TECHNOLOGY PACIFICA STYLEZ!

During this year's National Council meeting in Dunedin, Saturday 31 October 2009, Tiare Ahuriri and Tangiia Nui Branch Presidents Caren Rangi and Taime Pareanga Samuel made PACIFICA history by being the first (as far as we know!) members to "Skype" into a Council meeting.

For those not familiar with Skype, it is computer software that allows people to communicate face-to-face using webcameras. Though both Caren and Taime were unable to travel to Dunedin for the meeting, they were able to "join" the meeting from Caren's dining room, and contribute to discussions around two items of interest to them (PACIFICA's screening activity and economic development). While there are still some equipment issues to be sorted out (i.e getting better microphones) Caren and Taime were also able to hear some of the discussion that took place, as well as see the beautiful faces of those attending the meeting in person.!

We would like to encourage other branches to utilise the technological wizardry that is available, and that can help us keep up communications and flow of information.

2009 - where has it gone?

As I was getting our Branch Report ready for the National Council meeting in Dunedin Oct 30 - 31st, I realised how fast this year has passed by, and how many activities branch members have been involved in, within our Pacific communities and the wider Hawkes Bay community. So this is a bit of a catch up on our 2009 activities that we haven't yet had a chance to include in our blog:

Branch Xmas Brunch 13 Dec 08 - We had a very nice brunch at The Thirsty Whale and it was a nice relaxed chance to reflect on 2008 and to look forward to events of 2009. The biggest newsflash was Evangelene announcing her engagement to Deon and pending nuptials Easter 2009!

Prime Minister's Job Summit 27 February 2009 - Caren attended the Job Summit as a Pacific community representative along with fellow PACIFICA member Mele Wendt and 5 other Pacific people. Caren and the PACIFICA National Executive worked quickly during the week of the summit to put out a press release emphasising the importance of Pacific women being at the table when discussions of national significance were occurring. Caren produced a report following on from the Summit which was submitted to the National Executive, and reiterated the importance of our PACIFICA members being involved in the subsequent regional job summits around the country.

HB Regional Job Summit 6 March 2009 - The Hawkes Bay Regional Job Summit was the first regional summit following on from the national summit, and Pacific women were ably represented by Diane. While there was not much opportunity for interactive discussion between participants, this at least provided a chance for us again to flag that we need to part of the conversations around responding to the recession.

Fundraising Batons Up 1 October 2009 - We joined with the Tangiia Nui branch to run a Batons Up to raise funds for our contribution to the scholarship as well as our branch expenses for travel. We raised $425 for each branch which was very pleasing. We are now investigating further ways of getting funds.

Contribution to National Conversation about Work 14 October 2009 - We hosted Dr Judy McGregor, EEO Commissioner and Sue O'Shea, Princial Advisor EEO from the Human Rights Commission, who are currently getting around the country having a national conversation about work with employers, employees and industries to find out people's views on what makes good employment conditions. They came to see us to get some views of Pacific women in Hawkes Bay. Our branch members were able to share their thoughts and perspectives on the factors that support and hinder good working conditions. We will be encouraging our other branches around the country to add their views as Judy and Sue get to their regions, and will be raising this at the National Council meeting.

Attendance at local community events - members of our branch attended the following Pacific community and wider community events during the year:

• Opening of Te Apii Kuki Airani Early Childhood Centre 16 May
• Spacifically Pacific Hawkes Bay "Take It ON" Hip Hop competition and Cultural Explosion July and August
• Samoa Tsunami Memorial Service 12 October - this was an opportunity to reflect on the devastation caused by the tsunami in Samoa and Tonga, and share our thoughts, hopes and prayers for our Samoan and Tongan sisters in PACIFICA and in our communities.

And on a personal note....

