Other formats

    Adobe Portable Document Format file (facsimile images)   TEI XML file   ePub eBook file  

Connect

    mail icontwitter iconBlogspot iconrss icon

Salient: Victoria University Students' Paper. Vol. 29, No. 2. 1966.

Letters — Fiji trip queried

Letters

Fiji trip queried

Sir,—As a contributor to NZUSA. I was astonished to hear during the long vacation that a group of students led by the National President and International Affairs Vice President had been in Fiji planting rice in the islands to support the families of unemployed Fijians.

Certain Questions arise which I and doubtless other students would like answered.

1Why can't unemployed Fijians plant their own rice?
2Do NZUSA leaders have any special expertise in rice cultivation?
3Were NZUSA general funds used to support this venture?
4Why adequate publicity was not released to enable the vacationing studentry to comprehend the need for this top-level expedition of their leaders to the Fijian Islands?

David Butler.

Alister Taylor, NZUSA president, in answer to the questions, said:

1. NZUSA general funds were not used.

2. Students on work camps to Fiji primarily worked in Fiji.

Secondary aim was to foster goodwill and work on some worthwhile project. This was the aim of student work camps in the Pacific area.

In the case of the Fiji work camp NZUSA's vice-president. Brian Opie, was sent to Fiji to investigate possible work camp schemes. Rice planting project was the only project available. This was administered by the only social organisation in Fiji— the J. P. Bailey Trust.

The students completed a worthwhile project and did not put any Fijian labour out of work. The time afforded and money expended on this scheme would not have been sent it the students had not gone to Fiji.

It was generally Known that the Fiji work camp would leave Auckland on December 16. I was appointed leader of the project. This fact was known some weeks prior to departure.