Opinion
Christmas message from Opposition leader Tina Browne: Unity and hope
Tuesday 24 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion
Kia orana tatou katoatoa ite aroa rahi e te humaria o to tatou Atu. Koia i akatae mai ia tatou ki teia openga mataiti.
Ruta Mave: A call for peace and justice this Christmas
Monday 23 December 2024 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Opinion
It is the eve of Christmas eve, where shopping for last minute Santa presents, food and drinks intensity is creeping to stratospheric proportions, writes Ruta Mave.
Letter: Passport proposal
Monday 23 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, It was with disbelief that most New Zealanders watched on the evening Television 1 News, Sunday night (NZ time), the story about your Prime Minister, Mark Brown, intention to make a break from New Zealand.
Letter: Cook Islands passport - personal ambition or national interest?
Monday 23 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, Here’s my observation of this focus on the Cook Islands Passport, designed I might add, to draw attention away from seabed mining.
Virtues in Paradise: The best present you can give
Saturday 21 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Virtues in Paradise
Christmas is nearly here, and there is so much to do – preparing for visiting family, finding gifts for the children, serving the church, writes Linda Kavelin-Popov.
Coconut trees, too much of a good thing
Saturday 21 December 2024 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Opinion
Coconut trees are often called the ‘Tree of Life’ in the Cook Islands and other Pacific islands because every part of the tree is useful. But too many coconut trees can be a problem.
Thomas Wynne: Recognising the signs of spiritual manipulation
Saturday 21 December 2024 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Opinion
Should any religion be free to travel like a vine as it pleases? Or should we learn to discern between something that bears good fruit and something that chokes, kills, and destroys? Thomas Tarurongo Wynne writes.
Church Talk: The 2024 festive season and what it truly means
Friday 20 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion
The festive season is a time of celebration, family gatherings, and joy. For many in the Cook Islands, this period is about reconnecting with loved ones, sharing meals, and participating in cultural and spiritual traditions, writes Pastor Eric Toleafoa from the Seventh-day Adventist Church.
Pet Talk: Keeping your pets cool and comfortable this summer Christmas
Wednesday 18 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Pet Talk
The holiday season is a time of joy, family, and festivity, but for pet owners, it can bring unique challenges, writes Dr Rose Hasegawa, medical director Te Are Manu Vet Clinic.
Te Tuhi Kelly: Religion raises its ugly side again
Tuesday 17 December 2024 | Written by Te Tuhi Kelly | Published in Opinion
As we are all aware, the Government has set up a select committee and have asked for public submissions on a proposal to make the Cook Islands an exclusive Christian nation, writes Te Tuhi Kelly, leader of the Progressive Party.
Ruta Mave: The ‘hypocrisy’ of a Christian state
Monday 16 December 2024 | Written by Ruta Tangiiau Mave | Published in Opinion
Hypocrisy is alive and well in the unofficial Christian state of Crook Islands, writes Ruta Mave.
Thomas Wynne: A history of faith in the Cook Islands
Saturday 14 December 2024 | Written by Thomas Tarurongo Wynne | Published in Editorials, Opinion
The journey of faith and religion in the Cook Islands – from Tangaroa to Rongo, from Christianity to Pentecostalism – has always been marked by resistance, writes Thomas Tarurongo Wynne.
Te Ipukarea Society: Composting workshop teaches sustainable living
Saturday 14 December 2024 | Written by Te Ipukarea Society | Published in Editorials, Opinion
Te Ipukarea Society participated in a hands-on composting workshop hosted by New Zealand consultant Chris Purchas at the Papaaroa Mission House last Friday.
Letter: Embrace religious diversity
Friday 13 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I am a local hard-core atheist. I have lived in fear many years here for speaking out against Christianly for fear of persecution but I think it’s time to face my fears and speak out about my concerns, with this potential religious restrictions reform. I will not give up and take this message where ever it has to go.
Letter: ‘The Church of Us’
Thursday 12 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Charles Carlson’s thoughtful letter of 3rd December on what he calls, “ … harmful ideologies that threaten personal rights, national security, and the well-being of our people”, cites for example, “some teachings condone child marriages, with girls as young as six being married off under religious justification.
Letters: Brothers in arms
Thursday 12 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, As a proud Cook Islander and New Zealand citizen, I’ve often wondered why our people are not yet actively integrated into the New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF).
Smokies
Wednesday 11 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion, Smoke Signals
Now with all that fantastic God sent rain over the weekend, Rarotonga should have lots and lots of water stored up in the water intake tanks … those 10 x 2 million + litre storage tanks (totalling at least 20 million litres of water) would have been full within a few hours with those massive downpours so no doubt the public can be reassured by TTV that the immediate water drama is over, and we have plenty of water stored for the upcoming Christmas period.
What is a heathy relationship?
Wednesday 11 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Editorials, Opinion
‘It Starts with Me’ is the theme of this year’s White Ribbon Campaign, promoting healthy, non-violent relationships. Te Punanga Ora'anga Matutu (Te POM), a men’s support and well-being centre, is supporting the 16 days of activism for the White Ribbon campaign, writes Te POM’s Rowena Manning.
Niki Rattle: A call for stronger human rights protections
Tuesday 10 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Opinion
National Human Rights Day is observed annually around the world on December 10. It commemorates the anniversary of one of the world’s most groundbreaking global pledges: the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR). The Cook Islands Ombudsman Office celebrates this International Human Rights Day by recognising what is being done to uphold the state obligations and continue to oversee what is yet to be achieved, writes Ombudsman Niki Rattle.
Letter: Ruta’s column
Tuesday 10 December 2024 | Written by Supplied | Published in Letters to the Editor, Opinion
Dear Editor, I only know of the Cook Island News via the roving opinion pieces by Ruth Mave.