<h2 class="entry-title"><a class="entry-title-link" target="_blank" href="http://olpcoceania.blogspot.com/2010/12/decade-ago-solomon-islands-was-still.html">Solomons' Marovo pioneers a new "Pacific way"</a></h2>
<div class="entry-author"><span class="entry-source-title-parent">from <a href="http://www.google.com.au/reader/view/feed/http%3A%2F%2Folpcoceania.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault" class="entry-source-title" target="_blank">OLPC Oceania</a></span> <span class="entry-author-parent">by <span class="entry-author-name">Michael Hutak</span></span></div>
<div><br><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">A
decade ago, the Solomon Islands was still a nation wracked by civil
war. Today, inspiring stories of empowerment and rejuvenation are to be
found, such as that among the communities of the country's remote <a target="_blank" href="http://www.mapsouthpacific.com/solomons/marovo-lagoon-map.html">Marovo Lagoon</a>
in Western Province. December 2010 marks 10 years since the people of
this beautiful and fragile environment accessed email for the first
time, via the ground-breaking <a target="_blank" href="http://www.usp.ac.fj/jica/ict_research/documents/pdf_files/pfnet_report.pdf">People First Network</a> (PFNet). <br><br>Today,
Marovo is buzzing with innovative ICT-for-education projects which are
motivating students, connecting people, empowering communities and
pointing to the possibilities of a new "Pacific way" on education. Grass
roots communities are driving these projects with support and
assistance from their national government and its partners in
development in the bilateral, regional, non-profit and private sectors.</span></div><ul><li><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Primary schools in the villages of <a target="_blank" href="http://wiki.laptop.org/images/2/21/Press_release_30Jul08.pdf">Patukae, Batuna and Sombiro</a> have been using XO laptops donated by the OLPC Foundation since 2008.</span></li>
<li><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;"><a target="_blank" href="http://www.unescobkk.org/education/ict/online-resources/databases/ict-in-education-database/item/article/solomon-islands-distance-learning-centres-project/">Distance Learning Centres</a>, funded by the EU, have connected rural community high schools like Patukae since 2006.</span></li>
<li><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The
community can access VSAT broadband in the area via the Pacific Rural
Internet Connectivity System (PACRICS), seed-funded by AusAID, ongoing
funding from the Asian Development Bank and implemented by the
Secretariat of the Pacific Community, supported by the UEPI Resort and
Marovo Sustainable Timbers.</span></li><li><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">Patukae
High School was in September 2010 the recipient of donated computers
and personal training from the Scots College, Sydney, one of Australia's
oldest schools.</span></li><li><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">The Marovo Reef and Rainforest Wiki Project see previous post or fi</span><span style="border-collapse: separate; color: black; font-family: Tahoma; font-size: small; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; word-spacing: 0px;">nd out more <a target="_blank" href="http://wikieducator.org/Patukae_College/OER_Reef_and_Rainforest_wiki_in_Marovo_Language">here</a>.</span></li>
</ul><a href="http://www.google.com/reader/view/feed%2Fhttp%3A%2F%2Folpcoceania.blogspot.com%2Ffeeds%2Fposts%2Fdefault?source=email" target="_blank">Subscribe to OLPC Oceania</a> using <b>Google Reader.</b><br>-- <br><span style="font-family: arial,sans-serif; font-size: 13px; border-collapse: collapse;">-- <br>
Michael Hutak<br>Director, Oceania<br>One Laptop per Child<br><a href="http://www.laptop.org/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 204);" target="_blank">www.laptop.org</a><br><a href="http://olpcoceania.blogspot.com/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 204);" target="_blank">http://olpcoceania.blogspot.com</a><br>
--------<br>Skype: michael.hutak<br>Cell: +61 412 001 052<br>Fax: +61 2 8008 1616<br>Web: <a href="http://www.hutak.com/" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 204);" target="_blank">www.hutak.com</a><br></span><br>