Leaders address the issues

17 January 2016, 12:00AM

As their journey with Leadership Samoa nears the end, the Class of 2015 have put their knowledge, skills and insights into practice while tackling numerous topics of importance to Samoa. 

The topics form the basis of research undertaken by the participants and the findings are to be presented in a public forum on Thursday 21 and Friday 22 this week. A panel of experts relevant to the topic area will appraise each presentation as well as providing opportunities for comments and questions from the audience.

Topics range through managing non-communicable diseases, youth entrepreneurship, education of the workforce, sports development, the state of the economy and women in politics.

Non-communicable diseases (N.C.Ds) are a blight on Samoa’s healthcare system and budget not to mention the wellbeing of Samoan people, with the situation likely to become worse in the near future. 

As N.C.Ds can be avoided, this paper evaluates the success of measures taken by health authorities to educate and change behaviour to healthier lifestyle choices.

Entrepreneurship has been identified as the key to dealing with youth unemployment, yet the research on this topic points out that Samoa is not well set up to support this initiative.

One of the keys to a nation’s development is a workforce with the right set of skills and knowledge. The paper looks to examine how well prepared Samoa’s workforce is for the development challenges, which lie ahead.

Sport is a topic close to the hearts of Samoans and can facilitate and inspire the development of a nation, as well as leading to healthier lifestyles. 

This presentation explores the challenges in developing tomorrow’s athletes and which of Samoa’s sporting organisations are best placed for overseeing the management and coordination of this sports development.

Agriculture was once the shining light in Samoa’s economic performance but has slipped well behind other sectors over the years. 

A case study approach has been taken to assess the efforts of a number of players in this field to revitalise the sector and increase its contribution to Samoa’s economic outcomes.

The final paper tackles the difficult questions that arise from reconciling international obligations with cultural traditions through an examination of the steps taken to increase the participation of women in Parliament.

In a wide-ranging programme that spans government, private enterprise and community organisations across all sectors of Samoa’s economy, Leadership Samoa provides high-level professional training to emerging leaders that focuses on raising awareness of the issues and debates facing each sector. 

It challenges participants to hone their leadership and problem solving skills.

The public in invited to participate in the two-day forum.

Leadership Samoa is raising the awareness of emergent leaders about key political, economic, social, technological, environmental and cultural issues facing the development of Samoa today. This will ensure a pool of well-informed Samoan leaders in the future.

Leadership Samoa was established in 2011 and currently operates with funding and support from the Pacific Leadership Program (P.L.P). 

P.L.P. is a regional initiative of the Australian Government that recognizes the pivotal role of leadership in development. 

17 January 2016, 12:00AM
Samoa Observer

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