General – Evening Report

Family Dispute Resolution reaches a milestone

Selwyn Manning — Fri, 07 Aug 2015 03:55:07 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com Contributed by Amanda Carrington A Family Works Central service that helps families reach an agreement on parenting arrangements after a separation or divorce has reached its 500th referral in a year. Family Dispute Resolution (FDR) has become a proven success since it started in March 2014. The service is funded by the Ministry of Justice and 3,563 assessments were completed in the space of a year. Not everyone makes the cut. Out of those 3,563 assessments, only 1,793 were suitable for Family Dispute Resolution. Only 60 per cent of participants are eligible for government funding. The participants who are not eligible for funding can access the service for $897. The service is available across seven regions of New Zealand – Northern, East Coast, Central, Upper South Island, South Canterbury, Otago and Southland. Family Works, which offers FDR, and Enliven are part of Presbyterian Support Central. Enliven provides high quality residential and home-based services for older people and runs Huntleigh Home in Karori.

Hunteligh Home, in Karori, Wellington

Family Works Central general manager Julia Hennessy says the service is having an extremely positive impact on families and children. “Family Dispute Resolution gives parents and caregivers the chance to talk through issues surrounding the care of their children and to resolve them out of court by coming to a mutual agreement,” she says. The outcome of the service is consistently high with more than 88 per cent of participants reaching some kind of agreement. Julia says the number of people accessing the service is growing steadily and is leading to long-term positive outcomes for the children and young people involved. “Participants are telling us it’s a great service and they feel like everyone wins as a result,” Julia says. The FDR service also provides counselling and parenting programmes which were completed by 7279 participants. Completing FDR services is now compulsory for most people who want to go through the family court. “Family Dispute Resolution truly makes a difference and we encourage parents and guardians to call us for more information if they are finding it difficult to come to arrangements regarding the care of their children,” Julia says. –]]>

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori: Toitū te whenua, toitū te mana, toitū te reo!

Selwyn Manning — Mon, 03 Aug 2015 01:55:11 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com

Media coverage associated with last week’s 2015 Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori – Māori Language Week, ended on a bit of a bum note when Prime Minister John Key was called out by the Sunday Star-Times for the way he appeared to pour instant cold water on the idea of extending it to a Māori Language Month.

To be fair to the PM, he had started Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori positively at his weekly Beehive press conference on Monday 27 July by delivering a casual-as, un-noticed “Kia ora tatou” … but ended the week poorly when his answer to a 16-year-old’s idea at a school assembly at Waiuku College of extending the celebration of the language to a month, was that it would leave people “bored”.

In the one-dimensional front page item this generated, Māori Party co-leader, and by the way Māori Development Minister, Te Ururoa Flavell, retorted that “it’s boring to speak English most of the time”.

Earlier in the week – as part of the Herald’s annual splash of Te Reo Maori coverage – Mr Flavell had stated he wants a greater focus on the language all year round.

In a video clip posted on the Herald site, Mr Flavell’s inimitable downbeat manner he encouraged the week to be seen as a time to take stock.

He put the challenge thus: “Every year (Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori) comes around, (it’s a) nice to do, yeah yeah yeah… but actually nothing happens for the rest of the year”.

In RNZ coverage during the week, Maori Television board member Dr Cathy Dewes view was that a week “isn’t enough but it’s better than nothing”.

In a brief audio broadcast from Te Manu Korihi reporter, Andrew McRae, Dewes also commented on the “institutionalised arrogance” that has been a barrier to deeper acceptance of te reo.

Waikato University’s Pou Temara, Professor of Te Reo and Tikanga, adjudged that the aspiration for te reo to be spoken “everywhere, by every time, at all times” has been regurgitated so often it “has almost become rhetoric”.

It does seem that the attention given to Māori Language Week – the 40th this year, and 25 years after Māori became an official language no less – could be said to be stuck in a loop.

Reportage on te ao Māori in New Zealand retains a predictable pattern year after year, with spikes around Waitangi Day and Te Tiriti o Waitangi (also having a milestone of 175 years in 2015) and in recent times Matariki, or Māori new year, in late May – early June being a good story magnet.

Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori itself emerged from Māori Language Day – first officially held on September 14, 1971. So there is definitely no reason for it not to continue to evolve, and perhaps it would be logical if the energy around Matariki celebrations could be combined with celebrating te reo over a longer period?

In reality you would think that’s a challenge (wero) that could be picked up by the Māori Language Commission, Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori – which while facing a lot of questionmarks about its own future within wider strategies, continues in its significant role as a pivotal hub for resources when Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori rolls around each year.

This image depicts Hinurewa Poutu together with her students at Te Kura Kaupapa Maori o Mana Tamariki, walking boldly toward the camera, living testimony to the success yielded from the past 40 years and the first few steps taken by Dame Whina Cooper and her grandchild. Hinurewa is a new board commissioner at Te Taura Whiri, a scholar and accomplished young Maori leader. She balances her life with duties as a pouako, educationalist and teacher, of primary and secondary-aged students at the school that nurtured her with te reo Maori.

Tino pai NZ Herald

Meanwhile the NZ Herald’s focus on the week in 2015, kept alive through the efforts of journalists like Simon Collins and Mathew Dearnaley, and (un-named translators), was again commendable.

As well as an extensive run of vocabulary and words (kupu), to learn about and commit to memory, features of the coverage included:

A pre-week selection on 25 July of songs and music videos that took te reo Māori to the top of the pop charts as picked by NZ On Screen Content Director Irene Gardiner.
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A Herald on Sunday column by Heather du Plessis-Allan that asserted “Language builds nations… Te Reo should be compulsory in schools”, under the headline ‘Te reo – We’re not trying hard enough’. (102 comments)
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The Herald‘s leader writer(s) contributed an editorial noting the “familiar objections” to fully embedding te reo Māori in the Primary School curriculum, referring to it as a suggestion that “has been made here in Maori Language Week for several years”. Where should the onus fall? In the Herald’s opinion finding enough teachers of the language “ought to have been high on the Maori Party’s priorities as a condition of its support for the present Government (and) Maori MPs in the Labour Party ought to be pressing for a commitment from the party at the next election”. Note: The Green Party and New Zealand First have called for a select committee inquiry into Te Reo Māori in schools.
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A not unexpected “wake-up call” that te reo is in danger of dying out from Dr Timoti Karetu, who was the first Māori Language Commissioner from 1987-99. Later in the week Dr Karetu delivered an inaugural State of Te Reo Māori address at Te Papa.
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Additional op-eds from: Tuehu Harris, acting chief executive of Te Taura Whiri i te Reo Māori; Paora Maxwell, chief executive of Maori Television; Dr Paul Moon, Professor of History at Auckland University of Technology; and Dr Dean Mahuta, a senior lecturer at Te Ara Poutama, AUT’s faculty of Maori and indigenous development, and associate director of Te Ipukarea, AUT’s national Maori language institute.
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Video and story of the Lovell family’s te reo journey (video by Sam Sword)

As stated the Herald does a good job of adding stories under Te Reo Māori – as lodged on its own archive page.

For the year to date, and using just a site search for “te reo” it’s interesting to contemplate the extent of instances of coverage that come to light just attributable back to the Herald: A 21 June Herald on Sunday editorial stating “It is thanks to Maori that we realise language is a treasure”; news of Pita Sharples being made a knight companion of the NZ Order of Merit; a flurry of “cultural immersion” stories when in connection to Prince Harry and his visit in May; MOTAT winning a prize for “clever use of te reo” at the ServiceIQ 2015 New Zealand Museum Awards in Dunedin; advance news in April that William Shakespeare’s famous Globe theatre is heading to Auckland in 2016 and that a te reo rendition of A Midsummer’s Night’s Dream, written by actor and director Rachel House, will be performed; use of te reo by KIWA Digital, an Auckland-based production house for experiential digital books; the success of social enterprise, Patu Aotearoa; a call from Race Relations Commissioner Dame Susan Devoy on Race Relations Day for te reo Māori to be compulsory in schools; the reactions recorded in February to 3News weather presenter Kanoa Lloyd using te reo during her segments (with a Herald on Sunday column by Kerre McIvor on the topic attracting more abuse in amongst 145 comments); and another book angle in a January article about author Sharon Holt’s collection of Te Reo Singalong books.

