The demand for the Youth@Work internship programme is growing rapidly, says Programme Manager Sandra Bartlett. Registration for the latest phase of the programme closed last Wednesday with 630 youths signing up to take part. “This is by far the biggest registration we have had yet, and it is a reflection of how many youth in…
Dear Editor – The website www.solomonislandsinfocus.com which I established just two months ago to support the Solomon Islands and to try to aid charitable causes has had a wide local and international following and prompted a good deal of feedback from people of all backgrounds and social status in the Solomon Islands in particular. The…
Dear Editor – The Parliamentary Entitlements Commission (PEC) would like to briefly respond and clarify some incorrect statements made by the Solomon Star regarding PEC Membership as published in its newspaper issue # 5798 of Friday 17th April, 2015. Firstly, the Chairman of PEC is NOT a politician as stated in the report. The truth…
Child labour and trafficking is a cross-cutting issue in the Pacific Islands that needs a sub-regional hub to seriously look into and find ways of addressing the issue. International Labour Organisation sub-regional director David Lamotte highlighted this at the close of an ILO sub-regional Child Labour and Trafficking in Nadi, Fiji, Friday. “We all want…
Suva-based director of the Sub-regional International Labour Organisation (ILO) David Lamotte has urged the Pacific media to be sensitive when reporting on issues concerning children. He made the reminder at an ILO workshop on children labour and trafficking that ended at Nadi, Fiji, Friday. Lamotte highlighted this following newspaper reports in Fiji on a female…
Two Solomon Islands women participated in a round-table community Radio discussion in Nadi, Fiji, last week. The discussions centred on various sustainable development goals. Stella from Voice Blo Mere and Sr. Sesilia Sala, Director of Catholic Communication, were the voice for the women of the Solomon Islands through the work they do in their respective…
A West Papua independence leader was in the country for the past week rallying support for his home country to be part of the Melanesia Spearhead Group (MSG). Octovianus Mote, an exiled West Papuan who now lives in the United States, is the general secretary of the United Liberation Movement for West Papua (ULMWP). The…
New video footage showing the bloody aftermath of the Paniai massacre in West Papua highlights the urgent need for Indonesia to hold an independent and transparent investigation into the tragedy, says Minority Rights Group International (MRG). In December 2014, four unarmed Papuan teenagers were killed and 17 more Papuans were injured when the Indonesian army…
Water woes for Kobito residents Residents of Kobito 1, 2, and 3 and Gilbert Camp on the outskirts of east Honiara have almost everything basic things they need in life. Except for one important commodity – clean piped water in their homes. This is not a new problem though. Handy Saelea, 27, a resident…
Public urged to be sincere when reporting rape cases THE public is urged to respect the work of police and stop abusing the services of the law enforcement institution. Director of Public Prosecutor Ronald Bei Talasasa issued the warning yesterday in light of the latest acquittal of a rape accused after the alleged victim decided…