Talemaot is a collection of creative writing on the topical issues facing the country today by Solomon Islands writers and includes poems, short stories and short film scripts. The book, edited by Anouk Ride, features creative writing by Chelcia Gomese, Regina Lepping, Georgianna Lepping, Fred Percy Maedola, Anthony Maelasi, Julian Maka’a, Christina Mitini, Jasmine Navala-Waleafea … Read more →

Talemaot is a collection of creative writing on the topical issues facing the country today by Solomon Islands writers and includes poems, short stories and short film scripts. The book, edited by Anouk Ride, features creative writing by Chelcia Gomese, Regina Lepping, Georgianna Lepping, Fred Percy Maedola, Anthony Maelasi, Julian Maka’a, Christina Mitini, Jasmine Navala-Waleafea and Vinnie D. Nomae.

The book is almost sold out with copies still available at Lime Lounge and Museum Shop in Honiara. People can also purchase it as an e-book on lulu.com and iBookstore.

The publication of the book is made possible thanks to the kind support of the British High Commission in Solomon Islands and the United Nations Development Programme’s (UNDP) Strengthening Capacities for Peace and Development (CPAD) project. 

The Australasian Aid and Development Policy Workshop at Australian National University discussed disaster aid as part of a presentation entitled Information in Natural Disasters – crisis, adaptation and communication which details research by SOLMAS/NDMO/ABC International on communication in disasters in two remote communities in Solomon Islands. See the presentation and abstract here: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/australasian-aid-and-international-development-policy-workshop/abstracts-presentations-and-papers

The Australasian Aid and Development Policy Workshop at Australian National University discussed disaster aid as part of a presentation entitled Information in Natural Disasters – crisis, adaptation and communication which details research by SOLMAS/NDMO/ABC International on communication in disasters in two remote communities in Solomon Islands. See the presentation and abstract here: https://devpolicy.crawford.anu.edu.au/australasian-aid-and-international-development-policy-workshop/abstracts-presentations-and-papers

Information in Natural Disasters – Solomon Islands assesses current information materials on natural disasters in Solomon Islands, identifies the key actors in disseminating information during a disaster and provides recommendations for future disaster content and communications. Communities in Kuma, Weathercoast and Nea, Temotu were asked what they know already about natural disasters, what they need … Read more →

Information in Natural Disasters – Solomon Islands assesses current information materials on natural disasters in Solomon Islands, identifies the key actors in disseminating information during a disaster and provides recommendations for future disaster content and communications. Communities in Kuma, Weathercoast and Nea, Temotu were asked what they know already about natural disasters, what they need to know and how they wanted to recieve information in a 2 day program of focus groups with men, women and youth. This study was commissioned on behalf of the Solomon Islands National Disaster Management Office (NDMO) by the Solomon Islands Media Assistance Scheme (SOLMAS) with support from ABC International Development and funded by the Australian Government.

This report was authored by Anouk Ride, Melinda Kii, George West Dapelebo and Dallas Hila, with valuable consultations and technical input provided by Sipuru Rove, Jeremy Miller, Vipul Khosla and Angela Davis. READ THE REPORT HERE: http://www.abcinternationaldevelopment.net.au/activities/solmas-information-natural-disasters-2013

Over eight weeks, May-June, writers in Honiara gathered once a week for a writing workshop designed to give writers questions which will prompt them to improve their stories and sell their works. The “Makem Gud Stori” workshop covers key elements of story writing such as motivation, theme, message, format, structure, characters, voice and pace and … Read more →

Over eight weeks, May-June, writers in Honiara gathered once a week for a writing workshop designed to give writers questions which will prompt them to improve their stories and sell their works. The “Makem Gud Stori” workshop covers key elements of story writing such as motivation, theme, message, format, structure, characters, voice and pace and was designed for those writing fiction, non-fiction, film, poetry and other storytelling forms.

The stories from the workshop will be published in a book to be released in late 2014.

The workshop was held as part of Anouk Ride’s Phd research at the University of Queensland which intends to uncover modern understanding of peace and conflict through analysis of the stories Solomon Islanders want to tell. The methodology provides skills transfer during the process of data collection.

Anouk Ride and Lionel Dau from SIDT presented to the Pacific Psychosocial Forum on May 2012. The presentation looked at community resilience in a crisis from global to local knowledge – read the presentation here: CRIND & SIDT presentation

Anouk Ride and Lionel Dau from SIDT presented to the Pacific Psychosocial Forum on May 2012. The presentation looked at community resilience in a crisis from global to local knowledge – read the presentation here: CRIND & SIDT presentation

Anouk Ride will co-present with Lionel Dau from Solomon Islands Development Trust on Community Resilience in a Crisis this Friday 25 May 9am. Talking specifically about natural disasters the presentation, looking at the situation from global to local perspectives, will examine how resilience can be supported or harmed by natural disaster aid and assistance. The … Read more →

Anouk Ride will co-present with Lionel Dau from Solomon Islands Development Trust on Community Resilience in a Crisis this Friday 25 May 9am. Talking specifically about natural disasters the presentation, looking at the situation from global to local perspectives, will examine how resilience can be supported or harmed by natural disaster aid and assistance.

