Search for goal of community

Press, Volume CXII, Issue 33046, 13 October 1972, Page 18

Search for goal of community

(New Zealand Press Association) WELLINGTON, October 11. The over-all goal of any country should “in general terms be provision for the freedom and growth of each person, in a community which shares a generous concern for the rights and well-being of others,” says the social council of the National Development Council, after its first year of study.

in a report to the N.D.C., the social council selects five “possible major objectives” needed to reach this goal. It lists these in order: To strengthen the spirit of community. To share resources fairly. To preserve life and promote' health. To enhance the dignity, free-1 dom and independence : of the individual. To enhance man’s environment. The report says that al-1 though objectives are not in j themselves much use in I planning, they enable social indicators to be drawn up and the progress of the development favoured by the majority to be measured. The council has undertaken a project to encourage public discussion of social objectives to ensure that the■ list it has drawn up is representative of majority views. As a preliminary, it has prepared a booklet and questionnaire on the objectives and has submitted these to selected individuals and groups for comment, prepara- i tory to being released for 1 public discussion. “SLOW PROGRESS” Although the council, lunder its terms of reference, i was concerned with the promotion of social research and the speedy applications of findings, it had hesitated to follow up in full its responsi-

bilities because of their similarities to those of the National Research Advisory Council. “Unfortunately, the development of social research administration has not been aa fast as had been hoped, and the council is concerned that no real advancement has been made in the social research field.” In an attempt to take advantage of the progress already made, and to prevent further delay, the council is seeking discussions with the N.R.A.C.