It seems like a long list, but in other eyes it might also seem like slim pickings, if you were wanting to arrive at a measure of positive ‘Māori reportage’ at our defacto national newspaper.

That impression is balanced out more when the stream of news published across the wider NZME. stable is taken into account.

The wider NZME.

Heading the pack – not surprisingly – is the Rotorua Daily Press.

Its stories during Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori touched on a gym initiative led by Healthy Families Aotearoa, the launch of a te reo single by a local musician, the use of te reo prompts by Museum guides, a feature on te reo learning as a family affair and a story that began “Some Rotorua residents say it has been a life-long struggle to get people to say their names properly as calls are made for te reo Maori to be pronounced correctly”.

(We can’t mention the Rotorua Daily Post and its breadth of coverage and leave out a mention of the video posted there on 22 February of Modern Maori Quartet covering Lorde’s Royals, as originally performed on TV variety show Happy Hour, produced by Pango Aotearoa Ltd).

The Northern Advocate, Bay of Plenty Times and Hawkes Bay Today were all equally active and ran upbeat editorial columns (Hopes for spread of Māori; All signs pointing to te reo progress; Celebrate a lovely language).

Making news in Whangarei was a heavy metal band, Alien Weaponry, for putting a twist on the traditional Māori waiata with what they believe may be the first heavy metal song in te reo Māori – Ruana Te Whenua.

Times editor Rosie Dawson-Hewes wrote that she had “spent a bit of time this week thinking about Te Ao Maori (the Maori world), partly due to it being Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori and partly thanks to a brilliant talk by local Maori marriage celebrant Ellis Bryers at TEDxTauranga [about cultural identity and ‘Kiwitanga’]”.

Hawkes Bay Today reported that Eastern Institute of Technology was a showcase for the Maori language this week, with daily activities celebrating and promoting te reo.

A phrase of the week in the Wanganui Chronicle was “It’s cool to korero”, and at the Wairarapa Times-Age the story that the FreshChoice and SuperValue nationwide chain of 60 supermarkets spanning the country were promoting downloadable Māori language posters, colouring resources and matching cards made the news.

This fly-by of the ‘provincial coverage’ is a lead in to saying that the coverage of te reo Māori, and Māori achievement and cultural events generally do get reasonable play at the papers set out above – but it is hard work finding it, and a much larger topic to cover than intended for this article.

… and on a slightly bizarre note

A hat tip, too, for the Black Caps playing kitted out as “Aotearoa”, not “New Zealand” to mark the final day of Mãori Language Week. But we have to say the fact it happened in a one-day international against Zimbabwe, in Zimbabwe, was at a few levels just a bit bizarre.

In some ways you could say it was symbolic of our muddled relationship with te reo Māori… often gaining more accord offshore (think the haka) than onshore.

Now what would make this week less bizarre would be for the PM to greet the Press Gallery in te reo Māori again.

We’ll report back on that! *

–]]>

Wellington celebrates 150 years as the capital

Selwyn Manning — Fri, 31 Jul 2015 00:55:20 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com Contributed by Amanda Carrington Wellington celebrated a milestone last weekend, reaching 150 years as New Zealand’s capital. Thousands of Wellingtonians were enticed to explore the many churches, universities, museums and government buildings the city has to offer. But Wellington has not always been New Zealand’s capital. Auckland took that title for 25 years back in 1841. However, when Members of Parliament arrived in Onehunga they found the roads muddy and accommodation expensive. So the issue was raised to move the seats of government to some place near the Cook Strait. The people involved in choosing the location of the capital were three Australians. And after touring 13 Cook Strait locations, the three men chose Wellington in 1865. Still thriving as the capital today, Wellington opened its many historical buildings and famous locations to the public and I was spoilt for choice on which events to choose from. While I could have chosen to walk the corridors of Premier House, the official residence of New Zealand’s Prime Minister, I made a beeline to one of Wellington’s famous churches, Old St Paul’s.

INVITING: Old St Paul’s was built in 1866 from native timbers and is an historical building in Wellington. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

One of New Zealand’s greatest historical places, Old St Paul’s is constructed entirely of native timbers and was built in 1866. Not long after entering the strikingly beautiful church, you start to feel the connection the church has with the USA. During World War II, the US marines chose Old St Paul’s as a place of peace and worship. American and US marine flags hang from the pillars and manager of Old St Paul’s for Heritage New Zealand Silke Bieda says the flags were left there as a gift from the marines as a mark of friendship after going through the war.

FLYING PROUD: US Marine flags hang from the pillars and walls of the church. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

The event at Old St Paul’s was held in partnership with the US Embassy to commemorate the end of WWII. A mass re-enactment of the Times Square kiss, with men wearing marine hats, saw hundreds of people take part, including two US marines, Lieutenant Dan Brown and Lieutenant Christopher Patton.

V-J Day: Lieutenant Christopher Patton and wife Petra join the hundred of people who re-enacted the famous “Kiss In” photo that marked the end of World War II. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

Lt Brown has been in the military for 18 years and has only been in the country for one month. He will be here for three years working with the New Zealand Defence Force. “[They] had this great opportunity for me to come down and work with counterparts in New Zealand establishing relationships,” he says.

MAN IN UNIFORM: Lieutenant Dan Brown moved to the country a month ago to work along side his New Zealand Counterparts. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

Lt Brown took part in the Kiss In re-enactment with wife Amanda Brown. Lt Patton has been in the military for 24 years and moved to New Zealand a year ago with wife Petra. The event also gave the public an opportunity to learn some swing dancing, if you were that way inclined, and get up close with early American cars brought from Wellington’s Early American Car Club, which caught the attention of many people.

DANCE PARTY: Amy Burt and James Guidera show the public a few moves during the swing dance display. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

Cars like a 1934 Chrysler Airflow, 1936 Plymouth, 1937 Chevrolet, 1977 Pontiac, 1937 Chevrolet Sedan, 1936 Ford V8 Coup and a 1939 Buick – a real character car in WWII – were on display.

LIKE NEW: A 1977 Pontiac was one of the many cars on display at Old St Paul’s. Copyright: Olexander Barnes

Early American car club member David Mears says all the cars were original and restored and are used today. They are also hired for static displays and weddings. I’m sure I wasn’t the only one who wanted to drive home in one of those cars. –]]>

Internet Romantics at increasing risk of death penalty in Asia Pacific – Lawyers Network

