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KOMBUVATU RESTORATIVE
JUSTICE TRAINING
Kombuvatu Women’s Group newly established towards the end of last year
made it possible for the residents of the Hosuing Estate participate in a
Restorative Justice Training from the 30th November to 2nd December 2004.
It was a first of its kind since the establishment of the estate. The
group with the help of a resident, Jennifer Wate (SIDT staff),
made it possible for the training to be carried out.
The Kombuvatu Women’s group saw the importance for such
training to be held in their
community to bring the residents who come
from almost every province in Solomon Islands. Most Kombuvatu women members are
housewives and they felt the need for Restorative Justice Training.
President of the Women’s Group, Maeri Kotomae, in
her opening remarks thanked SIDT for facilitating the workshop and also
said it is first of a kind to
be held at Kombivatu.At the height of the social unrest period just above the hill top of
the Estate, was a MEF Camp known as the Tiger Camp.
The residents have been living in fear and stress ever since. Speaking to one of the (women) participant during the closing ceremony she
said that the training is an eye opener for her and that she has come to
realise that she hasn’t learnt anything new but the course reinforced skills
within herself and how she can apply them within her own community.
The three- days training
was the first to be held in
one of the many settlements on the outskirts of Honiara. Speaking
at the closing ceremony Dr. John Roughan thanked and praised the Kombuvatu
women’s group for the initiative that they had taken to ensure the training
took place despite a heavy rain which
fell the tent initially built to
be the classroom. “ You have proved yourself to be winners in life that
despite this you found other possible solutions by using one of the houses to
be the training room, if you were losers you
could have blamed it on the rain, said Dr. Roughan.
Moreover, after the training reports have it that the
residents have applied what they
learnt in during the Christmas festive session.
News in brief
December
2004
Even though the organization closed for the
Christmas holidays there Peter Hockings came to the office and discussed with
Dr Roughan on a report he wrote on youth Employment.
Jeffrey Buchanan who works for the FSPI as a consultant did a review of
SIDT’s Village Outreach especially looking at the BLESS and GOAL project
Michael Jace a Butterfly Enthusiast Collector
came to the office and shared the ideas that he is collecting rare species of
butterflies as a hobby and also as part of his academic research.
UP
Solomon Islands has a population of 450,000
people .Out of this population it is estimated 75% below the age of 25
leaving 25% as what we might class as OLOs and possibly not in paid
employment or getting close to retiring from it wrote Peter Hocking who
is the Managing Director of Hocking Construction and Joinery Limited,
Honiara.
In his report Peter stated that with such a
young population getting unusual opportunities to ever higher levels of
education, what in reality are their
chances of using that education which has
cost the nation and their parents or guardians so much?
We have shown and taught our people what
possibilities the world outside the village has for them but once shown,
we slam the door in their face. We say you can’t have it. What a cruel
scenario and with what ramifications stated Hocking’s report.
The report stated that current efforts to
improve work opportunities in the rural sector aimed at keeping as many
people to stay in that sector and create
for themselves a good standard of living. However, we have not been
giving equal thought how to create employment opportunities for all
those school leaver who will, because of opportunities their newly
gained education will afford them.
In summarising the report Mr. Hocking
stated that a genuine Tripartate Task Force between the Government,
Donors and Employers is absolutely and urgently require to consider all
aspects of job creation within Solomon Islands and realistic
possibilities of attracting overseas investment both immediately and in
the future.
Making sure the villagers voice is heard
SIDT
had their stakeholders meeting in November 2004. During the meeting the
SIDT Staff have agreered on Cost Cutting measures for 2005.
In doing so the Technical Advisor and the
Print Media Department will share the same office space with the
Director and Operations Manger. The other departments ( Radio/ Theatre
and Butterfly) Ranching will share office space with the Training
department upstairs.
The vacant rooms will be left vacant for
rentals to any interested tenants.
Also the SIDT Telephone lines have been
disconnected and now we have contact telephone lines and they are
23409 and the public phone number 26823. Any queries concerning the
Ecoforestry Department their contact number is 22289. Our Fax number
still remains the same as 21131.
The organization went for their annual
Christmas holidays and has resumed operations on the 11th January 2005.
Welcome
to everyone and all the best for 2005.
UP
Department
updates
ECOFORESTRY:
The department exported 40 cubic meter of
sawn timber to New Zealand. The 40 cube contained Kwila species.
This is the department’s first timber
export for 2005 and it is from the Marovo Lobi Ecoforestry Project.
The Department’s Administration Officer
said that they are still awaiting their next tranche from Oxfam
Australia for the next three months.
As soon as the funds arrive the department
staff will meet to work on a work plan for the next three months.
Welcome to all the Ecoforestry Staff and
all the best for 2005.
RADIO/THEATRE:
The HOD is working on thework plan for the
Department and the Disaster Project. The Disaster project is working
towards a proposed initial workshop on Disaster Preparedness for the
month of February.
TRAINING:
The Training Officer despite being on
Christmas holidays did community work with the Bonala Community, Savo
Islands.
She helped revive the Bonala Women’s Group.
They elected their committee members and then identified needs and
prioritise them. Also they identified different skills that the women
have on Home Management.
She also helped Kusini Village trying to
address Water and Sanitation problem. They will first address the water
problem. From their existing well they agreed to have a Sol-ar Mark hand
pump which will supply water to ten households.
