MISS PETRICEVICH REPORTS ON WOMEN in ASIA Miss Miraka Petricevich, a delegate to the Pan-Pacific Women's International Conference held in Manila from January 24 to February 6, 1955, has described her impressions at the recent Dominion Conference in Auckland. Her report presents a new sense of fellowship between the Maori people and the peoples of Asia. I WOULD like to begin my observations at home, where the idea of our representation became a reality. First of all, the very act of your decision to send a delegate overseas became a momentous occasion in the history of our people; momentous because it marked a forward step in our thinking, in the broadening of our horizons and the awakening to a consciousness of the need to participate in world concerns. In doing so you joined the rest of the world in this period of “man's awareness of mankind”. Secondly, the wonderful response from all members in achieving this objective which last year's conference had set the league was indicative of your sincerity and tenaity of purpose. The theme which was selected for discussion at the Manila conference was Social and Economic Inter Dependence. It means simply that the countries of the world are now more than ever dependent on each other socially and economically, and we can no longer remain isolated and think only of our own needs. There must be greater sharing of the world's products and acceptance of the fact that other people's needs are the same as ours. Although countries of the world appear far distant, present day communications and inventions bring them very close together—so close that if there was another war no country would be too far away to avoid the effects of modern warfare. People go to war because they are not happy or satisfied with their lot—hence it is necessary for all people to be concerned with the problems of mankind. This was the Seventh International Conference of the Pan-Pacific Women's Association (now called the Pacific and South East Asian Women's Association) which was unique in that it was the first international conference of women to be held in the Far East. For this reason, and for the fact that the Far East seemed to be a festering spot for future trouble such a gathering therefore had tremendous potentialities for unique achievement. Hence I had conjured up the idea in my mind that every vessel or aircraft carrying a delegate eastwards to Manila carried within it perhaps the most unique cargo that mankind has ever shipped across continents and oceans, not of precious gems, gold or silver merchandise, but of those most intangible substances called “hope”, “goodwill”, “understanding” and “peace”. For I did sincerely believe that every delegate proceeding to this conference carried within her a pulsating embryo of peace and goodwill and a sincere hope for greater understanding and sympathy among the peoples of the world. More so were these things