Selwyn Manning — Mon, 27 Jul 2015 06:00:38 +0000

Source: Asia Pacific Lawyers Network. “Evidence is mounting of increasing numbers of internet romantics and international travellers risking their lives after being deceived, coerced and ultimately exploited by sophisticated international drug cartels,” New Zealand death penalty defence barrister, Craig Tuck said today. “The cartels willingly sacrifice, for profit, drug carriers (often referred to as ‘mules’) in countries where execution is a potential sentence for those caught transporting,” he said. “The ‘mules’ or disposable people – are essentially treated as a renewable resource in the drug supply chain, where they are quickly and easily replaced – if caught and executed as part of the so called ‘war on drugs’,” Mr Tuck said. Mr Tuck is part of MULE, a new group of lawyers, internet scam victims, cybercrime and media specialists working to track down and expose scams that are resulting in an increasing number of people facing execution in the Asia Pacific. Mr Tuck is directly involved in three death penalty cases in Indonesia and China, and advising on several others, which he says appear to be the tip of a vast and emerging iceberg, where new and frightening drug supply chain exploitation is occurring. “Drug scams can embroil all manner of deception. Often they involve a suggested rendezvous with an internet lover, but not before sourcing ‘documents’, clothing or equipment in a secondary country, enroute, for the loved one. This is when drugs are often secreted into the exploited person’s possessions,” Mr Tuck said. One of Mr Tuck’s most recent clients, New Zealander, Antony De Malmanche, recently received a 15-year prison term for trafficking 1.7kg of crystal methamphetamine into Bali. His defence team argued that he was a victim of human trafficking and provided detailed information about the drug cartel that exploited him at trial. “Mr De Malmanche, who has a mental health history, was looking for love on the internet when “Jessy Smith” began grooming him with 450 pages of online exchanges. Mr De Malmanche was then offered an expenses paid trip to meet her and detoured to Guangzhou, China, where he was asked to carry a bag for her, before flying on to Bali where the drugs were found concealed in his luggage,” Mr Tuck said. “Jessy Smith has never been caught and now appears in a number of other scams that are getting global attention,” he said. Australian jockey, Anthony Bannister, is on death row in China for possession of the drug ‘ice’ found inside his luggage. He is thought to be a victim of an elaborate scam involving documents needed to divorce a Filipino woman; he had met and married in Japan. Mr Bannister is said to suffer from a low IQ.

And Australian grandmother Maria Elvira Pinto Exposto is another suspected romance scam victim now facing execution by hanging in Malaysia after being found with 50 grams of methamphetamines in a bag she says was handed to her at Shanghai airport. Mrs Pinto Exposto said she believed the luggage contained retirement documents for her US soldier internet paramour and willingly passed the baggage through a detector despite no custom officer requesting her to do so. The United States military is warning that soldiers’ identities are increasingly being stolen as part of such online romance scams,” he said. New Zealander, Sharon Armstrong, who is now a part of MULE, was also caught by the internet romance ruse and spent two and a half years in an Argentinian prison for trafficking what she thought were legal documents needed by her internet lover, but that turned out to be 5kg of cocaine. She is now speaking about her own experience and is determined to expose the scams and scammers. Mr Tuck said these were just some of many cases showing similar hallmarks and which all pointed to a sophisticated network of drug trafficking aimed at vulnerable travellers who were able to be exploited. “Across the planet we are seeing patterns of drug cartel behaviour resulting in ‘mules’, who are essentially the bottom of the cartel food chain, being shot, hung and beheaded – then replaced by new recruits. We have found many of these drug cartels originate in Africa and are functioning largely out of Guangzhou, China, where drug precursor chemicals are readily obtainable and where international transport links make trade in drugs easier,” he said. “The most efficient way for these cartels to move drugs around is with unsuspecting human ‘mules’, who are often distracted, or blinded, by a range of needs that are identified and exploited by the cartels – including the need for love and companionship. These people are generally groomed over a long period of time, online, where access to information is readily obtainable through social media sites such as Facebook. Many say these drug mules should have known better, but few realise how easy it is to fall prey to these criminal gangs and the deft touch with which the drugs are planted – it is almost an art form when you hear how the drugs get secreted in a person’s luggage,” Mr Tuck said. “The casualties don’t end with the lives of those carrying the drugs; families are being served life sentences. They have little access to information on arrest, minimal legal or diplomatic assistance from governments; and a lifetime of pain following loss after death penalties, or harsh prison terms, are imposed,” he said. “We have formed the international organisation MULE to assist by increasing access to support and information, evidence gathering and communication, and most importantly, experienced and competent lawyers familiar with working across jurisdictions and in highly sensitive political and cultural environments,” Mr Tuck said.

For more on Sharon Armstrong’s personal story, see: https://www.tvnz.co.nz/ondemand/marae/05-07- 2015/series-2015-episode-19

To learn more about Lindsay Sandiford’s case and how you can help her, see: http://tinyurl.com/pxstemo

Those with information about similar scams, such as those described above or those requiring more information about the work of MULE, contact: Asia Pacific Lawyers Network public affairs manager, Mandy Wyer, +61 418 270 656.

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He Māramatanga Huangō: Advocacy for Asthma

Selwyn Manning — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 04:55:19 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com It may be a fact of the news cycle that Thursday night’s release of research focused on asthma health literacy for Māori children in New Zealand – He Māramatanga Huangō – wasn’t destined to make the 6pm bulletin. That’s a sad fact. Asthma is a respiratory condition that literally takes your breath away. It can and does kill. In New Zealand it’s well known as a condition that affects a large proportion of the population – with up to one in nine adults and one in seven children taking asthma medication. In terms of knowing someone with asthma, that’s a small degree of separation. It seems natural then to think of this as an area of health focus that would be being constantly prioritised, with every effort being made to provide, to use the words of Governor-General Sr Jerry Mateparae as Asthma Foundation patron: “new way(s) forward”. Large numbers of children are still being hospitalised with asthma: 3,730 in 2013. Many of them with a potentially life threatening attack. The figures for Māori and Pacific New Zealanders are undeniably adverse, with rates of hospitalisation that are estimated to be 3 to 4 times higher than European New Zealanders.

Bridget Jones and Dr Tristram Ingham

Even a brief korero with lead researcher Bernadette Jones and co-author Dr Tristram Ingham last night made it obvious that this was a highly practical project. Commissioned from the University of Otago by the Ministry of Health and Asthma Foundation it followed a very targeted and tikanga aligned methodology that is also obviously very timely. A feature of the launch event was the respect shown to the often unheard voices of the large number of people interviewed for the research, be that the online survey across 800 health professionals with a role in asthma management, or the seventeen in-depth, semi-structured interviews and three focus groups held with Māori whānau who have at least one child with asthma aged 4-18 years.

Honey Brown at the launch of He Māramatanga Huangō. Honey has experienced asthma throughout her childhood.

Māori tamariki experience a greater prevalence of severe asthma

As stated in the report the inequalities apparent in the greater prevalence of severe asthma experienced by Māori tamariki, leading to other consequences such as more days off school for asthma-related illness, are striking. Or as Mrs Jones put it: “These are statistics we don’t want to have”. Even more striking is the point made that while the prevalence of asthma has decreased for New Zealand European children over the past few decades, this reduction has not occurred for Māori. Based on the report’s unequivocal statement that addressing the burden of childhood asthma for Māori is “a critical issue warranting urgent action”, it was tragic to read that many recommendations for strategies to reduce these disparities that have been available since a 1991 ministerial review of Maori asthma, He Mate Huangō, remain unimplemented. Dr Ingham showed admirable professional restraint in speaking about a health system that has simply not been responding effectively. On the surface it certainly seems inexplicable that despite a higher prevalence of disease and severity of symptoms, Maori children are dispensed fewer preventive treatments, resulting in poorer overall asthma control.

Focussing on a new model of care

What impresses about this research is that it doesn’t indulge in finger pointing, but rather zeroes in on what a new model of care would look like and how that would work. Dr Ingham: “We realised early on in this research that context is everything. (Taking into account) what interactions late at night are like, interactions between people who may never have met before”. Aside from asthma not being located within a chronic disease management approach – as it’s framed by the World Health Organisation – or within a health literacy and cultural competency context, the current root problem can be thought of as an unfortunate series of failures to communicate, combined with a frustrating set of constraints on exchanging information – beginning with too little time and including other factors such as location and cost. On the health professionals side, this research confirmed that genuine efforts are being made to recognise the information needs of patients and to deliver understandable information. Equally from a whanau point of view significant efforts take place to try to navigate what is frequently an asthmatic rollercoaster, using as much knowledge and skills as available. What came through loud and clear at this report’s launch is that the very reactive and episodic bias of the acute care model of the health system is what, in reality, works against optimal asthma management. It’s a system built around sitting back and waiting for children to become unwell before responding to their asthma.

