Tag Archives: Suva

Nature Care

Fiji aims to reduce greenhouse gas from ships

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Kelly VacalaMultimedia Journalistkelly.vacala@fbc.com.fj | @KellyFBCNews

Fiji has embarked on positive initiatives by championing the way forward for collaborations to reduce greenhouse gas from ships.

This was highlighted by the Minister for Transport Jone Usamate at the welcoming ceremony of the Secretary-General for the International Maritime Organization Kitack Lim at the Fiji Maritime Academy in Suva yesterday.

Usamate says the Government has introduced a number of national policies and strategies to address the issue of greenhouse gas.

He adds Fiji’s Presidency of the COP23 has also been significant for the Pacific in driving the plans for a low carbon maritime transport sector.

The Minister says similar strategies has been taken by the IMO in the adoption of its greenhouse gas emissions from ships and setting out a vision to phase out emissions from shipping in this century.

Secretary-General for the IMO Kitack Lim says the main threat to the Pacific is climate change.

Lim adds that after high level collaborations, the IMO adopted a first comprehensive and initial strategy on how to tackle climate change issues, which began in April last year.

Now they’re working on what kind of action plan should be taken on the initial strategies.

Source: https://www.fbcnews.com.fj

The Melanesian Way

Kanak custom on two-week exhibition in Suva

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VILIMAINA NAQELEVUKI, FijiTimes

A painting of the Kanak people by artist and photographer Sebastien Lebegue that is exhibited at the Alliance Française de Suva. Picture: VILIMAINA NAQELEVUKI
A painting of the Kanak people by artist and photographer Sebastien Lebegue that is exhibited at the Alliance Française de Suva. Picture: VILIMAINA NAQELEVUKI

THE COUTUME Kanak (Kanak Custom) exhibition is an introduction talking mainly about territory, social structure and what the society is for the indigenous people of New Caledonia.

This was highlighted by Artist and Photographer Sebastien Lebegue in an interview with this newspaper today.

Lebegue has worked on these pieces for the past five years.

“We continue with the gestures on how to enter into a clan because the connection is mainly about the relationship between two clans, they have some ceremonies to unite or make alliances,” Lebegme said.

He said the uniqueness of the pieces lay within the portraits itself, where the Kanak people had shared their stories with him.

“One more installation is about the people, people in New Caledonia I could meet, they give me their own testimonies of what is Kanak customs so the portraits have some acrylic and they represent the people. This is just a few potraits, normally there is about 105 potraits painted,” he said.

Lebegue acknowledged the Alliance Française de Suva for giving him the opportunity to display his work in Fiji.

“I am very glad that Alliance Française proposed to have the exhibition here in Fiji because Kanaks are Melanesian and so some of their customs are very similar to Fiji and to show it here is a really big privilege.”

Cultural director for Alliance Française de Suva Charlotte Tassel said they were really intrigued with the fact that Lebegue was studying about the Kanak people.

“His approach is very interesting, he draws very well. He takes a step back and he is just showing the pieces as it is and we thought it would be very interesting to connect it with the Fijian culture to show this Kanak culture to the Fijian people here because there is a lot of similarities,” Ms Tassel said.

The exhibition will be held from September 20 and ends on October 5, 2018, at the Oceania Centre at USP.