The CIP Environmental Health Division (EHD)
has agreed that they will fund the project and make it a model for Savo
residents to see.
The project will complete by the end of
this year 2005.
PRINT MEDIA:
In our November 2004 issue we highlighted
some tips on how you use the media to disseminate information about your
work or issue of interest.
This edition again emphasis why it is
important we NGOs need to work with the media. To increase their
organization’s profile and publicize their advocacy.
Increasing your profile can also result in
increased support for funding.
· By
attracting public attention to their organization and its issues media
exposure can also raise public awareness around the issue itself.
· It
is an effective way for NGOs to disseminate message to a large number of
people.
· It
can raise awareness and educate people inside our next edition.
LINK will give you information on who to contact in the local
media.
Meanwhile, the Print Media Department thank
AUSaid for making it possible through Australia Foundation for Asia
Pacific (AFAP) funds to publish this newsletter.
GRASSROOT
OPPORTUNITY FOR ACTION LEADERSHIP (GOAL) PROJECT:
Five communities in Makira Province have
not have their PLA training last year (2004) because of the 4th Quarter
funding not available on time. Funds arrived towards the end of November
2004, when the
SIDT
staff were due to go on their vacation. Makira Province PLA workshop has
been rescheduled for the first/second week of February.
The Project Manager is working on the
project’s work plan for 2005.
BUILDING LIVELIHOOD, EMPOWERMENT AND
STRATEGIC SUSTAINABILITY (BLESS) PROJECT:
A happy New Year from the Building
Livelihood and Strategic Sustainability (BLESS) staff to all SIDT and
affiliates. The BLESS project Community Development Workers (CDWs)
continued with their village mobilizing activities even during the
holiday break.
Edna Ramoau conducted a village workshop in
December fro communities in the Central Kwara’ae while Pio Baeanisia
conducted similar training in the Aoke Langalanga this month January
2005. Other CDWs did similar monitoring activities.
The post
for BLESS Project Manager was advertised application closes on 15th
February. Preparation are underway for Strategic Planning and Advocacy
workshop which will be taking place in Honiara in February .
A
Service Message will be sent over the radio.
CLEAN
ELECTION campaign TOUR TO NORTH MALAITA.
The Winds of Change Election team toured
the North Malaita region from the 18th –30 November 2004.
The team visited 21 communities from
Matakwalao to Roso. The 12 member team consists of 10 boys and 2 girls.
Speaking to
LINK
Benjamin Tambe said that the
theme of the campaign was
“GOOD
GOVERNMENT, GOOD LEADERS”.
Activities during the tour included talks and drama focusing on a clean
election.
When emphasizing on the theme, Benjamin
said that people were made aware that to have good leaders, we must be
good voters. To be good voters we must not accept bribes. Villagers were
told to look back on the lessons learnt and work towards to new change.
The team received a lot of questions but
the most obvious questions asked was:
HOW CAN WE IDENTIFY A GOOD LEADER?
The experience was that an Educated,
Village Leaders voted is regarded as someone who could help but the
practise was that when in power the good ones are operating in the
opposite manner.
People expressed that they are receiving
money from intending candidates for the 1st December 2004 Bye– Election
for North Malaita Constituency.
The
communities thanked the team that the program is an eye opener for them
to make good decisions when choosing their new leader.
UP
KNOW
MORE ABOUT THE SOLOMON ISLANDS DEVELOPMENT TRUST
WHAT IS SIDT’S DEVELOPMENT WORK?
SIDT’s
development goal is to strengthen the quality of village living.
WHY DOES SIDT WORK THIS WAY?
SIDT
understands that the heart of the nation lies in the village life. That
is why SIDT’s four area of concern: better nutrition, sanitation,
improved health and securing modest amounts of money are some ways of
strengthening the quality of village living.
HOW DOES SIDT DO THIS WORK?
To strengthen the quality of village living
SIDT focuses on five works which village people can do, require small
amounts of money and which immediately raise the quality of village
living. For instance, the SIDT approach to better nutrition is to have
families establish their own sup sup garden, sanitation is accomplished
by having a family toilet, better health comes when family members
sleep under treated mosquito nets and cook and serve food from upgraded
kitchen, and finally gain a bit of money by working on small income
generating projects.
Election
and MEDIA update corner with
JENNIFER WATE
The National Election is just 12 months
away and the campaign game is silently heating up. Beware who you vote
this coming election.
LINK
in its upcoming monthly issues will educate you about election issues
starting with information on CANDIDATES and NOMINATIONS
Who can contest?
To contest for election to the Solomon
islands Parliament you must Be a citizen of the Solomon Islands. Be 21
years or older. Be nominated by 3 electors who ordinarily reside in the
constituency for which you wish to contest
Who cannot contest?
You cannot contest for election to the
Solomon Islands Parliament if:
You are under allegiance, obedience or
adherence to a foreign power or state;
Hold or act in any public office; Are an
un-discharged bankrupt; Are certified insane or otherwise judged to be
of unsound mind; Are under sentence of death or under sentence of
imprisonment for a term of 6 months or more; You have been disqualified
from membership of Parliament, or from registration as an elector or
from voting at elections due to an electoral offence; or You hold any
office which involves any responsibility for, or in connection with the
conduct of elections or the compilation or revision of the electoral
register.
NOTE:
you cannot contest for more than one constituency at any time.
Further information can be provided at the
Solomon Islands Electoral Commission office, Vavaya Ridge, Honiara.
UP
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