“This research report is a taonga”

In the opinion of Paula Searle, acting Ministry of Health Deputy Director General of Māori Health, having this systemic issue headlined elevates He Māramatanga Huangō (Understanding Asthma) to being “one of the best research reports we’ve ever funded… a real treasure, or taonga”. In her words of endorsement and support for the report, Searle highlighted not her own words but some of the numerous quotes from the perspective of those most affected by asthma as contained in He Māramatanga Huangō. “I find these very emotional, many of them make me cry … and that shouldn’t be happening,” she added. From whānau interviews it emerged that there is a widespread belief amongst Māori parents that asthma is a normal part of gowing up in their community. There was, as recorded in the report, “a normalisation or expectation that their children would be hospitalised with asthma, without realising that many of these hospitalisations could be prevented”. It was apparent from the interviews that parents and whānau wanted more knowledge about a range of aspects concerning asthma management, but they felt asthma education was largely limited to medications. Some parents and whānau reported having never been taught what causes asthma or what triggers an asthma attack. As supported by this quote:

“…we didn’t know that she was that severe, we were giving her the reliever but that wasn’t doing anything and we didn’t know, I didn’t know that there were other things we were meant to watch, we had a bad case before we got the education. We always took it seriously but we weren’t educated about what the different stages were.”

As summarised in the report, most whānau were “under-confident in their own abilities”, and expressed frustration at the lack of proactive holistic care, and failure of the health system to respond to their needs. And again, despite using a range of informal techniques to gauge understanding, many health professionals admitted they found it particularly challenging to find a way to assess whether the parent or child – their patient – had fully grasped key asthma messages. Mrs Jones: “Whānau can’t be blamed or judged, nor health professionals, for confusing and inconsistent messages. Many sufferers are never actually given the diagnosis of asthma, and who among us is actually trained in understanding, let alone communicating, anatomy or physiology?” Dr Ingham: “Could you explain all the complexities in five minutes? I doubt it… because it’s a high level order of learning (that takes time)”. As Dr Ingham says this isn’t being taken seriously enough. Surely that has to change. [This is part 1 of a series by the NewsRoom_Plus team of Stephen Olsen, Shereel Patel-Gaunavinaka and Rupeni Vatubuli] _________________________________________________

RECOMMENDATIONS

Excerpt, page 73:

In determining our recommendations we have adopted a systems approach to health literacy, to avoid the deficit notion of poor health literacy whereby it is considered the responsibility of the patient/whānau. All whānau have their own levels of knowledge, skill and internal resources to manage a chronic illness; however, it is our assertion that the health system must accommodate whānau equitably. We conclude that the predominant barriers to optimal health literacy for Māori children with asthma are structural, endemic to the acute care model of health delivery that currently predominates.

Mātauranga (Knowledge)

Delivering Understandable Best-Practice Asthma Advice for Māori Children Health System (Macro Level) The health system needs to recognise the burden of asthma facing New Zealand society, and Māori children in particular. It must take action to promote widespread public awareness of asthma, its causes, and the potential seriousness of the condition. It is vital that updated New Zealand-specific guidelines for the management of childhood asthma be developed that cater for our unique population, specific health environment and latest therapeutic options in order to ensure the provision of consistent, up-to-date, evidence-based best-practice information. Recommendations

Promote enhanced public awareness of asthma, its potential seriousness and preventive measures.
Work in partnership with the education sector to integrate fundamental asthma health knowledge into school curricula.
Update New Zealand-specific best-practice management guidelines for paediatric asthma.
Develop step-wise learning objectives and a curriculum for asthma management.
Fund research that provides evidence for effective asthma interventions that activate and empower whānau to support children with asthma.

Health Organisations (Meso Level) The maintenance of clinical skills is an on-going task. Health organisations need to assume responsibility for the maintenance of best-practice standards within their organisation and for the provision of in-service training of their staff with respect to asthma management. Asthma is a chronic disease, and asthma education is a longitudinal, step-wise process. Information systems are important to monitor asthma care, alongside the provision of asthma education, to ensure elements are not accidentally omitted and relevant items are reinforced periodically. Recommendations

Invest in regular in-service training for staff on asthma best practice. • Utilise GP patient management systems to provide longitudinal asthma education monitoring.
Develop asthma training packages for patients, whānau and communities.
Nominate a staff member to the role of ‘asthma champion’ with responsibility for leading uptake of best-practice guidelines, resource implementation and quality assurance monitoring.
Include the populations served in the design, implementation and evaluation of health information and services.

Health Professionals (Micro Level) Health professionals need to be able to provide up-to-date best-practice asthma care for Māori children which takes account of the: age of the child; level of severity or treatment step; existing knowledge; learning style; and cultural preferences of the whānau. All children with asthma should have clear, individualised, asthma management plans (developed in partnership with the whānau) and be able to effectively implement them. Asthma education needs to focus more broadly than disease-specific knowledge and medication compliance to incorporate holistic objectives, including health promotion, self-management and disease prevention. Recommendations

Maintain a high level of competency in current best practice for the management of childhood asthma.
Ensure all children have access to individualised, understandable asthma action plans.
Follow a step-wise education plan when providing asthma support to Māori patients.
Provide updated electronic access to asthma plans for whānau, community health workers and schools.
Routinely utilise specialist (medical and/or nursing) respiratory and paediatric expertise to effectively manage those whānau with complex health-care needs.

Whakaakoako (Teaching Strategies)

Using Effective Strategies to Communicate about Asthma with Māori Children Health System (Macro Level) The health system needs to recognise and promote the importance of health literacy and chronic disease management competencies for all health professionals and other health-care workers involved in asthma management. Health professional bodies and academic training institutions need to ensure adequate provision of training in these areas and provide monitoring in the attainment of these skills. The health system must also promote the integration of cultural competency, cross-cultural communication and holistic Māori models of health into all levels of the health sector to ensure the health workforce are equipped to engage in meaningful collaborative partnerships with Māori patients. Recommendations 

Influence medical, nursing and pharmacy schools and other health training programmes to teach health literacy and chronic care management to students.
Establish and monitor competencies for all health professionals in health literacy education and chronic disease management.
Set an expectation within health policies and strategies that all health services will deliver high- quality care that focuses on meeting the health needs and aspirations of Māori children with asthma.

Health Organisations (Meso Level) Health organisations need to work collaboratively with the populations they serve to identify and develop high-quality resources for children with asthma and to incorporate these into their educational strategies (particularly interactive and audio-visual resources, along with resources designed specifically to address the needs of Māori children). There is a need for education support tools for asthma to monitor the longitudinal provision of asthma care for Māori children and their whānau. Innovative, flexible and community-based asthma educational approaches need to be adopted to better meet the needs of Māori whānau. Recommendations 

Work collaboratively with children with asthma to develop high-quality asthma resources for a range of ages and levels of asthma knowledge – particularly interactive and/or audio-visual resources, and resources specifically for Māori children.
Develop longitudinal asthma education support and monitoring tools for patients/whānau. •
Develop community-based, health literacy asthma support and education sessions that are culturally appropriate for Māori children and whānau.

Health Professionals (Micro Level) Teaching strategies employed by health professionals need to engage the patient and their whānau according to the specific needs and learning preferences of the family. They need to empower and activate patients to be able to take an active role in their own health care, and provide them with the tools to do this. This involves a requirement for specific training in health literacy-based education techniques, chronic disease management education strategies and cultural responsiveness. High-quality resources utilising a range of media need to be available which can support health professional-led engagements, and reinforce key messages for all ages and levels of understanding. Recommendations 

Ensure all consultations are seen as opportunities to build health literacy, promote patient activation and support asthma self-management.
Undertake specific training in the use of health literacy-based education techniques.
Regularly incorporate a variety of learning media (e.g. interactive/tactile/audio-visual asthma resources) to support asthma education.
Continue to develop cultural competency skills for engaging with Māori children and whānau.

