Media Releases

Pacific Internet Partners Offers Pacific Inet Conference Travel Support

June 9, 2005
Press Release: Pacific Internet Partners

Partial Travel funding to the Annual Pacific Inet Conference in Kiribati for participants from Tokelau, Samoa, Niue and Cook Islands is again being offered through the Pacific Internet Partners.

The Pacific Inet Conference (PacInet) is a meeting of ITC technical professionals from around the Pacific region who meet annually to exchange and develop technical expertise and ideas. Backed by the Pacific Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC), its members bring together speakers from around the region and globally to bring technology together with a common theme from each year's host country.

This year the meeting is hosted by Kiribati with a theme of Rural Technologies: Connecting & Advancing Remote Communities through ICT.

The week long conference includes speakers from the US, New Zealand, Australia, and many Pacific countries and organizations, with the Pacific Chapter ISOC AGM at the end.

With a main focus of technology exchange, anyone interested in IT is welcome to attend.

The 2005 conference will be held in Tarawa, Kiribati from the 22nd to 27th of August, 2005. Details of the conference are published http://www.picisoc.org/tikiindex. php?page=PacInet+2005

People interested in applying for Pacific Internet Partners’ partial and limited funding should send an e-mail to info@pip.org.nz to receive an application form. Applications close July 21, 2005.

The Pacific Internet Partners initiative has been established by the New Zealand National Commission for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO NZ), the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Apia Country Office and the Internet Society of New Zealand (Internet NZ) through the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding.

The Pacific Internet Partners will work to improve the skill levels of ICT professionals in the Cooks Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau- countries chosen for their strong links to New Zealand and the organisations involved.

Pacific Internet Partners Awards Pacific Inet Conference Travel Support

September 7, 2004
Press Release: Internet NZ

InternetNZ and UNDP have awarded travel funding to the 2004 Pacific Inet Conference in Vanuatu to three from Samoa through the Pacific Internet Partnership program.

Mr Aniseko Ioane, Tagaloa Sia Matalavea and Mr Andrew Smith have been awarded support for their attendance at the annual conference. In each instance their attendance was endorsed by the Samoa Information Technology Society (SITS).

Mr Ioane is the Internet Manager for Computer Services Ltd, operator of the Samoa.WS Internet Service Provider. Tagaloa Sia Matalavea is the Manager for ITS at the Alafua campus of the University of the South Pacific, and Mr Andrew Smith is the CEO of Smith Systems. All are based in Apia.

The Pacific Inet Conference (PacInet) is a meeting of technical professionals from around the Pacific region who meet annually to exchange and develop technical expertise and ideas. Backed by the Pacific Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC), it's members bring together speakers from around the region and globally to discuss technology around a common theme chosen by the host country.

The 2004 conference will be held in Port Villa, Vanuatu from the 23rd to 27th of August, 2004. Details of the conference are published at http://www.picisoc.org/tikiindex.php?page=PacInet+2004.

The week long conference includes speakers from the US, New Zealand, Australia, and many Pacific countries and organizations, with the PICISOC Annual Meeting being held at the end. InternetNZ is one of the Pacific Internet Partners, an initiative that has been established by the New Zealand National Commission for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO NZ), the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Apia Country Office and the Internet Society of New Zealand (Internet NZ) through the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding. The Pacific Internet Partners will work to improve the skill levels of ICT professionals in the Cooks Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau- countries chosen for their strong links to New Zealand and the organisations involved.

3 Get Funding to Pacinet

August 5, 2004
Article: Samoa Obeserver

The Internet Society of New Zealand (Internet NZ) has awarded three participants from Samoa funding to travel to Vanuatu for the annual Pacific Inet Conference.

They are Aniseko Ioane, Tagaloa Sia Matalavea and Andrew Smith. Their attendance was endorsed by the Samoa Information Technology Society (SITS).

A news release said:

• Mr Ioane is the Internet Manager for Computer Services Ltd, operator of the samoa.ws Internet Service Provider.
• Tagaloa is the Manager for ITS at the Alafua campus of the University of the South Pacific.
• Mr Smith is the chief executive of Smith Systems.

All are based in Apia.

The Pacific Inet Conference (Pacinet) is a meeting of technical professionals from around the region. They meet annually to exchange and develop technical expertise and ideas.

Backed by the Pacific Chapter of the Internet Society (PICISOC), its members bring together speakers from around the region and globally. They discuss technology around a common theme. This is chosen by the host country.

Port Vila Conference

The 2004 conference will be held in Port Vila from the 23rd to 27th of this month.

Details of the conference.

Internet New Zealand is one of the Pacific Internet Partners.

This is an initiative that has been established by the New Zealand National Commission for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation, the United Nations Development Programme's Apia Country Office and the Internet Society of New Zealand.

