Cogito, ergo sum. I think, therefore I am. (René Descartes, mathematician and philosopher,1599-1650)

Tuesday 28 September 2010

Methodist Supremacists, MSG Broker Role, Development Journalism, Education & Charter


METHODISTS AND INDIGENOUS SUPREMACY. A recent comment on the blog  by "Wither the Wesleyans" is worth sharing with a wider audience.  He writes:

The current Methodist hierarchy still doesn't understand what it has to do to get the monkey off its back. And that is to cut itself loose from Lasaro and Kanailagi (photo. L - R) the two indigenous supremacists so identified in the public mind with the events of 1987 and 2000. Tugaue and Waqairatu are only caught up in all of this because of the political machinations of these two aging warriors.

The truth is they're impotent to act against them because of their strong political base among the Methodist congregation. But until they do, the Church will be at the margins of national life, kept there by a regime that is determined to crush its influence at all costs.

A sad and sorry situation but pretty much the fault of the Methodists themselves. When they gained their independence from the Australian church in 1964, a huge effort was made to make the Fiji church multiracial, at least in outlook. But it was a process resisted by the likes of Lasaro and Kanailagi, who used their influence to drag the church into the centre of indigenous Fijian politics. Now that the Methodists and indigenous supremacy are synonymous, is it any wonder that the church has lost its moral authority and that the regime is out to destroy its pernicious influence on the country as a whole?

The tragedy in all of this is that commentators and journalists the would over are totally ignorant of the history of the Methodist Church in Fiji. If they did even the barest research, they'd quickly discover the fraudulent nature of the Church's claim that it's being persecuted in Fiji.

It is, in fact, the Church that has been doing the persecuting, successive presidents harassed and removed for not embracing the extremist agenda and non indigenous Methodists marginalised and either silenced or forced to leave. Whichever way you look at it, the hijacking of the Methodist Church for political purposes has been unconscionable by any standards. They love to quote their biblical texts so how about this one: as you sow, so shall you reap. Qori.

SOLOMON PM WANTS MSG TALKS
. Concerned about what he sees as escalating friction between Fiji and Australia and the resolution  slipping further away, new Solomon Islands Prime Minister, Danny Philip, wants  a small group of like-minded Melanesian nations "to nudge Fiji back to democracy." With Fiji suspended from the Pacific Islands Forum, the PM thinks the smaller Melanesian Spearhead Group, which also includes Papua New Guinea and Vanuatu, is the best forum to engage Fiji.

DEVELOPMENT JOURNALISM 'VITAL FOR PACIFIC REGION'
Prof. David Robie told a recent Pacific Conference of Churches meeting that development journalism is critically important for media in the South Pacific, and said that some western media had "lost the plot". Too much focus was on conflict and crises and not enough on solutions. He said good development journalism - not the misrepresented version criticised by western media - was investigative, process and solution-orientated.

"The goal of development journalism is to reach people and make a change in their lives," he said.He said this was about "empowerment of the people".Church publications - such as the new PCC website launched at the conference - NGO  newsletters and independent publications were important for agenda-setting on the "real issues" facing Pacific communities.

"New media technologies on the net make it possible for every citizen to engage in journalism through tools like blogging, and development journalists continue to play a key role in social change," he said. Based on Pacific Media Centre/Pacific Media Watch): www.pacmediawatch.aut.ac.nz. Pacific Media Centre on Twitter - http://twitter.com/pacmedcentre.

SCHOOLCHILDREN SHOULD NOT BE SENT HOME. Tuition free grants are paid by government for every registered child from Class 1 to Form 7. In that regard, no child should not be sent home. This is Government's commitment to the People's Charter and the UN Millennium Development Goals. Below is how Tuition Fee grants should be utilized by schools:

10% of the total to be used for purchasing Computers, connection of internet or any improvement of Information Communication Technology in the school; 10% for classroom furniture (desks and chairs), school equipment and materials, Office equipment (office computer, copy printer, photocopier, multimedia projector); 10% for school library books; 5% on PEMAC equipment( musical instruments and sports equipment); 5% of the total to be used for purchasing any vocational equipment or upgrading any of the vocational facilities (for schools that have vocational).  The rest should be spent on operational costs.