Whakawhanake (Workforce Development)

Building Relationships and Working Together to Support Māori Children with Asthma Health System (Macro Level) In order to meet the on-going needs of Māori children with asthma (and other chronic diseases) the health system must develop a range of health-care personnel equipped to meet the specific challenges of providing chronic disease management. This must include coordinated development of inter-professional and team-care strategies that clarify roles and expand scopes of practice to provide integrated support for chronic disease management. Such inter-professional approaches need to include recognition of the roles that asthma educators, pharmacists, non-professional health-care workers, community organisation staff and trained volunteers can have in supporting the provision of holistic integrated asthma care. Recommendations

Explore models of integrated care to promote closer working relationships between health professionals, and enhanced inter-professional learning opportunities.
Improve role delineation for health professional groups in the chronic disease management of asthma in support of a multidisciplinary support approach.
Formalise and expand scopes of practice for other health-worker roles (such as asthma educators, pharmacists and community health workers) to support the provision of holistic integrated asthma care.

Health Organisations (Meso Level) Effective asthma care requires a team approach. Health organisations need to develop and adopt policies and procedures that encourage better interdisciplinary harmonisation. This also involves a need for improved links with other providers within and beyond the health sector to address the dynamic and holistic well-being of Māori children with asthma. Health organisations must also mandate the inclusion of cultural competency across the organisation to ensure all staff understand and practise effective ways of engaging with Māori in clinical settings. Recommendations

Provide policies and procedures for cross-disciplinary harmonisation of asthma management and education.
Develop collaborations and provider networks (e.g. within and between DHBs, PHOs, Māori providers, NGOs and other community agencies) to support implementation of best practice for asthma and chronic care management approaches.
Mandate the inclusion of cultural competency across the organisation to ensure all staff understand effective ways of engaging with Māori in clinical settings.

Health Professionals (Micro Level) Effective asthma management requires the establishment of long-term trusted relationships with patients in order to build a shared understanding of values, priorities and management strategies. No individual health professional has sufficient capacity or capability to be the sole provider of asthma management support. Health professionals need to establish collaborative relationships with their professional colleagues and community partner organisations to develop a shared understanding of the responsibilities for asthma education in order to ensure the education is consistent, timely and comprehensive. Recommendations • Maintain continuous high-quality relationships to build long-term trust relationships with patients. • Routinely explore the manageability of asthma management plans and utilise relevant support services to address identified barriers. • Develop collaborative partnerships with Māori health providers, Whānau Ora providers and other community-based organisations in support of asthma care for Māori children.

Te Anga (Model of Care)

Health Care Services That Meet the Health Needs of Māori Health System (Macro Level) Critically, the health system must recognise that the current system based around reactive, episodic care is failing Māori children with asthma, and is being manifested in significant inequalities in asthma health outcomes. The health system urgently needs to implement a chronic care management model to provide proactive, longitudinal, patient/whānau-centred, culturally responsive care to Māori children with asthma within a multidisciplinary team environment. The health system must also ensure services for asthma are integrated to provide shared information across settings, providers and time – minimising fragmentation, service delivery gaps and patient frustration. Integration must also include extending policies that support patient-centred health care, prioritise health promotion, engender patient activation and encourage self- management. Recommendations

Implement a systematic chronic care management model for asthma care to provide long-term, proactive, whānau-centred multidisciplinary support.
Develop and support shared information platforms allowing integration of asthma support and monitoring between providers.
Align provider incentives so that proactive chronic disease management efforts are rewarded.
Allow flexibility within Care Plus eligibility criteria to include asthma as a single qualifying condition.
Fund a free annual asthma review in primary care.

Health Organisations (Meso Level) Health Organisations need to adopt a proactive chronic care management approach to all aspects of asthma support within organisational policies and procedures. Health literacy policies and procedures also need to be integrated into the organisational culture so that every asthma interaction aligns with effective learning outcomes. These organisations need to contribute to generating evidence that informs community initiatives that activate whānau and build asthma self-management capabilities, and incorporate mechanisms to support holistic well-being for Māori children with asthma. Recommendations

Develop and implement health literacy policies and procedures for staff.
Adopt a proactive chronic care management approach to all aspects of asthma support within organisational policies and procedures.
Incorporate a philosophy of culturally competent holistic care into organisational policies and individual consultations with Māori.
Contribute to the generation of evidence-informing initiatives to activate whānau and build asthma self-management capabilities.

Health Professionals (Micro Level) Māori children with asthma face significant barriers to effective asthma management. Although many of these barriers have their origins in inequalities of the determinants of health, it is imperative that health professionals recognise the contribution of barriers within health care that contribute to sub-optimal outcomes. Health professionals need to ensure that all their patients are receiving eligible supports or benefits, and that accessibility or affordability are not preventing optimal health outcomes. Recommendations

Routinely incorporate chronic care management approaches into asthma consultations, including using proactive strategies to provide preventive advice when patients are well.
Ensure follow-up visits are provided after acute presentations/hospitalisation.
Provide access to asthma self-management support after-hours via the internet or telephone.
Ensure all children with asthma are offered support packages when eligible (e.g. Care Plus, Disability Allowance, Whānau Ora services).

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In The News: Devon Polaschek on Recidivism

Selwyn Manning — Fri, 24 Jul 2015 03:55:07 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com – Contributed by Amanda Carrington New research from a Victoria University professor shows a longer parole period will decrease the risk of prisoners reoffending. Psychology professor Devon Polaschek’s work Surviving the first year explores how prisoners who are let out on parole are less likely to reoffend than if they served their full sentence. The study shows how intensive psychological treatment may also help to make a difference in the first year out of prison. A programme that provides treatment for serious violence offenders is the Special Treatment Unit Rehabilitation Programme (STURP). STURP is a ten-month long programme that works with prisoners to reduce reoffending by motivating them to adopt pro-social values. The programme focusses on relationship difficulties, the relationship between alcohol and drugs and how they can get involved in community meetings and volunteer groups. Offenders who completed the STURP programme were 37 per cent less likely to re-offend after their release. The STURP programme is only available to prisoners who have a 70 per cent risk of reoffending and have served more than two years of their sentence. It is offered at four prisons nationwide. New Zealand’s prison population has gone up 300 per cent since the 1980s, locking up more people than countries like Australia or Britain. This new research came to light before reports of “fight clubs” in Mt Eden prison, and reportage of prisoners being caught using contraband cellphones. –]]>

New Civil Aviation Rules for unmanned aircraft operations come into force

Selwyn Manning — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 23:58:11 +0000

New Civil Aviation Rules for unmanned aircraft coming into force next week will improve aviation safety for operators, other airspace users and people and property. Civil Aviation Rule Part 102 – Unmanned Aircraft Operator Certification will come into force on August 1. It will enable those who want to operate outside the existing rules for unmanned aircraft to do so if they have in place a plan to manage the safety risks. “This new rule part gives operators greater freedom while maintaining the highest standards of aviation safety,” says CAA GM of General Aviation, Steve Moore. Changes to the existing rules for unmanned aircraft also come into force at this time. “These changes address the safety risks that modern unmanned aircraft pose to other airspace users as well as people and property on the ground,” he says. A key update to Rule Part 101, which was designed to regulate traditional model aircraft, is the requirement for operators who want to fly over people or property to gain consent from the affected individuals or property owners before they fly. “Having a conversation with a property owner beforehand is an effective means of risk management because they are likely to have the best knowledge of the risks.” Operators who intend to fly over public spaces will also need to get permission from the land owner. For example, if an operator wants to fly over a park, they will need to get permission from the local council. “We are encouraging public land owners to be proactive. This could involve erecting signs indicating if unmanned aircraft flights are allowed or not at the park entrance.” Those who cannot get consent from a landowner or individuals can still operate if they get an operating certificate from the CAA under Rule Part 102. “These changes strike a balance between safety and enabling operations,” he says. The changes are part of the CAA’s interim approach to regulating unmanned aircraft. The CAA encourages all unmanned aircraft operators to become familiar with Civil Aviation Rules. Visit www.airshare.co.nz or https://www.caa.govt.nz/rpas/index.html

Notes for editors

· The exact number of unmanned aircraft operations in New Zealand is unknown but small compared to conventional aircraft operations.
· The Civil Aviation Authority receives up to 50 enquiries a week relating to unmanned aircraft. This compares to around 20-30 enquiries weekly at the beginning of 2014, and the CAA says this number is likely to increase with the growing popularity of unmanned aircraft operations.
· The number of aviation incidents involving unmanned aircraft has grown significantly since 2011.
· The current rules for operating unmanned aircraft can be found on the CAA web site, www.caa.govt.nz/rpas.
· Operation in breach of the Civil Aviation Rules could lead to a fine, a written warning, or prosecution by the CAA.
· The CAA has collaborated with Airways New Zealand, Callaghan Innovation and UAVNZ on www.airshare.co.nz, an online hub to help UAV operators learn how to operate safely.

