[PDFlist] [Opd-officemanagers] Pasifika Weekly E – News - 12 September 2025

[Blind Association]

thank you so much solo for providing these weekly update
this is well received with many thanks
all best
kindest regard:
Beia Temango
office manager
KABVI OPD

On Fri, Sep 12, 2025 at 7:11 PM Soloveni Vitoso <
Soloveni.Vitoso at pacificdisability.org> wrote:

> *Pasifika Weekly E – News*
> * 12 September 2025*
>
> * 1.*       *‘Youth – Leaders of Tomorrow’ – 2025 Fiji Youth Parliament
> Opens*
> ‘You—the youth—are our leaders of tomorrow; and you are in the periphery
> of that role, today.  You carry with you not just energy and enthusiasm,
> but a sense of purpose, a commitment to service, and a bold vision for the
> future.’
> These were the sentiments highlighted by the Speaker of Parliament the
> Hon. Filimone Jitoko whilst opening the 2025 Fiji Youth Parliament at
> Holiday Inn last night. Read More
> <https://www.parliament.gov.fj/youth-leaders-of-tomorrow-2025-fiji-youth-parliament-opens/>
> *2.*       *WASLI Oceania Conference 2025*
> The Pacific Disability Forum was honoured to attend and support the WASLI
> Oceania Conference 2025, held under the theme “One Ocean, Many Cultures.”
> This important gathering brought together sign language interpreters, Deaf
> leaders, and partners from across the Pacific, Australia, and New Zealand,
> and the United Kingdom to strengthen regional interpreter capacity and
> highlight the vital role of sign language in ensuring accessibility and
> inclusion.
> The conference reinforced that sign language interpreters are a bridge to
> equality — opening access to education, healthcare, justice, and community
> life for Deaf persons in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of
> Persons with Disabilities.
> We celebrate this milestone for the Pacific and commend WASLI Oceania for
> leading efforts to build stronger networks, professional training
> opportunities, and a future where Deaf persons are fully included across
> our region
> *3.*       *Conducting access audits of churches in Vanuatu*
> To create more accessible and inclusive places of worship, the Pacific
> Disability Forum (PDF) and the Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) have
> partnered on a joint initiative. Recently, they collaborated in Espiritu
> Santo to provide training and support to the Vanuatu Disability Promotion &
> Advocacy (VDPA), a member organization of PDF.
> This initiative is focused on empowering the VDPA to conduct access audits
> of churches identified by the Vanuatu Council of Churches (VCC) as well as
> tabulate reports of findings and recommendations to be shared with PCC.
> The goal is to promote disability-inclusive church practices for persons
> with disabilities in their communities.
> This work was made possible through funding support provided by the
> Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT).
>   *4.*       *Programs to advance disability rights*
> The National Council for People with Disabilities (NCPD) has launched
> initiatives to create clearer pathways for employment and improved
> accessibility for persons with disabilities. According to Nina Tokadavou,
> Initiative Lead for the council’s job discovery program, several key
> programs have been introduced to advance disability rights in Fiji. Read
> More.
> <https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/programs-to-advance-disability-rights/?fbclid=IwY2xjawMtmMBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQABHkjaaR2Koeva5WIGuj4G-pOWaaVDe-RoFwHIqESGp7L3IbpmJbrps3hI2Ao5_aem_y5nkx0lsWp6iEiMI9rDdNw>
> *5.*       *Psychiatric Survivors Association Recognised at
> 21st Anniversary Celebration and Book Lunch*
> The Minister for Women, Children, and Social Protection, Hon. Sashi Kiran,
> officiated at the 21st Anniversary celebration of the Psychiatric Survivors
> Association (PSA) Fiji and launched two of their publications, Expecting
> Mothers with Psychosocial Disabilities and Children Living in
> Psychosocially Affected Families. Read More
> <https://www.fiji.gov.fj/Media-Centre/News/PSYCHIATRIC-SURVIVORS-ASSOCIATION-RECOGNISED-AT-21?fbclid=IwY2xjawMwlHJleHRuA2FlbQIxMABicmlkETFSTjc5RjlhMnlFanhSaXhtAR4LlrWWnXbpq1bRJqJ3BStahYCrY0aNVMruZK0NtOoghP13bsuBANM1JPlENQ_aem_EXoobB-oc1L_6pusyQ1tRw>
>  *6.*       *Timor-Leste certified malaria-free by WHO*
>  The World Health Organization (WHO) has certified Timor-Leste as
> malaria-free, a remarkable achievement for a country that prioritized the
> disease and embarked on a concerted, nation-wide response shortly after
> gaining independence in 2002. Read More
> <https://www.who.int/news/item/24-07-2025-timor-leste-certified-malaria-free-by-who>
>  *7.*       *Papua New Guinea eliminates trachoma as a public health
> problem*
>  In a landmark public health achievement, Papua New Guinea (PNG) has been
> validated by the World Health Organization (WHO) for eliminating trachoma
> as a public health problem. Trachoma, a neglected tropical disease (NTD)
> and the world’s leading infectious cause of blindness, no longer poses a
> public health threat in the country. Read More
> <https://www.who.int/news/item/19-05-2025-papua-new-guinea-eliminates-trachoma-as-a-public-health-problem>
>  *8.*       *Strengthening Vanuatu's health resilience with better data
> collection*
>  Vanuatu’s islands are known for their rich cultural heritage, but beneath
> this beauty lies a pressing challenge: the country faces persistent public
> health threats, exacerbated by limited infrastructure, frequent disasters,
> and the growing impact of climate change. As one of the most disaster-prone
> countries in the world, Vanuatu is highly vulnerable to disease outbreaks,
> which can quickly overwhelm its health-care system Read More
> <https://www.who.int/news-room/feature-stories/detail/strengthening-vanuatu-s-health-resilience-with-better-data-collection>
>  *Have a blessed Weekly!*
> Kind Regards,
>
> *Soloveni Vitoso | Interim Public Relations and Communications Officer*
> Pacific Disability Forum | Ground Floor, Kadavu House, Victoria Parade
> GPO Box 18458 Suva, Fiji
> Phone (landline): (+679) 7730200, 3312008, 3310469
> Phone (Mobile)(+679) 8990134
> Email: Soloveni.Vitoso at pacificdisability.org
> Website: www.pacificdisability.org
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