Hi blogger kings of PNG
Just a little wishing for kirisimasis
Big Pat
Sunday, December 07, 2008
Christmas greetings from Big Pat
Thursday, December 04, 2008
THE GREATEST THREAT TO GLOBAL PUBLIC HEALTH: HIV/AIDS EPIDEMIC
We have seen on media millions of people around the world have been observing this important event.
Leaders and representatives of different organisations have written and spoken their perspective of the incurable disease.
The question we, as individual should ask as citizens of
The global HIV/AIDS epidemic has taught us many important lessons.
It has confirmed the importance of socio-economic and cultural factors in health.
It has shown that when human rights are not protected, people are more vulnerable to disease.
And also HIV/AIDS epidemic is a rapidly changing phenomenon.
Statistics are in constant flux.
Perhaps the most sobering lesson of the past 10-plus years is that the HIV/AIDS epidemic has not turned out to be a disease outbreak that science can quickly bring under control. Both a vaccine and a cure remain elusive.
There are no quick fixes, technological or other wise, to prevent new infections or eliminate the lingering societal impact of millions of AIDS deaths among individuals in their peak productive and reproductive years.
Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome (AIDS) has been a personal tragedy for millions of people throughout the world – both those who have suffered with and died from AIDS as well as those who struggle with it still.
It is these men, women, and children who have borne the brunt of the epidemic, often with inspiring dignity and courage.
Not only a personal tragedy, AIDS has also proven to be a social challenge, a cultural catharsis, a political quagmire, and a scientific puzzle.
Perhaps more than any other threat to the public health in modern times, the AIDS epidemic has entangled not only individuals but also families and friends, cultures and communities, cities and nations throughout the world.
It has cut across race and ethnicity, class and education, age and religion, gender and sexual orientation, challenging the compassion and ingenuity of humankind at every turn.
In knowing that the leaders of this beautiful country should take this issue into serious consideration because HIV/AIDS issue has become the greatest threat to the global public health.
Therefore, HIV prevention cannot be viewed as a one-time intervention; it must be accepted as a continuous, multigenerational effort that extends well into the lifetimes of our children and their children.
Thinking long – term and remaining committed are the key characteristics needed in both science and prevention in order to maximise the chances of conquering HIV.
The fact that HIV and its repercussions will be with us for generations implies the need for a sustainable response, one that encourages openness about the epidemic among individuals and communities and that builds up their coping capacity.
Among other things, coping means lifelong acceptance and inclusion of people with HIV/AIDS in the household or community and the adjustment of personal behavior to the lifelong risk of HIV infection.
Government agencies should work with nongovernmental organisations as we all realise that community involvement would be a necessary component of successful prevention efforts.
Governments and community-based organisations should collaborate to provide services in the area of prevention and in providing medical care and social services for the increasing numbers of people with HIV – related disease.
Sadly, many of the hundreds of thousands of people hidden below the iceberg’s trip became ill and died – those who were infected during the first five years of the epidemic but didn’t know it.
In terms of future challenges, what we do about AIDS depends on how we look on the epidemic – as a mere disease, a failure to respect religious codes, an outcome of differentials in sexual behavior and sexual decision making between men and women, a human rights issue, or another tragic correlate of poverty and deprivation, to name but a few of the paradigms that have evolved since the start of the epidemic.
The most hopeful lesson is that, even thou our approaches are imperfect; we are not powerless against the epidemic.
Communities in the developing world, and even some industrialised nations as a whole, have managed to stabilise or reduce the rate of new HIV infections, provide care and support for those infected or affected, and combat fear and rejection of people living with HIV and AIDS.
We can do the same here in our country (
HIV/AIDS is a devastating disease that prematurely robs people of their health and lives.
- The writer earned both bachelors and master’s degree in Counseling Psychology from the United States of America and is currently working as the Director of Students Services at the University of Vudal, East New Britain province, Papua New Guinea.
Use local trekking companies to walk the Kokoda Trail
Hi Malum
My brother and I walked the Kokoda Track at the beginning of November 2008 using a local guide and two local porters from Kokoda Station.
The trip took the commercialism feel of the Ozzy companies away from the trip and gave us a more natural and relaxed trek, which we both found to be much more enjoyable.
Our contact was Edric Ogomeni eogomeni@bankpng.gov.pg, who arranged the contacts for us.
Tony was a very capable guide and Ray and François were a pleasure to trek with
The Kokoda boys are setting up their own trekking company called 'Foot Steps, Kokoda', and I strongly recommend that if you want to go native then trekkers should get in touch with these boys.