Year	Total unmanned aircraft incidents
2007	2
2008	1
2010	1
2011	1
2012	3
2013	9
2014	27
2015 (to end June)	53

Unmanned Aerial Vehicles – Frequently asked questions 1. How will the new rules better manage the safety risks of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs)? The new rules mean anyone wanting to operate a higher-risk UAV will need to engage with and be certificated by the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA). The CAA will only certificate someone to operate a UAV if it is satisfied the operator is aware of associated safety risks and has a plan in place to mitigate those risks. 2. How long will it take to obtain certification for the use of UAVs? How much will certification cost? This depends on the complexity of the proposed UAV operation. For example, a farmer wanting to fly a UAV at night (on their own property in a remote area) is likely to gain certification faster (and for less cost) than a business wanting to use one in a congested urban centre. 3. Who will enforce the new rules? The Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) is primarily responsible for enforcing the rules. If members of the public have concerns about UAVs, they should contact the CAA on info@caa.govt.nz or ph (04) 560 9480. If members of the public are concerned a UAV is posing an immediate threat to people or property, they should contact the Police. 4. How do I know which rules apply to me? All UAV operations, regardless of size, weight or performance of the aircraft, are required to operate in compliance with the Civil Aviation Rules. For information on which rules will apply in particular circumstances, visit: www.caa.govt.nz/rpas. Also see www.airshare.co.nz – a portal for all things RPAS, including flight planning with Airways. Those wanting to operate within Civil Aviation Rules, Part 101 do not need to be certificated by the CAA. 5. What do I need to do to comply with Rule Part 101?

· Do not operate an aircraft that is 25 kg or heavier (or one that is 15 – 25 kg unless you’re a member of a CAA-approved organisation) and always ensure the aircraft is safe to operate.
· Take all practical steps to minimise hazards to people, property and other aircraft.
· Fly only in daylight.
· Give way to all crewed aircraft.
· You must be able to see the aircraft with you own eyes (eg, not through binoculars, a monitor, or smartphone) to ensure separation from other aircraft (or use an observer to do this in certain cases).
· Do not fly your aircraft higher than 120 metres (400 feet) above ground level, unless you have approval from air traffic control.
· Ensure you have knowledge of airspace and restrictions that apply in the area you want to operate.
· Do not fly closer than four kilometres from any aerodrome that is listed in the Aeronautical Information Publication.
· Obtain air traffic control clearance from Airways Corporation NZ before flying in controlled airspace.
· Do not fly in special use airspace without the permission of the controlling authority of the area (eg, military operating areas, low flying zones or restricted areas).
· Have consent from anyone you want to fly over.
· Have consent of the property owner or person in charge of the area you wantto fly above. Some exceptions may apply, but generally if you cannot meet any of these requirements, your operation needs to be certificated under Part 102. You can read all relevant rules on the CAA web site. 6. What are the new aspects of Civil Aviation Rules, Part 101?

· The requirement to have knowledge of airspace and restrictions.

· Shielded operations (flying within 100 metres of and below the top of a natural or man-made object such as a tree or building) are now allowed in controlled airspace.
· First Person View Systems are now allowed, but a trained and competent observer must maintain visual line of sight of the aircraft and be in direct communication with the operator.
· The requirement to gain consent from people/property an operator wishes to fly above.7. Why do I need to know the class of airspace in which I want to operate? New Zealand airspace is divided up into different classifications to help maintain appropriate levels of safety in particular areas. The different airspaces have their own risks and subsequent safety requirements, specifically airspaces near aerodromes, or used by the military. By becoming familiar with the class of airspace you want to fly in, you are more likely to be aware of hazards that could affect the safety of your operation. Find out more about airspace classifications on the CAA web site. 8. How do I find out if the airspace I want to operate in is designated special use (eg, a Military Operating Area) or has special restrictions? You can find out by referring to the Aeronautical Information Publication. Visual Navigation Charts can also help. These are maps overlaid with airspace, navigational and hazard information and can help you understand where and under what circumstances you can fly. The charts are available from Airways’ AIP shop online. 9. How can I get authorisation to operate under Civil Aviation Rules, Part 102? By making an application to the CAA. Application forms are available on the CAA’s website. You might find it useful to first discuss with CAA staff your idea or proposed operation. CAA staff can provide guidance on the best option for you. 10. Will these rules address the privacy risks associated with UAVs? The rules require UAV operators to obtain consent before flying over people or property. UAV operators are also required to comply with their obligations under the Privacy Act (and other relevant laws).

If you are concerned a drone may be operating in breach of the Privacy Act, contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner. 11. Can I fly a UAV in a public area? Yes, as long as you have the consent of the property owner and all people in the public area. For public spaces, the property owner is likely to be a local council or the Department of Conservation. UAV operators should make enquiries with their local authority or the Department of Conservation to clarify requirements for flying UAVs over public spaces. Checking the relevant web site is a good place to start. Operators should also look out for any signage in public areas related to flying of UAVs. 12. What do I need to do if I want to film a large group of people at a public event with my UAV? If you want to fly your drone over people or property, you will need consent from them to do so under Rule Part 101. Flying over a large group of people at a public event is likely to be regarded as a hazardous operation, which is outside the bounds of Rule Part 101. You can still do this sort of thing, as long as your operation is approved under Part 102, which involves getting the Civil Aviation Authority to certificate your operation. In doing this, the CAA would assess the need to get consent based on the operation and airworthiness of your aircraft and the experience of the person behind the controls. The CAA may satisfy the requirement for consent, by requiring you to erect signs at the entrance to the event to let people know. In some cases, the CAA may waive the requirement to gain consent, if it determines your operation is capable of managing the risks effectively. 13. Can I fly a UAV over private property? Yes, but you are required under Civil Aviation Rules, Part 101 to seek consent first from the property owner. This requirement reflects the operator’s obligation to take all practical steps to minimise hazards associated with operating UAVs. The property owner is best placed to advise you of potential hazards and people who may be affected by the flight. The process of obtaining consent will also enable you to discuss what is and what isn’t appropriate with the property owner.

If you cannot obtain consent, or obtaining consent is impractical, you can apply to the CAA to be certificated under Civil Aviation Rules, Part 102. This allows the Director of Civil Aviation to work though different options with an operator and/or to relax or remove one or both of the consent requirements altogether. 14. How can I get consent to fly over people or property? Either verbal or written consent is sufficient. A written record is likely to be most useful, so that you can confirm the property owner (and anyone the UAV will fly over) has given you their consent for your proposed operation should you need to after the flight. Before the new rules come into effect, the CAA will publish further guidance (in an Advisory Circular) on www.caa.govt.nz/rpas in relation to when consent is required and how to obtain it. You can subscribe to get an email notification when updates are published (use link above). 15. Can I fly my UAV out of my line of sight? Beyond visual line of sight operations are not permitted under Civil Aviation Rules, Part 101. Operators wishing to fly a drone beyond the line of sight need to be certificated to do so by the CAA. Operators need to satisfy the CAA they have a plan in place to effectively manage the safety risks of having their UAV go beyond their line of sight. 16. How do New Zealand’s rules for unmanned aircraft compare to those in other countries? New Zealand’s UAV rules are flexible and take a risk-based approach. Unlike some countries, such as the United States, our rules do not distinguish between commercial and recreational operations. In Australia and the US, commercial UAV operations are not allowed unless permission is granted from the aviation regulator. New Zealand’s rules focus on likely risks of UAV operations. Many commercial operations will be possible without an application to the CAA for certification (under Rule Part 101). However, when the risks are deemed too high, Part 102 allows operators to demonstrate to the CAA they have an effective risk management plan in place. If the CAA is satisfied an operator’s plan manages the risks effectively, the CAA will allow operations outside the bounds of the applicable rules. —

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Army Chief to take up key UN role

Selwyn Manning — Wed, 22 Jul 2015 04:55:30 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com – Source: NZ Defence Force

Chief of Army, Major General (MAJGEN) Dave Gawn has been appointed Head of Mission/ Chief of Staff to the United Nations Truce Supervision Organisation (UNTSO).

