REAP
appointed project coordinator
by
Tara Carr
The
Rarotonga Environmental Awareness Programme (REAP) has been
appointed as the coordinator of the Small Islands Voice project
for the Cook Islands.
REAP
spokesperson Bruce Gray recently returned from the first project
meeting in Palau.
Gray
and Maara Murare of the Mitiaro Itiki Rangers were amongst representatives
from government, non-government organisations and youth from
seven small island countries to discuss concerns on environment
and other development issues.
The
five-day Small Islands Voice Inter-Regional Workshop was initiated
by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization
(UNESCO) to help small islands discuss specific concerns and
how they can address them.
Gray
said the Cook Islands first became involved with the Small Islands
Voice project in late August of this year.
He
said a survey was conducted on Rarotonga and Aitutaki as the
two main tourist destinations in the country.
Mitiaro
and Mauke represented the Southern group while Manihiki and
Pukapuka represented the Northern group.
The
survey asked what people thought were good and bad about tourism,
the current situation and the changes that have occurred to
their islands over the past five to 10 years.
Murare
said the results were presented to Karen Malone of the Monash
University in Australia.
Malone
was present in Palau and will collate the information gathered
from the survey.
Murare
said the compiled information will be contributed to the review
of the Programme of Action for Small Island Developing States
(2004), and will be channelled back to the local level for specific
action on the ground.
At
the workshop Murare presented the Itiki Rangers 'maire' project
as well as describing life on Mitiaro.
Gray
said the Ranger initiative is to be adopted among the countries
involved taking the concept and changing it to suit their own
countries' needs with the focus on community empowerment.
Murare
said the experience of being in Palau was fantastic, especially
seeing their culture and way of living.
Gray
said Murare did exceptionally well during her presentation and
other delegates looked up to her because of her realistic approach
to certain issues.
He
said the first publication of the Small Islands Voice newsletter
in the Cook Islands has been distributed to schools in the outer
islands.
The
other countries that are part of the project have also received
copies of the newsletter.
The
representatives of the Pacific for the Small Islands Voice project
are Palau and the Cook Islands; for the Indian Ocean the Seychelles;
and the Caribbean St. Kitts & Nevis, Bequia and San Andres.
Gray
said that part of the project includes the Youth Internet Forum
of which Nukutere College is the Cook Islands participant.
The
forum is for exchanging ideas and views on the environment and
development through the internet with students from schools
spread across the three regions involved.
Gray
said the programme will be expanding to include more schools
especially in the outer islands in the new school term in a
variety of environmental and communication projects.
Cook
Islands News, 6th December 2002
