Aren Baoa is known to many of us in the media industry in the Pacific as a video and television trainer. His work involved putting together satellites to allow for radio link, providing technical advice and support on video technical issues and training young video producers.

Two months ago Aren, retired from the Regional Media Centre. He spent 21 years with the Secretariat of the Pacific Community and was part of the organisational and institutional changes that SPC has undergone.

At the Regional Media Centre (RMC) he was in the midst of a technological revolution which kept him on his toes, particularly in ensuring that machines and equipment used in media productions like Pacific Way were state-of-the-art.

By Rita Narayan

Squeals of excitement rose above the chatter in the foyer and exhibition centre at BEXCO (Busan Exhibition and Convention Center) every time Pacific Islanders spotted each other among the 2000 or so delegates attending the 10^th International Conference on AIDS in Asia and the Pacific (ICAAP 10) in South Korea. With their warm friendly smiles and dressed in colourful sulu and jaba, meri blouse, bula shirts, sulu vakataga and puletasi, about 60 Pacific Islanders from Papua New Guinea, Fiji, Tonga, Samoa and the Federated States of Micronesia quickly made their presence known at the conference venue in the port city of Busan.

The delegation was one of the largest Pacific delegations to attend an international meeting on AIDS. Compared to other delegations from South-East Asian countries such as Cambodia, Thailand and India, the Pacific delegation was small but its voice was strengthened by the presence of Fiji’s President, Ratu Epeli Nailatikau; Papua New Guinea’s former Minister for Community Development, Dame Carol Kidu; and UNICEF Pacific’s Regional Ambassador, Mere Nailatikau. There was also a strong show of Pacific solidarity as Pacific Islanders turned up in numbers to support their colleagues during their sessions and participate in discussions.