Chief of Defence Lieutenant General Tim Keating says this is a significant achievement for MAJGEN Gawn, and for NZ Defence Force.

“We are known as a force which trains and equips its personnel to succeed. Around the world, NZ Defence Force has a great reputation for its professionalism, leadership and skills.

“Major-General Gawn’s appointment to this role is testament to his strong leadership. His ability to undertake a significant role on the international stage is an achievement he can be extremely proud of.”

MAJGEN Gawn will take over from current Head of Mission/Chief of Staff, Major General Michael Finn, of Ireland.

UNTSO was the first peacekeeping operation established by the United Nations, with the first military observers arriving in the Middle East in June 1948. UNTSO’s activities are spread over five host countries – Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syrian Arab Republic.

UNTSO military observers in the Middle East monitor ceasefires, supervise armistice agreements, prevent isolated incidents from escalating and assist other peacekeeping operations in the region to fulfil their respective mandates.

Twenty-six countries contribute military personnel to the mission, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Norway, Slovenia, Switzerland and the United States.

Currently eight NZ Defence Force personnel are serving with UNTSO in the Middle East.

While appointed as Head of Mission/ Chief of Staff UNTSO, United Nations’ protocols mean MAJGEN Gawn will wear a New Zealand Uniform but will not be a member of the NZ Defence Force.

It is likely MAJGEN Gawn will take up his new role on 1 August 2015.

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One Hundred Years of Military Nursing Remembered

Selwyn Manning — Fri, 17 Jul 2015 04:55:07 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com Among the witnesses of the terrible things that happen when mankind goes to war, few will have experienced as many nightmares first-hand as those who have served in the RNZNC and its original predecessor the New Zealand Army Nursing Service (NZANS). This was a key recollection delivered by retired Air Vice-Marshal Robin Klitscher at the marking of the centenary of this little known branch of the services held at the Hall of Memories, Pukeahu National War Memorial Park in Wellington today. After the all-out coverage for this year’s ANZAC Day and commemoration of Gallipoli this was a relatively small gathering, bringing together past and present military nurses for a dignified ceremony attended by the Governor-General, His Excellency Sir Jerry Mateparae, Her Excellency Lady Janine Mateparae, and Chief of Defence Force, Lieutenant General Tim Keating. Those gathered heard that since the formation of the NZANS in 1915 more than 2,500 non-commissioned and commissioned nursing officers have seen service, and have served all over the world in every major conflict New Zealand has been involved with – including Iraq, East Timor, Bosnia and Afghanistan – as well as being part of emergency disaster relief missions and search and rescue operations. Today’s commemorative service included historical readings drawing from diaries, letters home and nurses’ memoirs. Primarily from World War 1 these spoke to the resourcefulness, courage and stamina required to care for “large patches of men”, washing and feeding them, and attending at field hospitals as operation after operation continued for as many as 36 hours on end. All with scant regard for their own comfort and well-being. The order of the service was interspersed with a hymn, laying of wreaths, prayer, the Last Post, one minute silence, benediction and dismissal. It was noted that of the 49 bells that originally made up the Wellington Carillon each of them, from private donations in memory of Great War casualties, had a name and inscription. Bell 35 is the Nurses’ Bell. The sound of its toll, preceded the reading of the names of 26 nurses killed in the First World War (14), Second World War (11) and Vietnam (1). Tragically ten nurses were on board the troop ship SS Marquette when it was torpedoed in the Aegean Sea by a German submarine on its way to Salonika on 23 October 1915. All lost their lives. Wreaths were laid by the Governor-General, Lieutenant General Tim Keating, Lieutenant Colonel Lee Turner on behalf of RNZNC, and military representatives from the United Kingdom and Australia. Major (Rtd) Sylvia Frame of the RNZNC and Royal New Zealand Returned and Services’ Association on behalf of all veterans and their families. In closing, one of the lines not included in the official programme which carried special resonance from one of the blessings today…

“May the work of your hands bring healing to all who you touch…”.

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Bryan Bruce: Taking a stand against child poverty

Selwyn Manning — Tue, 14 Jul 2015 01:55:04 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com – Contributed by Olexander Barnes It was a very cold and wet Friday night, one of those nights where you want to cancel all your plans to go out and spend your night in, hugging the heater, but despite the horrible weather Saint Andrews Church on the Terrace was packed to hear journalist and social activist Bryan Bruce speak about child poverty. The event, hosted by the Wellington Quakers, was titled “What We Know. What We Say. And What We Do”.

Bryan Bruce – Wikicommons

It started with an introduction by the Quaker organisers who discussed who the Quakers are, their early history of persecution during the English civil war and their values of equality. This was followed by a quick introduction of Bryan Bruce before he took the stand. He started his lecture talking about his parents and grandparents. Describing their lives of incredible hardship in a society that had no safety net to catch people who had fallen on hard times, which in that day and age were the poor. He told of his grandfather dying at home of cancer with only his daughter (Bryan’s mother) to care for him, and that his mother would be haunted by the screams of her father for many years after his death. Then he proceeded on to talk about his own birth in Scotland in 1948, right at the beginning of the National Health Service in the UK, a time of great change when free heath care began to transform the lives of those around him. How it meant that he was able to survive bouts of childhood disease that only a few years before would have been fatal. Though it was a period of change Bryan did stress that his early life was a still a very hard one and casually joked that when he was sent away to live with his aunt when his father migrated to New Zealand to become a baker, that if there had been an anti-smacking bill in force at that time, his aunt would be “serving 25 to life”. Then his life changed dramatically when in 1956 he and his mother boarded a ship to New Zealand to live with his father who now had stable employment. He described his early life in New Zealand as a tough one, but a fair one, one where the politicians of the day considered you to be like a neighbour and wanted to help. It was a time that a person could earn enough money from their weekly paycheck, that they could put some of it into savings and within 5 years they could have enough for a deposit on their own home, which was exactly what Bryan’s parents were able to do. The talk then moved away from personal history to the social and economic history of the past 40 years in New Zealand. Bryan focused on the transition of economic thought during the 1980’s. Keynesian economics had dominated Western economic thinking from the end of the Second World War and championed a collective society and the welfare state, but gave way to the current Neo-Liberalist economic thought which promotes individual enterprise and free-market policy.

