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

Monday 31 August 2009

What's New? Imode and Pacific Scoop


Readers may be interested in two new on-line publications on the Pacific. Both have sections on Fiji.

Imode (Island Mode ) is an incredibly sophisticated "glossy" with a wide range of topics on the arts, culture, fashion, jewellery and modern lifestyles of Island people in Australia and the Islands written and edited by an Australian-based team including Fijians. It also has news and opinion sections. Its coverage of environmental decisions made at the Cairns Forum meeting is worth reading. Its Fiji political coverage less so -- the Sydney pro-democracy march, and Jone Baledrokadroka ... again! The Pacific needs a glossy to challenge Westerners' Island stereotypes, but if there's to be Fiji political coverage, it needs to do more than echo what can be read in the mainstream media. If it doesn't, it will merely be confirming another type of stereotype.

The other publication is Pacific Scoop (AUT's Pacific Media Centre's page on the NZ independent on-line paper Scoop) that has tabs to items on all Pacific islands. Today's Fiji post is an item on Samoan PM Tuilaepa's (photo) invitation to Bainimarama to visit Samoa for dialogue, when less than two months ago he had only insulting things to say about him. But read on, you'll see Tuilaepa's attitudes are unchanged, and somewhat condescendingly, he seems to believe Fiji has something to learn from Samoan-style democacy (and Samoa nothing to learn about Fiji's problems with "democracy") . But then he also believes the matai system was in place 3,000 years ago. Malie toa!

P.S. David Robie writes about Pacific Scoop.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

Obesity is what he should be concerned about