CID Weekly: India, COVAX event, Modern Slavery Act & vaccine update

+ Vaccine roll out dashboard - last 7 days

+ CID Member Appeals for India

A number of CID Members are running appeals:

• Child Fund New Zealand - Broader Covid19 campaign
• Christian World Service - Coronavirus Appeal
• Oxfam New Zealand - India Covid-19 Appeal
• Tearfund New Zealand - Covid-19 India Crisis Appeal
• UNICEF - Covid-19 Crisis in India Appeal
• World Vision New Zealand - Covid-19 Crisis Appeal

• CARE India (not-for-profit organisation, working in India for 70 years, focusing on alleviating poverty and social injustice)
• Sewa International (Hindu faith-based, humanitarian, non-profit service)

+ Global Citizen 'Vax Live' event

After the Advocacy Talk last week for CID members and partners, Michael Sheldrick joined his Global Citizen team to host the biggest global event to date, calling for equal distribution of COVID vaccines.

Global Citizen’s 'Vax Live: The Concert to Reunite the World' was hosted by Selena Gomez, and included speeches and performances by President Biden, Prince Harry, Jennifer Lopez, Eddie Vedder from Pearl Jam, the Foo Fighters, J Balvin and HER.

Other celebrities including Ben Affleck, David Letterman, Gayle King, Jimmy Kimmel and Sean Penn.

All advocated for vaccine equity at the event, and raised nearly $54 million (USD) for the WHO's COVAX fund, set up to provide vaccines for low and middle-income countries.

The extra money is enough to purchase almost 10.3 million vaccine doses.

The event will screen May 9 in New Zealand.

Please see link to Michael's talk last week with CID members below.
 

+ World Vision: Kiwis spend $34 per week on goods linked to modern slavery

A new study 'Risky Good: New Zealand Imports' by World VIsion New Zealand has found that about $3 billion worth of imports into the country every year could be linked to modern slavery.  New Zealand consumers spend on average $34 per week on "risky goods" linked to child and forced labour. "Risky goods" include clothes, electronics, footwear, toys, furniture, bananas and coffee.

World Vision New Zealand director Grant Bayldon told Breakfast last week that companies don’t have to declare where their goods are coming from, or ensure their products haven’t been made by people who are enslaved. He told Breakfast the Government urgently needs to introduce a modern slavery act.

+ Wellington Ending Modern Slavery Event

Come along to Cuba Mall on Saturday the 8^th of May from 11.00-2.00pm to bring attention to the Modern Slavery Campaign and get signatures for the petition. 
 
Volunteer to speak / perform, so there can be someone on the platform every 15 minutes between 11-2pm.  This could be reading of poetry, performing music, or reciting some information regarding trade justice. Please confirm attendance and time available today if possible, by emailing Trade Aid.

+ Ākina 'Roadmap for Impact' released

Ākina's Impact Initiative wraps-up with the release of A Roadmap for Impact; three years of research, testing, connection and delivery culminating in 15 recommendations to the Government for the development of social enterprise and impact in our economy.

Although the recommendations are New Zealand based, there is a lot to be learnt from the research when it comes to working with social enterprises in the Pacific and beyond. 

+ MFAT Town Hall on Pacific Regional Four Year Plan

MFAT are hosting public town hall talanoa in Wellington and Auckland (with Christchurch later in May) to get your thoughts on New Zealand’s development work and partnerships in the Pacific.

This is your opportunity to inform planning for MFAT’s Pacific Regional Four Year Plan and talk about the opportunities, challenges and principles that are guiding our New Zealand development programme va’a. The town hall talanoa is open to all communities with connections to, and interests in, the Pacific.

Wellington (postponed - new date): Friday 28 May, 11:00 – 12:00 MFAT, Level 12, 195 Lambton Quay. Register by 5 May

If you can’t make it to the talanoa, you can also provide feedback through a short anonymous survey, available through this link. The survey closes on 18 May.

+ CID Constitution review

A reminder to learn about and have your say on the potential changes to the Constitution. There are two ways to join the discussion: 

1. Fill in the quick survey – will take 1min (or a little longer if you provide alternative wording) – fill it in here.
2. Join a session to learn more about and to discuss changes to the Constitution, there are three different session time and dates available to join so you can find one that suits you in early to mid May – join one here.

+ Office Space available with Anglican Mission

Anglican Mission are seeking a tenant for a ground-floor office (25m²) in a recently strengthened historic building on Mulgrave Street, Thorndon. Situated between Archives New Zealand and Old St Paul’s Cathedral, the office has been re-carpeted and painted and is only a 3 minute walk from the Station.

You can view the space here, and it has great morning sun, views toward Mt Victoria, and comes with a shared toilet and kitchen. There is also opportunity for parking for one car. Anglican Missions, a CID member agency, occupies the room next door. If you’re interested in having a look, please email Michael Hartfield  or call on 021 913 219.

+ Death of Polikalepo Kefu, Tongan Human Rights Activist

President of the Tonga Leitis Association (TLA) Polikalepo Kefu has passed away suddenly in Tonga. Poli also served as the Communication Officer for the Tonga Red Cross Society and Secretary for the Media Association of Tonga (MAT). 

Known to many throughout the Pacific region, tributes have flooded in from family, friends and organisations  mourning the loss of a well-known activist and advocate.  "Poli, as he has known to many of us, was a selfless humanitarian and a tireless advocate for the rights of those with diverse sexual orientatations, gender identities and gender expressions," the Tonga Leiti's Association said in a statement.

Tonga Police are currently investigating Poli's death. Polikalepo Kefu was killed on Saturday near his home town in what police are investigating as a homicide. A 27-year-old man has been arrested.

A candlelight vigil for Polikalepo will be held this Thursday at the Basilica’s conference room from 6pm-8pm Tonga time. The public can follow along on the Broadcomfm Broadcasting Facebook page here..

Polikalepo features prominantly in the documentary 'Leitis in Waiting' screening on Maori Television this Sunday, 9th May at 7:30pm.

+ Fiji Lockdown imminent as Covid cases rise

A nation-wide lockdown is imminent in Fiji as authorities scramble to screen and test people living in Covid-19 hot-spot areas.

The capital Suva and surrounding towns Nausori and Nasinu were on lockdown until 4am Monday. The lockdown caused about 80 per cent of businesses to close down in Nadi, the town's Chamber of Commerce and Industry (NCCI) warned.

The lockdown came as COVID cases continue to rise in Fiji, with 31 active locally transmitted cases as of Saturday. 

+ Vaccine rollout accelerating in PNG

Papua New Guinea is set to begin extending its Covid-19 vaccine rollout to provinces outside the capital this week, as the number of cases continues to climb.

PNG is one of the worst-hit countries in the region, with almost 11,000 confirmed cases of the coronavirus, and 107 deaths. However, with low testing rates, the real death toll and number of people who are infected is believed to be far higher.

103,000 doses of AstraZeneca, donated by Australia via the international Covax programme, were distributed throughout other provinces in the country last week. From yesterday, according to authorities, they'll be given to frontline workers, including health staff, border workers and police.

+ Wallis and Futuna Outbreak

A seventh person has died in Wallis and Futuna's Covid-19 community outbreak, just over a month since the first fatality. So far there has been 444 confirmed cases. Just over half the population has been vaccinated with the first dose of Moderna since a mass campaign was launched, but the inoculation rate has slowed sharply, with just another five percent getting the jab in the past month.