David Lange and Rodger Douglas Credit: Evening Post/Merv Griffiths

It was during this transition of economic thought in New Zealand that was heralded by the arrival of the David Lange Labour government and Rogernomics in 1984 which Bryan Bruce believes was the start of a growing inequality within New Zealand and an increase in child poverty and the diseases that go with it. He also made the observation that this change in economic policy led to a change in social thinking, from a move collective way of thinking to a much more individualistic and ideological way of thinking. From this point the talk moved on to the current situation of child poverty in New Zealand – including reference to the many easily preventable diseases such as rheumatic fever which are making a return due to the low quality of housing for the poor, of which a disproportionate number are Maori and Pacific islanders. Brian leveled a great deal of criticism towards the current government during this point, for their lack of action and at times denial towards child poverty, something that he put down to their neo-liberal ideology preventing them from taking effective action against it. The talk ended with a brief question time where Bryan Bruce was asked about his views of the TPPA, which he considers to be a terrible agreement that will reduce New Zealand’s ability to create its own laws along with preventing cheaper versions of generic medicines from entering the market and benefiting the less well off. The other question that was asked was if it was possible to change the thinking of people who did not see child poverty as a problem, of which he confessed he did not have the answer. Though it was one of those instances of preaching to the converted, all in all the talk was very informative and it was refreshing to hear someone who was passionate on such a fundamental subject. Any public discussion is good discussion when it comes to social issues like poverty and inequality. –]]>

UC alumni Paris bound for UN climate change conference

Selwyn Manning — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 21:55:45 +0000

NewsroomPlus.com – Contributed by University of Canterbury University of Canterbury alumni Anna Sturman and Natalie Jones have been selected for the New Zealand Youth Delegation (NZYD) heading to the United Nations’ negotiations on climate change in Paris later this year.

Anna Sturman – off to Paris as an NZ Youth Delegate to the COP21 conference on climate change later this year.

Eight delegates were chosen from across New Zealand. The event, also known as the 21^st Conference of Parties (COP21), will take place from 30 November to 11 December. The COP is made up of 196 governments and is the supreme decision-making body on matters addressing human-induced climate change. It meets every year in a global session where decisions are made to meet goals for combating climate change. The New Zealand Youth delegates will each be involved in one of several teams at the conference, including the policy, co-convener, communications and actions teams. Sturman, who now works at the University of Canterbury as a Senior Policy Advisor, will be part of the policy team at the conference. “This will involve tracking the negotiations in real time, engaging with the various policy documents in circulation throughout the COP and siphoning the useful information back to the other team members for further action,” says Sturman. Jones is currently a legal intern at the Interamerican Association for Environmental Defense (AIDA) in Mexico City. She will be part of the communications team at the conference. “We will manage the digital communications via our website, mailing list, Facebook and Twitter, and ideally gain substantial media coverage. Our aim is to communicate what is happening at the COP back to New Zealand,” says Jones. Sturman and Jones both feel strongly that climate change is a phenomenon that should unite people around the globe. “Climate change is fundamentally entwined with issues of inequality, poverty and development. Those of us with privilege and the means to act need to take care of our world’s most vulnerable citizens,” says Jones. “We need to confront the very real and scary realities of what could lie ahead if we do not act together, fast. Climate change also ties into wider questions of economic systems and decisions that need to be made at the global, national and local levels about how we want the world to look in years to come. It is the challenge that will define our generation,” says Sturman. –]]>

Children in New Zealand denied the right to hear

Selwyn Manning — Mon, 06 Jul 2015 01:49:46 +0000

Source: National Foundation for the Deaf – It launched a GiveALittle page today.

[caption id="attachment_5182" align="alignleft" width="222"] Sophie’s life has dramatically changed for the better since her family realised the health system was not going to pay for the hearing aids and remote microphones she needed and they mortgaged their home to purchase them.[/caption]

Sophie’s life has dramatically changed for the better since her family realised the health system was not going to pay for the hearing aids and remote microphones she needed and they mortgaged their home to purchase them.

The National Foundation for the Deaf is launching a GiveALittle Page today to raise funds for a minimum of 50 pairs of hearing aids and remote microphones for children living with Auditory Processing Disorder.

Before her family did that, Sophie was a solitary figure observing life from the side line whereas now, she is going from strength to strength. She raises her hand to answer questions at school and doesn’t need to constantly look around to try and figure out what is happening around her. She is no longer exhausted by the stress of trying to understand the classroom environment and has become a popular girl in her class, often leading the play. Sophie is now on the path to being a successful student as she is able to hold her own educationally with her peers.

Sophie, aged 6 years is one of a number of children in New Zealand with hearing loss caused by an Auditory Processing Disorder (APD) which affects their ability to hear, learn and have a happy and carefree life that every child deserves.

Imagine if you will, the children whose families are not in the situation of being able to mortgage their homes to purchase the hearing aids and remote microphones they need? Sadly, there are hundreds of children that can’t get the support they need through the New Zealand health system. They are caught in the politics and we say enough.

The National Foundation for the Deaf is so concerned about the lack of support for these children and families that it has set up a Give A Little page. The National Foundation for the Deaf CEO Louise Carroll says “It’s a tragedy and an indictment when a national charity needs to step in to fundraise for hearing aids and remote microphones for children with any type of hearing loss.” We are fundraising to support 50 kids in New Zealand that come from families that cannot afford to buy the hearing equipment they desperately need.

Give at:

https://givealittle.co.nz/org/thenationalfoundationforthedeaf

For more information on APD – www.soundskills.co.nz

For family support information – Hear for Families: apdleoniewilsonkilby@gmail.com;

FB: Hear for Families – APD Support Group

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AA gives national transport plan ‘nine out of ten’

Selwyn Manning — Wed, 01 Jul 2015 08:51:46 +0000

Housing NZ reports: State housing being redefined across Canterbury

Selwyn Manning — Tue, 30 Jun 2015 02:54:06 +0000

New warm, dry, healthy homes are being built right across greater Christchurch.

The Canterbury earthquakes damaged more than 95% of Housing New Zealand’s 6200 properties across the region but also created a rare opportunity to repair and improve existing stock and to build hundreds of new homes. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Programme is charged with repairing up to 5000 earthquake-damaged properties by the end of 2015 but its other major activity is the construction of up to 700 new homes, also by the end of this year. To date, more than 200 new homes have been completed. Housing New Zealand has many build partners who also employ their own contractors and staff to help build these new homes. All up, an estimated 1000 people are working on Housing New Zealand homes right across the region. These new properties have all the features of a modern home – double glazing, insulation, curtains and other properties that keep them warm, dry and healthy for tenants and their families. From Riccarton to Richmond, Somerfield to St Albans, Papanui to Phillipstown, these new homes have been welcomed by tenants and their families. Here is a gallery, showcasing just some of the new properties, Canterbury tenants now call home.

– – ]]>

NZTA Report: Final pre-cast concrete segment is poured for the Waterview tunnel

Selwyn Manning — Mon, 29 Jun 2015 04:02:52 +0000

Key facts about the East Tamaki Pre-Cast Factory Components produced:

24,000 tunnel lining segments
2,406 culvert units
279 bridge beams

Materials used:

95,000 cubic metres of concrete
3,500 tonnes of conventional reinforcing
4,500 tonnes of steel fibre reinforcing

Footage of the pre-cast factory and the casting process can be found on the following YouTube video Each segment, weighing up to 10.5 tonne is one of 10 which make up 2,414 rings of concrete lining. Each ring is 2 metres wide and 14 metres in diameter. The Waterview Connection project interchange and tunnels will link the Northwestern and Southwestern Motorways to complete the Western Ring Route. It is planned to open to traffic in early 2017. The Western Ring Route will be a 47-kilometre-long motorway between Albany on the North Shore and Manukau in the south. It will deliver several benefits for Auckland and the city’s regional neighbours. It will give drivers a second motorway choice to the Southern and Northern Motorways (SH1) through central Auckland, improve access to important commercial and residential destinations, reduce traffic on local roads, and provide better links for public transport and for people who walk and cycle. The Waterview Connection is being delivered by the Well-Connected Alliance which includes the Transport Agency, Fletcher Construction, McConnell Dowell, Parsons Brinckerhoff, Beca Infrastructure, Tonkin & Taylor and Japanese construction company Obayashi Corporation. Sub-alliance partners are Auckland-based Wilson Tunnelling and Spanish tunnel controls specialists SICE. Key links:- www.facebook.com.alicetbm www.youtube.com/wcnow http://www.nzta.govt.nz/projects/waterviewconnection –]]>

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