SIX SOUTH PACIFIC NATIONS DISCUSS HOW BEST TO HELP NOUMEA

Wanganui Chronicle, 7 November 1950, Page 5

SIX SOUTH PACIFIC NATIONS DISCUSS HOW BEST TO HELP NOUMEA

NOUMEA—Representatives of the six member nations of the South Pacific Commission have discussed how they can assist the natives of the area to learn their ABC; how lhey can establish community centres for them and how they can establish a broadcasting system in the area. Main discussion has centred on the Commission’s literacy campaign. “For the first few days of the present session—the sixth since the Commission was formed in 1949—a subcommittee under Professor K. O. Shatwell, of Australia, discussed the establishment of a South Pacific Literature Bureau. The committee’s recommendations on the subject were later discussed at a general meeting of the commissioners. There had been no decision. A secretariat official said the sub-committee’s plan for a Literature Bureau called for the establishment of a small section attached to the executive officer’s organisation. It would be advised by the territorial committee and would have a central committee in Sydney. Members of the central committee would be persons who either lived in Sydney or who hao easy -access to Sydney. PROVISIONAL ALLOCATION OF FUNDS

A provisional allocation of funds—believed to be about £7so—has been made for the bureau which will set up a “Publication Fund.” Larger amounts of money will be given the bureau as its activities increase. The bureau with these funds, would endeavour to arrange through commercial sources, or by subsidy for ‘publication, of general literature to be used for the literacy campaign. The secretariat spokesman said that the vast majority of text books available had been written without any thought of the needs of the South Pacific area. This meant, he said, that the bureau would have to establish ma. chinery for preparing, or stimulating the preparation, of cheap and simple books, booklets, pamphlets, readers and text books suitable for the area. Major services which would be rendered by the literature bureau would include:— (1) Stimulation of production of cheap books, booklets and pamphlets in English and French on subjects such as Social Welfare, Civics, Agriculture, Health an Nutrition, General Science, travel, history and, to a lesser extent, fiction. (2) Publications of quarterly lists of recommended books, many of which although available, are unknown in many territofiei. (3) Bringing to notice of publishers desirable books for the region which are likely to be successful. (4) Information on the establishment of village libraries and the establishment of an information service on visual matter. SEMI-EUROPEANISED WAY OF LIFE Mr. H. E. Maude, member for social development of the Research Council, recommended that a community centre be established among a semiEuropeanised community whose way of life and problems are different from those of a purely agricultural community. Mr. Maude said: “We proposed to use Rarotonga as a locale ol our first experiment. This experiment, which will last one or two years, will be carried out under the charge of a full-time welfare organiser who will train a Rarotongan successor.

“The co-operation of the local Government wil be invited in providing a building, and equipping it with amenities such as film and film-strip projectors, radio, small library and sports ground. The techniques of this type of community development work have been well tested among similar communities, and include the provision of a canteen, books, films, discussion groups .demonstrations sports and organised games, classes in English, handicrafts, child welfare and the encouragement of local groups with specific local objectives. “We envisage that the centre wi:» be used under the control of its supervisor, partly by specific groups with their particular interests and objectives, and partly as a centre in which the whole community can join in social activities. Thus it is hoped,” Mr. Maude continued, “to give a local habitation and a name to various as yet disorganised groups seeking a focus for their activities. We consider that a project along these lines should, if successful, indicate a technique suitable for adopting in many other more definitely urbanised communities in this region,” he added. The General Committee, comprising the six commissioners and their assist, ants, deferred actipn on broadcasting as technical, financial and legislative! difficulties peculiar to each territory]

made action at this stage undesirable. Member nations of the South Pacific Commission represented at the meetings were Australia, France, Netherlands. New Zealand, United Kingdom, and the United States of America.