Levies charged by schools should only be for a computer fee, building fee, sports fee, library fee, development fee, cadet fee and admission fee, and all these fees must be approved by the Permanent Secretary for Education. It must also be noted too that any increase in levies/fees should be approved by the Permanent Secretary for Education.

The Ministry hopes that schools will now understand why the Ministry has maintained its stand on this issue -- that all students must not be sent home for non-payment of levies.-- 2010 No:1444/MOE.

7 comments:

M.B.N said...

Just read the PM's UN speech. You can find it over at coup 4.5.

Very disappointing speech. A nothing speech really. No mention of any progress on roadmap to democracy, no mention of when the PER might be lifted, no mention of anything really apart from Fiji being the signature to various UN treaties and conventions, a bit of progress on old laws and saluting peace keeping missions.

This UN speech hints all is well and normal in Fiji and that Frank is some sort of legitimate leader ? Fair enough if that makes him feel better but you really get the feeling he is not serious about 2014 and certainly not removing himself from power anytime soon or in the future.

On peace keeping he fails to mention Fiji has not been able to increase participation and actual numbers have decreased. He also fails to mention while his troops keep the peace in other countries at home they removed a government and remain 4 years later in most major positions of power and oversee everything from the military council.

The PM fails to mention he has already broken most of the promises his representatives made to the UN Human Rights panel.

Progress Croz ? - nothing in that speech suggest any and gives little hope of any.

UN & PM said...

At the UN our PM demands "respect, dignity and equality".

Sorry MR PM. You need to earn respect and you have done little to ear mine.

Equality is a noble gesture and perhaps you could start by treating everyone in Fiji fairly - not persecuting and suppressing anyone who has a different view. You could also stop holding the military above the law.

On dignity, well I didn't feel much when stripped to my underwear and forced to run around the barracks. You did not treat me with dignity when your goons came to my home and took me away roughly in front of my family.

Yet I am humble enough to call you PM. I am kind enough to forgive you your many sins. I am genuine enough to stay in Fiji. I worry though you are not genuine. I worry your words are hollow and actions slow. I worry you are comfortable. I worry you do not believe in democracy. I worry you put yourself before everything else.

I will support you if you take the lead. How about publishing your roadmap, how about lifting the PER, how about starting some dialogue, how about FICAC pursuing our military with the same vigor they used on me ?

Now that would be something to tell the PM

i can see through you said...

i can see thru you said...
He says: "Over the past year, the Fiji government has effected a number of legal changes that have not only modernized our laws and brought about gender and social parity, but has also ensured compliance with international conventions. These changes include but are not limited to the Crimes Decree, which removes archaic rules in respect of rape trials.

We have implemented for the first time a comprehensive law against domestic violence to be consistent with our international obligations and protect the welfare of women and children. We now have child welfare laws which compel the reporting of violence against children or suspicion of abuse of minors. These and other new laws assist in the compliance of the Rome Statue by recognizing and incorporating crimes against humanity in our domestic laws."

I say: wht about the rapeof our country, dcitator? What about the abuse of our people at your soldier's hands? What about the violence against citizens via the decress? The abuse of the media who no longer have freedom of speech? The way you've cheated the children and coming generation of their heritage of a country they coild be proud of?

Less spin More honesty said...

The EU has responded to the junta leaders rather strange speech at the UN by again extending sanctions against the regime.
The EU says the latest extension follows the continued lack of progress in the implementation of key commitments that the military regime had agreed to with respect for democratic principles, rule of law, human rights and fundamental freedoms.
The sanctions mean that assistance to Fiji’s sugar sector continues to be withheld.
Fiji needs to move forward. Some honesty is needed now and the military must get back to where they belong - the barracks. Return to freedom and democracy in Fiji is needed NOW.

Miltitary man said...

@ less spin

what ??? and give up all this power and privilage...and you want us to go back to being simple soldiers....you have got to be kidding...we are really enjoying ourselves and our pay and privilages have never been better, besides none of us like the prospect of jail if we are not running the place anymore.

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