The presentation is part of the Pacific Psychosocial Forum organised by the Mandala Foundation and the local organising committee.  The Pacific Psychosocial Forum is a bi-annual event facilitated by the Mandala Foundation that aims to advocate for and enhance psychosocial awareness and systems of staff care and community support throughout the Pacific region. In 2012, the three-day forum will be held in the Solomon Islands and will focus on the theme of ‘Enabling resilience in a crisis’. Details of the event are on

http://www.mandalafoundation.org.au/index.php?page=2012-pacific-psychosocial-forum-2012

Presenting new research in Washington DC, Dr Diane Bretherton and Anouk Ride say evidence indicates when facing a natural disaster most people are cooperative, altruistic and resilient. “If you face a natural disaster, you will most likely turn to your neighbors and your community for help, advice and to help others you see as suffering … Read more →

Presenting new research in Washington DC, Dr Diane Bretherton and Anouk Ride say evidence indicates when facing a natural disaster most people are cooperative, altruistic and resilient.

“If you face a natural disaster, you will most likely turn to your neighbors and your community for help, advice and to help others you see as suffering more than yourself. This is a natural response to survive, to cope psychologically and to rebuild communities. This behavior is far more common than generally assumed by the authorities and media commentators which predict crime, competition and opportunism,” said Dr Diane Bretherton.

The research is featured in a new book, “Community Resilience in Natural Disasters” (Buy “Community Resilience in Natural Disasters” at 20% discount) in which Bretherton and Ride compared interviews in six countries around the world to find out what communities did when faced with a natural disaster and how their behavior changed with the arrival of assistance from aid agencies, government and other organizations.

“We found everywhere community resilience is the usual story and communities tearing themselves apart is the unusual story,” said Anouk Ride. “But the problem is aid agencies, authorities and others who seek to help disaster survivors often take over and disempower local people, actually hurting the very resilience that helped people survive and cope with the disaster in the first place and creating conflict in communities.”

Interviews with survivors of earthquakes in Mexico and Pakistan, tsunamis in Indonesia and Solomon Islands, drought in Kenya, cyclone in Myanmar and the US’s Hurricane Katrina, inform Bretherton and Ride’s conclusions which they say should be instructive for aid agencies, government and the media.

The research was discussed at the American Psychological Association (APA) Convention, attended by around 12,000 psychologists which this year is being held in Washington DC, 4-7 August.

Dr Diane Bretherton is a renowned psychologist presented with an award (the Morton Deutsch Conflict Resolution Award) by the APA for outstanding contribution to the field and Anouk Ride is a  Phd candidate, researcher and author of many articles and books on social issues.

A paper was presented by Anouk Ride on behalf of the research team including Dr Diane Bretherton and Dr Asha Bedar on the effects of sentimentality on natural disasters (particularly in the case of the Pakistan earthquake) to the Trauma and Sentimentality Symposium recently held by the Public Memory Research Centre of the University of … Read more →

A paper was presented by Anouk Ride on behalf of the research team including Dr Diane Bretherton and Dr Asha Bedar on the effects of sentimentality on natural disasters (particularly in the case of the Pakistan earthquake) to the Trauma and Sentimentality Symposium recently held by the Public Memory Research Centre of the University of Southern Queensland.

This diverse symposium included researchers from many different fields including psychology, sociology, cultural studies and history and elicited many discussions on broadening perspective on trauma and sentimentality. A publication featuring papers from the symposium will be released shortly.

A paper was presented by Dr Diane Bretherton on behalf of the research team including Anouk Ride and Dr Asha Bedar on collective memories and natural disasters (particularly in the case of the Pakistan earthquake) to the International Congress of Applied Psychology recently held by the Australian Psychological Society in Melbourne, Australia. This Congress included … Read more →

A paper was presented by Dr Diane Bretherton on behalf of the research team including Anouk Ride and Dr Asha Bedar on collective memories and natural disasters (particularly in the case of the Pakistan earthquake) to the International Congress of Applied Psychology recently held by the Australian Psychological Society in Melbourne, Australia.

This Congress included eminent keynote speakers and invited symposia organisers, a robust Scientific Program which encompasses applied psychology globally, and a range of workshops.

The paper “Community perception of effects of disaster aid on conflict and peace in the Solomon Islands” was presented to the IPRA 2010 Conference, Sydney, Australia,which included a fascinating mix of scholars from all over the world as detailed in the Conference Programme. Contact Anouk Ride for a copy of the paper.

The paper “Community perception of effects of disaster aid on conflict and peace in the Solomon Islands” was presented to the IPRA 2010 Conference, Sydney, Australia,which included a fascinating mix of scholars from all over the world as detailed in the Conference Programme.

Contact Anouk Ride for a copy of the paper.