The $NZ11.2 million 'Impact programme,' to which New Zealand's foreign ministry will contribute about $NZ8.6 million, targets children, youth and their families in Kiribati, Papua New Guinea, Timor-Leste, Cambodia, Vietnam, and the Solomon Islands over the next five years. Read more

Collins had been one of the last of the delegates to arrive at the Vatican.

He was not the original delegate chosen to represent Oceania.

But a last-minute withdrawal of a youth delegate from the Cook Islands gave him the opportunity to attend the meeting.

He left for Rome on 16 March.

Collins said he couldn't believe it when he was selected to welcome the Holy Father when he came to the meeting.

"I was just speechless when the security escorted me outside where the Pope arrived," he said.

Dressed in a red and white elei shirt and cream ie faitaga Collins stood close to the Pope Francis while cameras were clicking.

Pope Francis greeted the hundreds of young people gathered and asked them "to speak bravely" and inject a dose of creativity to a Church "in need of young prophets."

Collins is in Rome for two weeks and has been posting photos and clips on his Facebook page for his family and friends at home.

He is from the Holy Family Parish at Tafuna.

The son of Nixon and Iulia Collins of Iliili, Paul has been an altar boy, choir conductor, and youth leader in his parish.

The Faasao Marist graduate is also an American Samoa national soccer player.

Source

• talanei.com
• samoanews.com
• Image: FaceBook

And he is hoping that churches will stand together in this fight.

The bishop wrote to Governor Lolo last week offering the support of the Catholic Church for recent initiatives reported in the media to address "a growing critical illicit drug problem in our community which is especially affecting our youth."

The bishop referred to a task force that the government is establishing to formulate strategies to remove drugs in the territory.

He told Governor Lolo, "As an organization deeply involved in the spiritual and community care of people in American Samoa we are fully supportive of this initiative taken by the Government."

"Also with 18 parishes and five schools on Island we are very much aware of the proliferation of illicit drugs available to our young people today."

Brown wrote, "By this letter, I wish to offer any assistance to the Task Force that we can provide or maybe of use in establishing a meaningful response to this important community issue in American Samoa.

Earlier this month American Samoa's Homeland Security director, Samana Semo Ve'ave'a, called for the community to join together to eliminate a drug problem in the territory.

A taskforce in American Samoa is working more closely with communities to combat the growing use of illegal drugs.

RNZ's correspondent Fili Sagapolutele said crystal meth is such a commonly used drug now that the taskforce was created to formulate strategies to curb the use of illicit drugs and narcotics.

"They are working with the community and they've started to conduct outreach, working with government officials and village leaders, just in the hope to get this drug problem down."

Source

• talanei.com
• radionz.co.nz
• radionz.co.nz
• Image: fleetowner.com

The letter urged the nation to either lead or get out of the way of progress: "If the United States is not going to lead the world in solving the climate crisis, please stand out of the way. Delaying a climate deal until 2020 would slam the door on avoiding catastrophic climate change."

"There's only a handful of Pacific youth here in Durban, but we are giving everything we've got to ensure that the US and other big polluters don't get away with destroying the future of our Pacific Islands. It's frustrating and hard, but we don't have any choice - we can't just stand by and watch our future drown," said 350.org Pacific's spokesperson Ewan Cameron, who is from the Cook Islands.

Source

• 350.org
• Image: 350.0rg

These sentiments were echoed by other pacific youth leaders the Official Side Event on "Youth Matters NOW: Investing in Young People for a Secure, Prosperous and Sustainable Pacific" as part of the Pacific Islands Forum Leaders' Meeting held in Auckland last week.

"We need opportunities, we need service delivery, we need resources…we need capacity building and partnerships through education and training, as well as support for safe and open space for dialogue, and affordable and access to communication technologies to encourage young people to be part of national decision-making processes," said Fale Lesa, Committee Member for the Wansolwara Youth Pacific Conference.

Source

• Scoop
• Image: wilgpacific.org