MEDIA ADVISORY AND PUBLIC INVITATION

3 March 2011

PACIFIC ISLANDS FORUM 40TH ANNIVERSARY LEADERS’ LECTURE SERIES
with a focus on the Pacific Plan

LECTURE 1:

“Pacific Regionalism: Past, Present and Future”

Port Vila, Vanuatu, Thursday 3rd March 2011

The Prime Minister of the Vanuatu Government and current Chair of the Pacific Islands Forum, Honourable Meltek Sato Kilman Livtuvanu, in collaboration with the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat, will be hosting the inaugural lecture of the “Pacific Islands Forum 40th Anniversary Leaders’ Lecture Series, with a focus on the Pacific Plan”. (click here to download programme)

You are invited to attend and/or send a reporter and cameraperson/photographer to this event.

The milestone occasion is scheduled for Thursday 3rd March, 2011 at the University of the South Pacific Emalus Campus Conference Centre, Port Vila, Vanuatu, from 4.30pm (Vanuatu time).

The event will also mark the launch of the Pacific Islands Forum 40th Anniversary (1971-2011), logo and website, and will be the first of a series of public lectures to be held across the region.

The theme of the lecture will be “Pacific Regionalism: Past, Present and Future” with the Honourable Prime Minister and Forum Chair giving the keynote address. Four distinguished panellists will also provide commentary on the speech followed by an open discussion and views from the audience.

Panellists will include:

• GEORGE ATI SOKOMANU, former Head of State of the Republic of Vanuatu and former Head of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community (SPC)
• PROF. RAJESH CHANDRA, Vice Chancellor of the University of the South Pacific (USP)
• JOHN LICHT, Representative of the Pacific Institute of Public Policy (PiPP)
• AMBASSADOR ROY MICKEY JOY, Vanuatu Ambassador to the European Union and Kingdom of Belgium
   

The University of the South Pacific will be broadcasting the lecture to its campuses across the region. Media representatives are invited to attend these live broadcasts at the following campuses:

•USP Alafua Campus, Apia, Samoa - 7.30pm March 2nd in Samoa (GMT - 10hrs)

•USP Laucala Campus, Suva, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs) New ICT Video Conference Room (at ICT Building)

•USP Labasa Campus, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs) Contact: Dr.Samuela Bogitini bogitini_s@usp.ac.fj

•USP Cook Islands Campus - 7.30pm March 2nd in the Cook Islands (GMT - 10hrs)

•USP Marshall Islands Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in RMI (GMT + 12 hrs)

•USP Lautoka Campus, Fiji - 6.30pm March 3rd in Fiji (GMT + 13 hrs)

•USP Kiribati Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in Tarawa, Kiribati (GMT + 12 hrs)

•USP Solomon Islands Campus - 4.30pm March 3rd in Solomon Is (GMT +11hrs)

•USP Nauru Campus - 5.30pm March 3 in Nauru (GMT + 12 hrs)

•USP Niue Campus - 6.30pm March 2nd in Niue (GMT -11 hrs)

•USP Tuvalu Campus - 5.30pm March 3rd in Tuvalu (GMT + 12 hrs)

•USP Tonga Campus - 6.30pm March 3rd in Tonga (GMT +13 hrs)

•USP Tokelau Campus - 7.30pm March 2nd in Tokalau (GMT - 10hrs )

Please contact the respective Campus Director to confirm your attendance, as seating will be limited and allocated subject to availability on a first-come-first-serve basis. (click here for USP campus contacts)

For further information on the lecture in Port Vila, please contact the Forum Secretariat’s Communications Officer, Mue Bentley Fisher, via email: mueb@forumsec.org.fj or mobile: +679 9998677 or +679 9998677.

(Ends)