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PBS Miss South Pacific FIJI: 21 - 28 NOVEMBER 2009
AND THE WINNER IS ...
The very articulate Merewalesi Nailatkau, Miss Fiji, was crowned Miss South Pacific 2009 before an audience of millions across the region and beyond.
Just as she has been a surefire winner at Fiji’s Hibiscus Festival, 24-year-old Merewalesi Nailatikau, was almost certain to add the region’s most coveted crown to her laurels.
The eloquent, well-travelled and multilingual Nailatikau garnered a number of Pageant prizes and in her acceptance speech, thanked her family, friends and fellow contestants while at the same time, sent a message to the region on the importance of uniting in the fight against climate change.
Indeed climate change dominated the South Pacific Pageant whose theme this year was Preserving the Environment the Pacific Way.
If you had arrived at the Pageant from Mars without any prior knowledge of climate change, by crowning night, you could easily have earned yourself a degree on the subject. You could be forgiven for assuming that the entire event was a glammed-up conference on climate change.
Pageant organisers, could not however, have conceived a more fitting theme especially in a region which has been devastated the most by the ravaging effects of climate change.
From rising sea levels that have forced villagers especially in low-lying atolls to move to safer areas to tsunamis and coral erosion, the Pacific region, probably more than any other on the planet, has felt the full brunt of this phenomenon.
The MCs during the Pageant and 12 contestants (representing Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Aotearoa (NZ), the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, PNG, French Polynesia, Niue and the Solomons) delivered speech after speech on the subject and responded to questions on a range of subjects from the Kyoto Protocol, to the global economic crisis.
The eloquent, well-
Indeed climate change dominated the South Pacific Pageant whose theme this year was Preserving the Environment the Pacific Way.
If you had arrived at the Pageant from Mars without any prior knowledge of climate change, by crowning night, you could easily have earned yourself a degree on the subject. You could be forgiven for assuming that the entire event was a glammed-
Pageant organisers, could not however, have conceived a more fitting theme especially in a region which has been devastated the most by the ravaging effects of climate change.
From rising sea levels that have forced villagers especially in low-
The MCs during the Pageant and 12 contestants (representing Tonga, Samoa, American Samoa, Aotearoa (NZ), the Cook Islands, Kiribati, Tuvalu, Fiji, PNG, French Polynesia, Niue and the Solomons) delivered speech after speech on the subject and responded to questions on a range of subjects from the Kyoto Protocol, to the global economic crisis.
The South Pacific Pageant, which began on Saturday November 21, was first held in Samoa in 1987 and this year, was being held for the first time in Fiji. Since its inception, title holders have been expected to represent the region at international events and forums.
Nailatikau, who, it was announced had been promoted to Communications Officer with the Taiwanese Embassy in Suva, has an impressive list of accomplishments and is no stranger to making public presentations at international meets.
She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Management from the University of the South Pacific, lived in Madrid, Spain for two years as part of her studies, represented Pacific Youth for ‘Inspia!' Environmental Group at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, and at their clean-up campaign in Bellingshausen Beach, in Antarctica.
The daughter of Latu and Dr Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, she hails from Yale in Kadavu off the east coast of Viti Levu.
Fellow contestants who took out top prizes were : 1st runner-up – Miss Cook Islands’ Engara Gosselin, a Management trainee; 2 nd runner up Miss Aotearoa’s Paretaunu Tuhi Tuhi Randall, a dance teacher; 3rd runner up — the Solomons’ Millicent Barty, a 19-year-old student, and 4 th runner-up Miss Samoa’s Tusisaleia Hope Pomele, a student at Kapiolani Community College in Hawai’i.
Pageant crowds were not as high as Fiji’s Hibiscus Festival but by crowning night, had packed the grounds at Suva’s landmark Albert Park and in typical Pacific style, made their presence clearly felt with the decibels of noise, shouting and cheerleading they generated.
Next year’s SPP is being held in Papua New Guinea.
See Gallery here
Nailatikau, who, it was announced had been promoted to Communications Officer with the Taiwanese Embassy in Suva, has an impressive list of accomplishments and is no stranger to making public presentations at international meets.
She holds a Bachelors degree in Psychology and Management from the University of the South Pacific, lived in Madrid, Spain for two years as part of her studies, represented Pacific Youth for ‘Inspia!' Environmental Group at the World Summit on Sustainable Development in Johannesburg, South Africa, and at their clean-
The daughter of Latu and Dr Ratu Epeli Nailatikau, she hails from Yale in Kadavu off the east coast of Viti Levu.
Fellow contestants who took out top prizes were : 1st runner-
Pageant crowds were not as high as Fiji’s Hibiscus Festival but by crowning night, had packed the grounds at Suva’s landmark Albert Park and in typical Pacific style, made their presence clearly felt with the decibels of noise, shouting and cheerleading they generated.
Next year’s SPP is being held in Papua New Guinea.
See Gallery here