• Branch members joined Evangelene and her new husband Deon at their beachside wedding at Clifton at Easter 2009.It was a great day and night, made all the more special by the fact that the wedding ceremony was conducted by Vange's Dad the Reverend Nio Daniela.
• Maryanne and Diane have been working on various pieces of research work about aspects of our Pacific communities, including a Pasifika student mentoring programme at EIT and a project on chronic illness in Pacific people.
• Berry has been continuing her work encouraging more of our Pacific women to undertake breast and cervical screening. Caren has joined her in the work around breastscreening, having taken up a 0.5FTE position with BreastScreen Coast to Coast to coordinate services and health promotion work, particularly for Maori and Pacific women.
• Other members are keeping very busy with study, work, family and community!

Looking to the future....

Our branch focus for the rest of 2009 and early 2010 is to continue to lift the profile of Pacific women in Napier, as well as continue our encouragement of Pacific women to be screened. Other planned activities are:

• making a submission to Napier City Council supporting the move to reduce the number of gambling outlets in Napier
• hosting a breakfast event for Pacific women in Hawkes Bay to encourage women to think about standing for local and central government positions - our local MP Chris Tremain has agreed to come and be guest speaker for this event which we will hold late 2009/early 2010.

Overall, we wish to continue to uphold the important role of Pacific women in the Napier, HB and NZ community, by supporting each other and our Pacific families and communities to be successful, healthy and happy. Roll on 2010!

Thanks Maryanne!

Tiare Ahuriri helds it AGM on 28 April 2009, where Branch President Maryanne Marsters relinquished her post, having taken on the Assistant Secretary role on the National Executive Committee. The branch is extremely grateful to Maryanne for everything she has done as the inaugural Branch President to get our branch up and running (including setting up our blog) and for being a wonderful representative of PACIFICA and Tiare Ahuriri. We have undertaken to provide her with whatever support we can in her Assistant Secretary role. Maryanne passed on the President's baton to Caren Rangi, who in turn passed on her Secretary/Treasurer role to Saane Unga.

Tiare Ahuriri challenges other branches to get members screened!

Having a Breast and Cervical Screening Health Promoter as one of our members means that we are constantly reminded of the importance of regular screening for both cancers. We have made this a focus area for our branch, starting with ensuring that all our members have the necessary information, and are enrolled/registered with the programmes where they are of the eligible age (20 – 69years for cervical screening, 45 – 69years for breast screening).

We are mindful that PACIFICA plays a role in advising the National Screening Unit on the views and ideas of Pacific women on screening. With this in mind, Tiare Ahuriri would like to issue a challenge to all branches to ensure that all your members are fully informed about the importance screening, and encouraged (gently but firmly!) to be screened if they are not currently participating in screening. As a national organisation, we would be in a much better position to advocate to the National Screening Unit if we were confident that our members were participating in screening.

And maybe once all our members are participating, then we could each identify 2 women who are not being screened and encourage them to participate – (and they could tell two friends, who could tell two friends, and so on and so on and so on.........!)

CONFERENCE 2009 - END OF AN ERA, NEW BEGINNINGS

Our National Conference 2009 was held in Auckland 20 - 22 February and was attended by 4.5 Tiare Ahuriri members (Maryanne, Berry, Diane, Caren and Caren's baby Kaiata - a junior PACIFICA member!) - and we were accompanied by Tangiia Nui President Aunty Taime Pareanga Samuels.

The Conference marked the end of Diane's term as National President, but also heralded the beginning of our Branch President's rise in the ranks - congratulations Maryanne on being appointed to the National Executive as Assistant Secretary. The Conference was a great opportunity to meet and network with our PACIFICA sisters from all around the country, be addressed by our new Minister of Pacific Island Affairs Georgina te Heu Heu, discuss important issues such as support to our communities during the recession and celebrate in true PACIFICA style the many things we have to be thankful for; these include Diane's contribution to PACIFICA during her term, the talents of our women in the PACIFICA fashion show, not to mention the cultural items ! Thanks to the Northern Region for organising a fantastic weekend for us all. Lastly we are pleased and excited to welcome and congratulate our new National President Sally Dalhousie and her talented National Executive Team - Josephine, Peggy, Debs, Metua, Ngatokoa, Ta'i, and Maryanne - and we wish you all the best!