Community education: An essential dimension in the prevention of violence against women

This paper explores how global aid agendas impact NGO responsibility for Violence Against Women (VAW) community education programmes. VAW is a critical issue in the Pacific region. A reconfiguration of the NGO sector is taking place whereby larger NGOs receive more resources than smaller, more diverse NGOs. This paper examines a regional-national pattern whereby a Fiji-based NGO regional hub has become a source of VAW knowledge and resources. As a case study, the Vanuatu Women’s Centre is an example of a national NGO accessing regional VAW resources to develop initiatives relevant to the Vanuatu context. One issue is whether the Vanuatu experience can be generalised to other Pacific Island Countries and Territories (PICTs). Another issue is whether the specialised knowledge and skills generated by the regional hubs are at the expense of many locally-generated programmes that have previously characterised NGOs. This paper proposes that a community education perspective be applied to development programmes in PICTs

Inventory of Pacific Research at Victoria University of Wellington 1999-2005

This inventory seeks to document the range of research interests and activities taking place on Pacific topics at Victoria University of Wellington (VUW). It has emerged out of a collaboration between the Office of Research and Postgraduate Studies, and the Programme in Pacific Studies. The inventory aims to provide an informed basis for the strategic development of Pacific research and teaching at VUW, through the newly established unit, Va'aomana Pasifika. By "Pacific" we mean the most inhabited portions of the Pacific basin. At times, reference may be made to "Pacific people": by this we mean people who trace descent to andtor are citizens of any of the territories commonly understood to be part of the Pacific (i.e., Melanesia, Micronesia, Polynesia). Alternative terms that may appear in the inventory include: "Pasifika", "Pasefika", "Pasifiki". These are respectively generic Polynesian, and specifically Samoan and Tongan variations on the word "Pacific". The terms "Asia-Pacific" or "Asia Pacific" arise occasionally: we understand that the terms do not always coincide with our emphasis on the Pacific basin and Pacific peoples, and for the most part privilege nations and peoples on the "Pacific Rim". However, we are also aware that some permutations of "Asia-Pacific" at W are more conscientiously engaged with the Pacific basin. We have allowed for the benefit of the doubt in most cases. In this inventory, distinction is made between academic staff who are "Pacific by ethnicity" and academic staff who are "Pacific by interest". Academic staff who are actively engaged in research on Pacific topics may not trace their ancestry to Pacific nations, while academic staff who are "Pacific by ethnicity" may not necessarily be conducting research on Pacific topics. This inventory does not include exclusively Maori research. Inventories of Maori research activity and services at W have already been undertaken through the office of Toiahurei, the Pro Vice Chancellor Maori at VUW. Finally, this research inventory is limited to the period 1999-2005 because of the restrictions of our staffing and research resources. While it would have been useful to have a more extensive inventory, perhaps reaching back 10 or even 30 years, this was beyond our means at the time and could be a future project. We know that we may not have captured all the Pacific research carried out during this period. We apologise for any omissions and welcome such information to add to and assist grow this inventory data base

The interface of gambling and cultural practices: a Tongan male perspective in Aotearoa | New Zealand

IntroductionFor over 30 years, Pacific people have been identified as more at risk of developing problem gambling behaviors than the general population. That observation has not changed despite the increase in treatment service providers, Pacific gambling literature and problem-gambling literature, which are primarily quantitative-based. This article explores the interface of gambling and cultural practices from a Tongan male perspective to consider whether status advancement and rank contribute to the problem-gambling statistics and the qualitative reasons why Tongan peoples engage in gambling activities.MethodsA phenomenological approach using the talanoa research method was employed to carry out this study. A total of 46 Tongan males participated in this study. Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis was employed to interpret the data. The ethical approval reference number 16/452 for this research was granted by the Auckland University of Technology Ethics Committee (AUTEC).ResultsParticipants noted the concept of fatongia as a motivating factor for Tongans to engage in gambling activities, which, in turn, elevates family and village status and rank.DiscussionStrategies and recommendations around raising cultural awareness with treatment providers are critical to understanding Tongan gambling in New Zealand

Some Comments on Asking the Right Questions, Getting the Right Answers

In recent years, agricultural research has turned from a concentration on technology improvement (i.e., taro varieties, soils analysis, quick-growing hybrids) to include a concern for the socio-economic context of the study (i.e., the people who will use or benefit from the technology). That the socio-economic perspective should be an integral part of agricultural research has been widely acknowledged, and new data collection techniques have evolved to achieve this based on the principles of participatory theory such as farming systems research and rapid rural appraisal strategies. It is not easy placing research into its socio-economic context. However, if technology is to be accepted, used, and passed on, it is essential that this is done at each level of the research process. This will require that we approach our research with an open mind, that we ask the right question, and focus our research according to the answers we gain. The information dissemination networks we establish as we interact with farmers will ensure that knowledge is exchanged. However, there must also be a concerted systematic extension program if a wider group of people are to benefit from research findings

Women and the privatisation of Samoas coconut oil mill

This case study of the privatisation of Samoa's coconut oil mill shows that foreign investment need not be a disempowering experience for women and their families, and explores why this is so. In this case foreign capital is supporting an industry which fits and builds on the traditional smallholder production and use systems, which is a contrast to the more usual pattern of foreign investment featuring an introduced and highly specialised enterprise and requiring a centralised workforce. While Samoa is the focus, this study has wider implications because the coconut is central to every Pacific island economy

Tomorrow’s Woman?

The election of Fiamē Naomi Mata‘afa as the first female prime minister of Sāmoa has been widely heralded as a critical juncture, especially for women, that will change the nature of Sāmoan politics. In this Comment piece we endorse the observation that Fiamē’s success is remarkable and her election as prime minister significant. But we also caution against the somewhat idealistic and naïve assumption that her prime ministership will be a radical break from the past. Fiamē is well suited to the role because she has three decades of experience as a member of the former governing party in which she rose to the rank of deputy prime minister. She only broke ranks in opposition to reforms that she felt were a significant threat to the rule of law and to fa‘aSamoa cultural beliefs and traditions. If she is a success as prime minister, it will be because her status, profile and highly tuned political instincts embody and balance both continuity and change.</p

Culture, church, and collective: a qualitative study about gambling harm prevention and reduction in Aotearoa/New Zealand—a Tongan male perspective

Abstract Background In New Zealand, Pacific people continue to be more at risk of gambling harm than the general population, despite increasing public health efforts and treatment service provisions introduced to address this social and health issue. In looking at why this is so, our first concern was to ask why the delivery of the prevailing gambling-focussed programmes was not influencing Pacific gambling behaviours. In seeking to answer this question, it was important to explore ethnic-Pacific-specific factors of gambling harm prevention and reduction. Methods The research design was interpretivist/constructivist and phenomenological, applied through the lens of a Tongan worldview. Participants comprised Tongan male elders and youth. Recruitment of participants was through snowball sampling from churches and kava-drinking circles. A total of 28 elders and 18 youth participated through focus group talanoa and individual talanoa. This study employed descriptive thematic analysis. Results Participants were not aware of any policy document or problem-gambling preventative programmes. Four key themes were raised, which include raising the awareness of existing gambling harm treatment providers, the church influence in addressing gambling harm, community-based strategies, and cultural-based approaches. Conclusions This study proposes several recommendations such as more awareness of gambling harm providers in community, increasing cultural spaces and church engagements, and calls for further research in addressing the prevention and reduction of gambling harm amongst the Tongan community in New Zealand