Its aim is to work to improve the skill levels of Information Communication Technology (ICT) professionals in the Cooks Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau.

These are countries chosen for their strong links to New Zealand and the organisations involved.

InternetNZ to aid Pacific ICT growth - 29.06.2004

29 June 2004
Article By Richard Pamatatau

InternetNZ and Unesco have launched an initiative to boost the use of information and communication technology in the Cook Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau.

The New Zealand National Commission for Unesco, the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Apia office and InternetNZ have drafted a memorandum of understanding to form the Pacific Internet Partners initiative.

The partner countries were chosen because of their strong links to New Zealand.

Laurence Zwimpfer, the National Commission deputy chairman, said the development of ICT skills in the Pacific was regionally important, and would be aided by the collaboration.

The initiative will see support this year for a Vanuatu conference, fostering of the establishment of national ICT professional organisations, and the establishment of internship and mentoring exchange programmes between New Zealand and the nations involved.

InternetNZ president Keith Davidson said members had wanted to get such an initiative off the ground for some time.

"By combining forces with UNDP, who are on the ground in these countries, and with Unesco's influence, we'll be getting significantly more bang for our buck."

Joyce Yu, of UNDP's Apia office, said the collaborative effort would allow better use of resources for meeting the UN's Millennium goals.

Don Hollander, chairman of Wellington's 20/20 Trust, who recently returned to New Zealand after two years working in Samoa on UNDP projects, said the agreement had been structured to let other interested parties join.

Hollander said Unesco New Zealand wanted to be involved in developing ICT skills in the Pacific.

New United Nations Volunteer To Resume ICT Education For Niue - March 2004

Pacific Internet Partners Offers Pacific Inet Conference Travel Support, August 2004

Pacific Internet Partners Join Forces

Tuesday, 22 June 2004, 11:13 am
Press Release: Internet NZ

Improving opportunities and skills for information and communication technology (ICT) professionals in the Pacific is the driving goal behind a new collaborative initiative joining New Zealand and international organisations.

The Pacific Internet Partners initiative has been established by the New Zealand National Commission for the United Nations Educational Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO NZ), the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Apia Country Office and the Internet Society of New Zealand (Internet NZ) through the signing of a joint Memorandum of Understanding.

The Pacific Internet Partners will work to improve the skill levels of ICT professionals in the Cooks Islands, Niue, Samoa and Tokelau- countries chosen for their strong links to New Zealand and the organisations involved.

Laurence Zwimpfer, Deputy Chair of the New Zealand National Commission for UNESCO and Communications specialist says, "The development of ICT skills in the Pacific is important to the region, and this collaboration of New Zealand and international forces will benefit the backbone of ICT development - its professionals."

In the coming year, planned activities include supporting the annual PIGNet Conference being held in Vanuatu, fostering the establishment of national ICT Professional organisations, and establishing internship and mentoring exchange programmes between New Zealand and the Pacific nations involved.

"InternetNZ has had a strong call from our membership to do something in the Pacific," says Keith Davidson, President of InternetNZ. "By combining forces with UNDP who are on the ground in these countries, and UNESCO's influence we'll be getting significantly more 'bang for our buck'."

Ms. Joyce Yu from UNDP's Apia office says "This is a great initiative that will allow us to better leverage resources. UNDP sees the development of ICT skills as critical to the achievement of the UN's Millennium Goals." Don Hollander, a New Zealand technologist who has recently returned from two-years in Samoa where he worked with UNDP on a number of projects, has also been involved in InternetNZ and works on a committee for UNESCO NZ. He says "We've structured this agreement so that additional parties who have aligned objectives can also join, providing even more coordination and leverage."

UNESCO New Zealand is an organisation of eminent people and industry leaders, who focus on the five areas of UNESCO's global objectives - education, natural science, social science, culture and communications. UNESCO New Zealand has an explicit objective of focusing its energies to assist the peoples of the Pacific and has strong interest in developing the ICT capabilities of the peoples of the Pacific.

InternetNZ is a New Zealand based NGO with a mandate to support and foster the Internet in New Zealand. InternetNZ has an explicit mandate from its membership to further promote the effective use of the Internet in the Pacific Islands.

UNDP is a principal United Nations provider of development advice, advocacy and grant support to governments, and civil society through partnerships for sustainable human development. The UNDP Apia Office is responsible for activities in Samoa, Tokelau, Niue and the Cook Islands. One of UNDP's priority areas is to encourage and foster the use of Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to achieve its broader objective of sustainable human development and the Millennium Development Goals.

Memorandum of Understanding Document

News Links

Cook Islands Herald

Cook Islands News

Samoa Observer

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