Looking forward already to the Black Cat in 2010
Regards
Dave Jackson
Baggi
AGSL
1st Herford Scout Group
BFPO 15
http://www.justgiving.com/
Wednesday, December 03, 2008
Bitapaka War Cemetery creates strong feelings
Caption: 1. Grave of an Unknown Solider at
I visited
This peaceful and beautiful cemetery contains the graves of over 1, 000 Allied war dead and the Rabaul Memorial commemorates those who have no known grave.
The cemetery is maintained by the Office of Australian War Graves, Department of Veterans' Affairs, on behalf of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
It is located near the site of the first Australian action of World War I when the Australian Naval & Military Expeditionary Force (AN&MEF) captured a German wireless station on September 11, 1914.
Each grave is marked by a bronze plaque set on a low concrete pedestal with 500 marked 'Known to God'.
As well as Australians, the cemetery contains the graves of Indian and British prisoners of war who were transported to
The peace of the setting and the enormous number of white crosses shocked me with the contrast.
It was here that I began to grasp the sacrifice made by those who give their lives for their country.
It also serves as a reminder that war kills, not just a few, but many hundreds of thousands, and on both sides.
Bitapaka – like other war cemeteries in
It creates strong feelings of sacredness, tranquility, spaciousness, peace and beauty, and is immaculately maintained by devoted staff.
Bitapaka is a village in
After landing at Kabakaul on the morning of September 11, 1914, troops from the AN&MEF were involved in a series of skirmishes with German forces, mostly local Melanesian troops, along the track to Bitapaka.
The radio station was finally secured at 7pm at a cost of seven Australians killed and five wounded.
One German and 30 Melanesians had died in the effort to defend it.
Of these, 35 are British, 420 are Australians, one is a New Zealander, 614 are Indians, 34 are Fijians, two are Western Solomon Islanders, and five are Allies.
The memorial commemorates 1,113 Australian soldiers, 104 airmen and eight Papua New Guineans who have no known grave.
The Indian soldiers were prisoners of war from the Malayan Campaign, while the remainder of the burials and all the names on the memorial are of men who died in
The cemetery also contains 28 burials of WW1: 27 Australian and one British.
The cemetery and memorial were constructed and are maintained by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.
Tuesday, December 02, 2008
Singsing at Vudal
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Captions: Kampalap villagers from
Vudal graduates urged to fight corruption
By LYTHIA SUITAWA
Graduates of the 12th graduation of the
The call came from tropical agriculture degree graduate Nason Gene, who spoke as student respondent during the ceremony last Friday.
Mr Gene said corruption was hindering the progress of tangible development in the country causing people to suffer and urged his fellow graduates to practice anticorruption habits at all levels of their professions.
He said nationalists often spoke of transparency and accountability and formulated strategies against corruption but these often did not address the root cause of the problem.
“We need to look at what builds a person and build into the system of a person from inside out. We need a change from inside out and that is to build in us now, a habit of anticorruption and get addicted to it,” he said.
“If we get addicted to anticorruption from within us, only then shall transparency and accountability transpire and we can move our country forward,” Mr Gene said.
He told his fellow graduates that success would be within their reach if their characters were correct.
“The key to achieving it is not our personality, our temperament, our natural talents or even our present circumstances. The key is our character,” he said.
“If our attitudes and behaviours are correct, we can break through any barrier, overcome any obstacle, transcend any limitation and maximise any opportunity that comes our way.”
Speaking of the university they were graduating from, Mr Gene said it was one of the best higher education institutions in the country.
He added he was proud that the university was a well-disciplined institution.
“In fact, Vudal University is a better place to study without intimidation and discrimination of any sort towards our study, either from students (regionalism) or from surrounding communities,” he said.
He commended graduating students for their conduct during their time at the university and called on continuing and new students to maintain the same trend of discipline.
Mr Gene particularly mentioned the students’ approach towards the university administration when matters of concern arose.
“Students act professionally and where matters of concern arise, we practice professionalism in our approaches towards our administration, with understanding, and not take matters into our own hands,” he said.
Mr Gene said the graduands had witnessed many positive rehabilitative changes during their time at the University such as course reviews and diversification of academic programs that would benefit continuing and new students.
However, he urged the National Government through the university administration to better furnish learning facilities such as laboratories with equipment and materials that would improve student learning.
The student respondent also called for the involvement of students in research and publications, which he said would be an added bonus for students as well as build the reputation of the university.
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