Pacific Language Weeks to begin
The first of 11 Pacific Language Weeks for 2024 is next week, as we look forward to celebrating the many varied cultures and identities of the Pacific communities in Porirua.
For the first time, two new languages have been added to the calendar, as we recognise the language of Papua New Guinea and the Solomon Islands. These join Rotuma, Samoa, Kiribati, Cook Islands, Tonga, Tuvalu, Fiji, Niue and Tokelau.
The overarching theme of the language weeks for 2024 is sustainability, aligning with UNESCO’s long-term vision to protect indigenous languages, not just in the Pacific but worldwide. Sustainability can include the physical, but also language – which incorporates heritage and identity – with UNESCO saying at least 40 per cent of the world’s 7000 languages are in danger of being lost.
Pacific Language Week dates for 2024:
Rotuma: 12–18 May
Samoa: 26 May–1 June
Kiribati: 7–13 July
Cook Islands: 4–10 August
Tonga: 18–24 August
Tuvalu: 29 September–5 October
Fiji: 6–12 October
Niue: 13–19 October
Tokelau: 27 October–2 November
Papua New Guinea: 10–16 November
Solomon Islands: 24–30 November
Keep an eye on Council’s social media to find out about the flag-raising events and other activities.
Poll: If we want to reduce speeding, what do you think actually changes driver behaviour? 🛻🚨🚓
In the Post's article on speeding penalties, the question is asked whether speeding fines are truly about road safety, or are they just a way to boost revenue for the Crown?
What do you think? Should speeding motorists receive speeding fines or demerit points?
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37.6% The sting of a fine (Money talks!)
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62.4% The threat of demerit points (Nobody wants to lose their license!)
🎉 Riddle me this, legends! 🎉
He/She who makes it, sells it.
He/She who buys it, doesn't use it.
The user doesn't know they are using it.
What is it?
(Shezz from Ngāruawāhia kindly provided this head-scratcher ... thanks, Shezz!)
Do you think you know the answer? Simply 'Like' this post if you know the answer and the big reveal will be posted in the comments at 2pm on the day!
Want to stop seeing these in your newsfeed?
Head here and hover on the Following button on the top right of the page (and it will show Unfollow) and then click it. If it is giving you the option to Follow, then you've successfully unfollowed the Riddles page.
Some Choice News!
DOC is rolling out a new tool to help figure out what to tackle first when it comes to protecting our threatened species and the things putting them at risk.
Why does this matter? As Nikki Macdonald from The Post points out, we’re a country with around 4,400 threatened species. With limited time and funding, conservation has always meant making tough calls about what gets attention first.
For the first time, DOC has put real numbers around what it would take to do everything needed to properly safeguard our unique natural environment. The new BioInvest tool shows the scale of the challenge: 310,177 actions across 28,007 sites.
Now that we can see the full picture, it brings the big question into focus: how much do we, as Kiwis, truly value protecting nature — and what are we prepared to invest to make it happen?
We hope this brings a smile!
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