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Dec 2022 - Vol 1, Issue 4
Projects underway for quality education in Solomon Islands
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ustralian High Commission, Solomon Islands and Australian Catholic University (ACU) together are supporting NGO projects which are underway to improve access to quality education for children across Solomon Islands.
One of the many projects was the ACU ‘IumiTugedaHelpem Solomon AelansDefComiuniti’ project’s completion of phase 1. During this phase, ACU has employed deaf graduates at San Isidro Care Centre and School for the Deaf to teach hearing participants how to teach
sign language in their home provinces. ACU is implementing this project with the Catholic Education Office of the Catholic Archdiocese of Honiara, who operates San Isidro Care Centre and School for the Deaf in West Guadalcanal. IumiTugedaHelpem
Solomon AelansDefComiuniti project aims to increase the number of sign language trainers and provide deaf language training courses for communities across several provinces. The recent tokstori is a continuation of a series of six-monthly learning events for Education
Sector Support Program (ESSP) The NGO grantees, aiming to promote and facilitate learning about innovative approaches that can contribute to sustainable change in the education sector for NGOs, Ministry of Education and Human Resources continued on pg. 5
Iran to disband morality police amid ongoing protests Dr Nalishebo Meebelo wins ECU’s yet to be confirmed by other the Iranian parliament the law International Alumni Award 2021 agencies, were made at an event that requires women to wear
London, Dec 4 (IANS) Iran’s morality police, which is tasked with enforcing the country’s Islamic dress code, is being disbanded, the country’s attorney general said, according to a media report. Attorney general Mohammad Jafar Montazeri’s comments,
on Sunday, BBC reported. Iran has seen months of protests over the death of a young woman in custody, the report said. Mahsa Amini had been detained by the morality police for allegedly breaking strict rules on head coverings. Montazeri was at a religious conference when he was asked if the morality police was being disbanded. “The morality police had nothing to do with the judiciary and have been shut down from where they were set up,” he said. Control of the force lies with the interior ministry and not with the judiciary. On Saturday, Montazeri also told
hijabs would be looked at, BBC reported. Even if the morality police is shut down this does not mean the decades-old law will be changed. Women-led protests, labelled “riots” by the authorities, have swept Iran since 22-year-old Amini died in custody on September 16, three days after her arrest by the morality police in Tehran. Her death was the catalyst for the unrest but it also follows discontent over poverty, unemployment, inequality, injustice and corruption, BBC reported. If confirmed, the scrapping of the morality police would be a concession but there are no continued on pg. 5
Research on for sustainable fishery business models for PNG
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dith Cowan University (ECU)recognised and announced the 2021-2022 Alumni’s making a mark in local communities, and on the world stage and one of the winners of the International Alumni Award 2021 isDrNalisheboMeebelo of Zambia. DrNalisheboattained three degrees at ECUbetween 2001 and 2009. Upon completion, she was hired to work at the African Union Commission in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia as a CAADP Facilitator.In that role, she facilitated the first ever Conference of African Ministers of Agriculture and Land (CAMA) in 2009. With a passion for international
Dr Nalishebo Meebelo
development, she has worked to support African governments in developing holistic national and regional agricultural sector strategies, promoting
continued on pg. 5
Australia’s initiative to provide renewable electricity in PNG
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ustralia through Australian Centre for International Agricultural Research has been undertaking a small research activity, focused on women, about how to develop sustainable small scale fishery business models, to improve the livelihoods of communities living along the Fly River in Papua New Guinea.The Fly River in Western Province ofPapua
New Guinea is home to the most diverse freshwater fish fauna in Australasia. Communities along the Fly River, especially women, depend on the river’s resources for subsistence. But the size of Western Province presents barriers for development. From the mouth of the Fly River, it takes nearly 74 hours by dinghy to reach the town Kiunga. Communities along the Fly River,
especially women, depend on mud crabs and processing tilapia and other fisheries products for subsistence, and if they are lucky exchange them for cash or much needed goods. Previous and existing business models have not been successful but efforts are now underway to investigate how their situation can be improved.
ccess to solar power is integral to development, creating income generation opportunities for women and their families. Meet Martha Aire, a single mother to three children from Pirive village in Northern Province of Papua New Guinea who was one of 420 recipients of a home solar light system under the PawarimKomuniti, Light for Learning project. Through reliable access to light, Martha has established a small market to generate income, has more time to prepare meals in the evening, and keep her family safe and comfortable. PawarimKomuniti is just one
example of Australia’s ongoing commitment to providing national access to clean, renewable electricity under the Papua New Guinea Electrification Partnership - PEP.
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