermadec and Tonga). At the northern end of the Tonga trench, the boundary curves sharply westward and changes along a 700 km-long segment from trench-normal subduction, to oblique subduction, to a left lateral transform-like structure.

Australia-Pacific convergence rates increase northward from 60 mm/yr at the southern Kermadec trench to 90 mm/yr at the northern Tonga trench; however, significant back arc extension (or equivalently, slab rollback) causes the consumption rate of subducting Pacific lithosphere to be much faster. The spreading rate in the Havre trough, west of the Kermadec trench, increases northward from 8 to 20 mm/yr. The southern tip of this spreading center is propagating into the North Island of New Zealand, rifting it apart. In the southern Lau Basin, west of the Tonga trench, the spreading rate increases northward from 60 to 90 mm/yr, and in the northern Lau Basin, multiple spreading centers result in an extension rate as high as 160 mm/yr. The overall subduction velocity of the Pacific plate is the vector sum of Australia-Pacific velocity and back arc spreading velocity: thus it increases northward along the Kermadec trench from 70 to 100 mm/yr, and along the Tonga trench from 150 to 240 mm/yr.

The Kermadec-Tonga subduction zone generates many large earthquakes on the interface between the descending Pacific and overriding Australia plates, within the two plates themselves and, less frequently, near the outer rise of the Pacific plate east of the trench. Since 1900, 40 M7.5+ earthquakes have been recorded, mostly north of 30?S. However, it is unclear whether any of the few historic M8+ events that have occurred close to the plate boundary were underthrusting events on the plate interface, or were intraplate earthquakes. On September 29, 2009, one of the largest normal fault (outer rise) earthquakes ever recorded (M8.1) occurred south of Samoa, 40 km east of the Tonga trench, generating a tsunami that killed at least 180 people.

Across the North Fiji Basin and to the west of the Vanuatu Islands, the Australia plate again subducts eastwards beneath the Pacific, at the North New Hebrides trench. At the southern end of this trench, east of the Loyalty Islands, the plate boundary curves east into an oceanic transform-like structure analogous to the one north of Tonga.

Australia-Pacific convergence rates increase northward from 80 to 90 mm/yr along the North New Hebrides trench, but the Australia plate consumption rate is increased by extension in the back arc and in the North Fiji Basin. Back arc spreading occurs at a rate of 50 mm/yr along most of the subduction zone, except near ~15?S, where the D’Entrecasteaux ridge intersects the trench and causes localized compression of 50 mm/yr in the back arc. Therefore, the Australia plate subduction velocity ranges from 120 mm/yr at the southern end of the North New Hebrides trench, to 40 mm/yr at the D’Entrecasteaux ridge-trench intersection, to 170 mm/yr at the northern end of the trench.

Large earthquakes are common along the North New Hebrides trench and have mechanisms associated with subduction tectonics, though occasional strike slip earthquakes occur near the subduction of the D’Entrecasteaux ridge. Within the subduction zone 34 M7.5+ earthquakes have been recorded since 1900. On October 7, 2009, a large interplate thrust fault earthquake (M7.6) in the northern North New Hebrides subduction zone was followed 15 minutes later by an even larger interplate event (M7.8) 60 km to the north. It is likely that the first event triggered the second of the so-called earthquake “doublet”. (USGS)

November 2, 2013

Recent Films Studied

Filed under: culture,Film — admin @ 1:23 pm

• Holy Motors • The Lovers on the Bridge • The Widow of St. Pierre • Princesas • El Infierno • Bedevilled • Valentin • Which Way Home • Entre Nos • Innocent Voices • Y Tu Mamá También • Paris Was a Woman • The Beat Hotel • Salinger • Revolution: Season 1: • The Rundown • Year of the Fish • Little Moth • Owl and the Sparrow • Wonderful Town • The Overture • A Barefoot Dream • Balibo • The Shipping News • Reds • Days of Heaven • Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean: “Mr. Bean” • Lost in Translation • The Queen and I • Dear Murderer • The Naked City • The Conversation • Butterfly • Biutiful • Tetro • Essential Killing • The Mill & The Cross • Le Quattro Volte • Mafioso • Point Blank • Silmido • The Housemaid • No One Knows About Persian Cats • Hank: Five Years from the Brink • Journey of Hope • Turtles Can Fly • Times and Winds • Bliss • Or, My Treasure • Jaffa • The Wedding Song • Bedwin Hacker • Son of Man • Dreams of Dust • Beat the Drum • Lucky • Men at Work • The Deserted Station • Baran • A Time for Drunken Horses • Sounds of Sand • Mommo: The Bogeyman • Before Your Eyes • Dust of Life • Rampage • The Road • Dragon • Ichi • The Assailant • Captains of the Sand • Antonia • Only When I Dance • Behind the Sun • Forbidden to Forbid • The Samba Poet • Neighboring Sounds • A Bottle in the Gaza Sea • 21 Up South Africa: Mandela’s Childrenf• Holy Motors • The Lovers on the Bridge • The Widow of St. Pierre • Princesas • El Infierno • Bedevilled • Valentin • Which Way Home • Entre Nos • Innocent Voices • Y Tu Mamá También • Paris Was a Woman • The Beat Hotel • Salinger • Revolution: Season 1: • The Rundown • Year of the Fish • Little Moth • Owl and the Sparrow • Wonderful Town • The Overture • A Barefoot Dream • Balibo • The Shipping News • Reds • Days of Heaven • Mr. Bean: The Whole Bean: “Mr. Bean” • Lost in Translation • The Queen and I • Dear Murderer • The Naked City • The Conversation • Butterfly • Biutiful • Tetro • Essential Killing • The Mill & The Cross • Le Quattro Volte • Mafioso • Point Blank • Silmido • The Housemaid • No One Knows About Persian Cats • Hank: Five Years from the Brink • Journey of Hope • Turtles Can Fly • Times and Winds • Bliss • Or, My Treasure • Jaffa • The Wedding Song • Bedwin Hacker • Son of Man • Dreams of Dust • Beat the Drum • Lucky • Men at Work • The Deserted Station • Baran • A Time for Drunken Horses • Sounds of Sand • Mommo: The Bogeyman • Before Your Eyes • Dust of Life • Rampage • The Road • Dragon • Ichi • The Assailant • Captains of the Sand • Antonia • Only When I Dance • Behind the Sun • Forbidden to Forbid • The Samba Poet • Neighboring Sounds • A Bottle in the Gaza Sea • 21 Up South Africa: Mandela’s Children • Miss Bala • Anatomy of a Murder • Local Color • Lady Terminator • V for Vendetta • For Ever Mozart • The Cow • Unknown Pleasures • The Bad and the Beautiful • Balseros • Imitation of Life • Network • The Postman Always Rings Twice • Palace of the Winds • Red • Lincoln • Wilde • A Clockwork Orange • Still Life • In the Realms of the Unreal • BaadAsssss Cinema • Sing Faster: The Stagehands’ Ring Cycle • Pure Brazil: Bossa in Rio • The Rules of the Game • From Here to Eternity • Down by Law • The Conformist • Zabriskie Point • Le Amiche • The Passenger • Red Desert • Blow-Up • Summer of Sam • Lawrence of Arabia • Of Gods and Men • Where the Green Ants Dream • Tomorrow • The Bad Sleep Well • 10,000 Black Men Named George • The Blue Lagoon • Mutiny on the Bounty • Toka Toka: Forbidden Fiji • Reel Paradise • 24 City • Slumdog Millionaire • Raise the Red Lantern

December 12, 2012

Filed under: disaster,fiji,weather — admin @ 6:01 am

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