VISION OF PEACE

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLIII, Issue 20852, 7 October 1937, Page 10

VISION OF PEACE

PAN-PACIFIC WOMEN’S ASSOCIATION CONFERENCE AT VANCOUVER Miss F. J. Taylor, representing the New Zealand Women Teachers’ Association and Miss Elsie Andrews, New Plymouth, representing the National Council of Women, attended the PanPacific Women’s Conference at Vancouver, and in a circular to the South Canterbury branch of the Women Teachers’ Association, Miss Taylor gives some interesting sidelights on the conference. In her circular she stated that the conference spirit seemed to begin to manifest itself when the Australian delegates met the New Zealand delegates at Auckland. It grew and increased as they journeyed north, meeting dally in study circles and being met at Suva, Honolulu and Victoria by groups of women eager to show by their friendly comradeship and good will that they had caught the vision of what the Pan Pacific Women's Association meant. There was a thrill in the feeling of participation in something worth while, and that something was the will to understand one another’s problems. “The correct approach to the work of the conference was important,” said Miss Taylor, “and this was provided in a very striking way by the wonderful atmosphere created by the leaders. Sympathy, friendship and tolerance were immediately evident, and their effect culminated in the radiant personality of the president, Mrs Gauntlett, a Japanese lady of deep understanding and devotion.” The personnel of the conference included women of many nationalities, and of widely different talents, and all of them English speaking. There were delegates from Canada, the hostess country, many from the United States, Hawaii, China, Japan, Philippines, Australia and New Zealand. As special guests and speakers there were four ladies, one from England, one from New York, one from Toronto and one from Korea. “The professions of the delegates were even more varied than the nationalities,” said Miss Taylor, “doctors of medicine, science and philosophy, lawyers and a judge, nurses, librarians, social workers, home makers and mothers, teachers, professors, deans of women at universities, politicians, students, leaders of youth groups, all intent on getting and sharing knowledge with a will to understand the problems of the P. .fie.”

Referring to the subject for discussion, Miss Taylor said that this had been formulated in 1934, and eight topics had developed from it. But even after several years of study and two weeks of discussion, delegates came away feeling that the half had not been told. There were endless methods by which to develop “practical ways and means of promoting peace,” and yet all must fll unless thoughtful people in all nations, the rank and file as well as the leaders, could create and develop the will for peace. Such a desire was evident and inspiring at the conference, and much of the information supplied upon all the topics was heartening. But again and again, as the discussions developed, it was apparent that upon education in the broadest sense, rested much of the responsibility of creating the right attitude towards the many problems of modern times. So that when the educational topic “adjustment of educational programmes to meet changing social relationships” was opened for discussion towards the end of the second week, all felt t b at they had worked up to a climax. Delegates separated. some returning to war-striken cities, but all uplifted by the vision of peace they had seen and encouraged and inspired by the warm comradeship and understanding of Pan-Pacific women.