sovereignty

Letters

Hawaiian

Madam , I read your November 1992 cover stories “Hawaii’s Quest for Sovereignty” with interest and humility.

The scheming on that fatal 17th day of January that signalled the downfall of the Hawaiian monarchy and the demise of the Hawaiians as a people is mind boggling.

Commendations are due to the organ isers of the Hawaiian Sovereignty Move ment.

Those of us, fellow Pacific islanders who take our own sovereignty for granted, must not only lend them our sympathetic ears but also extend the movement our support.

During the “1989 Conference on US Pacific Insular Areas” held in Honolulu, [ was humbled by the attention US federal agencies paid the small island states of Palau, Federated States of Micronesia, the Marshall Islands; and :he US territories of American Samoa, Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands , and Guam.

By contrast, spokesperson for native Eskimos and indigenous Hawaiians were lot provided seats and had to remain itanding while giving their 10-minute

iresentation as “petitioners”.

My advice to the Palau delegation to mdorse the Eskimo and Hawaiian state nents went unheeded.

My heart goes out to you all: Dennis ‘Bumpy” Kanahele, Mililani Trask, Dr Cekuni Blaisdell, Hayden Burgess, and mur other fellow activists.

Please send us your campaign ma erials so that we too can take up the :ause of your inalienable sovereignty icld for the time being in abeyance.

Vic Uherbelau Director, Foreign Affairs

Png

lolitics

l Aadam, I refer to the article “Resource devel •pment the dividing line in PNG >olitics” by Frank Kolma, in PIM July, 992.

With the exceptions of the bits on the lumber of parties and on the secret >allot, when I read the article, it almost eemed like reading about politics in the JSA (or many other countries).

Robert Silberstorf Antioquia Colombia

n H women dim

violence

, , , Madam We appreciate the coverage you gave to the first Pacific Regional Workshop on Violence Against Women, recently coordinated by us in Fiji. However, it is important to put the event into its development context and to clarify the detail of some of the issues discussed.

The workshop was an integral part of what is a major four-year development project which strengthens and utilises the services of the Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre to train women from the Pacific in crisis counselling and the establishment and management of services for women victims.

Pacific women plan to integrate these services m many of their ongoing development programmes. Community education on violence against women will begin with events during the forthcoming International 16 days of Activism, culminating on Human Rights Day, December 10.

This AIDAB funded programme is enabling women to develop a broader understanding of the complex issue of violence, plus a framework of strategies, and sources of financial, moral and political support to do ameliorative and preventive work.

The issues highlighted in your October PIM formed part of background discussions. Participants examined the social economic and political aspects of gender violence and the role of the state, the judiciary, military and police.

The vulnerability of women in conflict zones and states of emergencies were discussed. But we would like to clarify that references to Bougainville was bal anced and impartial. Ms. Cox has in fact been seriously misquoted.

Our position and concerns are well reflected in our 26 resolutions and will be apparent in the publication of hand books, co-ordination of community edu cation, and establishment of crisis ser vices throughout the Pacific over the next few years.

Shamima AH Fiji Women’s Crisis Centre

Home

finance

Madam, I refer to the comment in your article entitled “The Political Connection” in the September issue of PIM.

For the record I would be grateful if you would publish that the PNG Home Finance Co Ltd, a company which, as you correctly state, was set up to give low and middle income level earners easier access to housing finance was in fact established by the Commomwealth De velopment Corporation of the UK. It is however licensed by the Government of

Png.

Its success, which you believe will not be evident for another few years, is in fact already being seen by a number of home ownership schemes which are being established by private companies and government departments to take advan tage of this initiative.

Brian Glassock Commonwealth Development Corporation