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<b>Pasifika Weekly E – News</b></div>
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<b> 19 September 2025</b></div>
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<b> New Staff for Pacific Disability Forum.</b></div>
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Pacific Disability Forum has recently been injected with a total of 5 new staff within the last 3 weeks.</div>
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For the Finance AND Corporate Team, we welcome Mr Rohit Prasad, as the Finance and Cooperate Manager and Mr. Shavneel Sharma, as the Finance and Admin Assistant.</div>
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For the Inclusive Development Team, we welcome Ms Anaseini Vakaidia as the new Program Officer, and Mr. Antonio Tuvici is based here at PDF and paid for by Pacific Conference of Churches (PCC) as the Project Assistant working on Disability and the Church. </div>
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For the Executive Team, we welcome back Mr. Soloveni Vitoso as the Interim Public Relations and Communication Officer, a pioneer also for PDF and who has brought back this weekly E News for all your readings on happenings around the Pacific. PDF hopes that
as one team, we can effectively move the PDF canoe to deeper waters through efficiency as born craftsman’s and sailors.</div>
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<b>VDPA’s 4th Biennial General Meeting</b></div>
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Thursday 18th September 2025 marked the opening of VDPA’s 4th Biennial General Meeting at the Terminal Conference Room, Luganville, Santo. Theme:
<i>“Our Voice, Our Strength, Our Future.”</i></div>
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PDF was invited to support our OPD member, Vanuatu Disability Promotion & Advocacy Association, and co-facilitated a session with stakeholders to gather OPD members’ input for VDPA’s government submission on the
<b>Vanuatu Disability Act</b>. PDF also co-facilitated the constitutional review. The Biennial runs from
<b>18–19 September 2025</b>, bringing together voices across Vanuatu to strengthen advocacy and action for disability inclusion. 🙌#Inclusion #DisabilityRights #PacificVoices #VDPA #PDF</div>
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<b>VDPA National Convening Officially Opened!</b></div>
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On 15 September 2025, we proudly launched the VDPA National Convening a transformative three-day event focused on Strengthening Inclusive Resilience, Gender & Women with Disabilities, and Climate Justice.</div>
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We were deeply honoured to have Mr. Alfred Maoh, First Political Advisor to the Minister of Climate Change & Adaptation, as our Keynote Speaker.
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWA79786dfe-6ca8-c477-717d-ca64d7e968c0" href="https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php?story_fbid=pfbid0eKdZDxiu4HCBNmvYkZ1pcG6GcFWmLUL984ZuAwT3B6iRfcVQhkJQEHXzweC7msBdl&id=61571581383804¬if_id=1758064328122046¬if_t=mention&ref=notif">
Read More</a></div>
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<b>FWRM PR: Comprehensive Sexuality Education in all schools NOW! Anything less is a betrayal of our children’s rights.</b></div>
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The Fiji Women’s Rights Movement (FWRM) has issued an urgent call for the nationwide implementation of Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) in all schools, following revelations that nearly 500 teenage pregnancies were recorded in just six months. FWRM says
the alarming statistic is not simply a public health concern but a glaring indicator of systemic failure to protect young women and girls.
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWA13f6c2ee-8896-e2ba-010b-410b300420aa" href="https://www.fijitimes.com.fj/fwrm-demands-immediate-rollout-of-comprehensive-sexuality-education-in-all-schools/">
Read More</a></div>
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<b>1ST Highlands Consultation on Disability Rights Concludes</b></div>
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Oceania Conference Papua New Guinea has recently begun a countrywide consultation on the rights of persons with disabilities, beginning with a two-day regional workshop in Mt. Hagen, Western Highlands Province.</div>
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The initiative, led by the Department for Community Development and Religion (DfCDR), is supported by the Australian Government and the United Nations Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR). 2025
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWAaf3ffee6-db64-9200-06cb-56eeb599c558" href="https://pnghausbung.com/1st-highlands-consultation-on-disability-rights-concludes/">
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<b>5.</b> <b>Conducting access audits of churches in Vanuatu</b></div>
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Prime Minister, Hon. Dr Áisake Valu Eke, officially launched the Tonga National Policy on Disability-Inclusive Development, the Adaptive Social Protection Framework, and the National Disability Registry at the Likuálofa Resort in Tofoa The policy aims to create
a barrier-free society that respects rights, upholds dignity, and empowers persons with disabilities to participate fully and achieve economic and political inclusion.
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWAa3403454-c297-24b5-6233-f65487a4a462" href="https://talanoaotonga.to/national-disability-policy-launched/">
Read More</a></div>
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<b>6.</b> <b>Joyce Peter defies disability to graduate with Diploma in Leadership and Human Rights</b></div>
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Despite the challenges of living with a disability, 39-year-old Joyce Peter from Vanuatu has triumphed through sheer strength and perseverance by graduating with a Diploma in Leadership, Governance, and Human Rights from the University of the South Pacific.
While speaking to Fiji village News, the mother of two says that, for her, this achievement is far more than academic.
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWAd0a6bd5c-6519-ffa2-0288-05763069b419" href="https://www.fijivillage.com/news/Joyce-Peter-defies-disability-to-graduate-with-Diploma-in-Leadership-and-Human-Rights-r54f8x/">
Read More</a></div>
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<b>7.</b> <b>Kiribati Power of Data | Empowering Kiribati disability inclusion: Report shows progress and gaps</b></div>
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I-Kiribati living with a disability are among the most vulnerable in the community as they are less likely to be employed, able to read and write, or have access to clean water and proper sanitation, according to a Kiribati National Statistics Office–SPC report.
A new national disability monograph shows that the prevalence of disability in Kiribati is on the rise, increasing by 2.1 percentage points over five years.
<a class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWA63ff39ef-818a-63cc-4238-8bb2002f684f" href="https://nso.gov.ki/news/kiribati-power-of-data-empowering-kiribati-disability-inclusion-report-shows-progress-and-gaps/">
Read More</a></div>
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<b> </b> <i>Have a blessed Weekly!</i></div>
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Kind Regards,</div>
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<b>Soloveni Vitoso | Interim Public Relations and Communications Officer</b></div>
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Pacific Disability Forum | Ground Floor, Kadavu House, Victoria Parade</div>
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GPO Box 18458 Suva, Fiji</div>
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Phone (landline): (+679) 7730200, 3312008, 3310469</div>
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Phone (Mobile)(+679) 8990134</div>
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Email: <a title="Soloveni.Vitoso@pacificdisability.org" class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWA43585406-ab13-e841-5e30-594ffd4e4aa8" href="mailto:Soloveni.Vitoso@pacificdisability.org">
Soloveni.Vitoso@pacificdisability.org</a></div>
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<span style="color: black;">Website: </span><span style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114);"><a style="color: rgb(149, 79, 114); margin: 0px;" title="http://www.pacificdisability.org/" class="OWAAutoLink" id="OWA73d227b2-71d3-3420-2c16-ce325f9e580d" href="http://www.pacificdisability.org/">www.pacificdisability.org</a></span><span style="color: black;"> </span></div>
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<b>Organisation in special consultative status with the UN Economic and Social Commission since 2012.</b></div>
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