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Salient. Official Newspaper of the Victoria University Students' Association. Vol 41 No. 7. April 10 1978

International Students' Congress

page 11

International Students' Congress

Each year, overseas students in New Zealand hold an International Students Congress to meet together, to attend forums and workshops, play sport, and not least this year, participate in cultural concerts.

The 1978 Congress was held at Canterbury University for five days — a mammoth organisational task. The fact that the Congress ran so smoothly is an indication of the strength of overseas student clubs at Canterbury, especially the Canterbury Malaysian Students Association. The Congress was attended by 300 overseas students as well as a small but significant number of New Zealand students.

For most, overseas students just seem to fill up the library or gym and hang around in groups talking amongst themselves. The ISC gave the New Zealanders a chance to become part of the overseas community for five days. It meant not only learning about the various home countries, but also allowed us to get an insight of the way overseas students view New Zealand — especially in areas that affect them most like immigration laws.

Although not quite to the extent of last year's ISC in Wellington, there soon developed an atmosphere of genuine friendship among the participants: The huge cultural concert on the second night added tremendously to this with items from almost every resident nationality. Many of the Asian items depicted the life of peasants and ordinary people through dance and song. The evening finished with the traditional Chinese red silk dance — a spectacular display of coordination with eight dancers and 30 foot long red silk streamers.

Women in the Third World

Most of the day's activities were taken up with forums and discussions. The first forum, on women in the Third World was addressed by Kathy Lee, who is involved in the Australian Overseas Women's Activities movement. She stressed that although women in societies like New Zealand are oppressed, the plight of women in the third world, especially Asia, is made even more acute by economic circumstances. When you can't get enough food to feed your family it is difficult to become directly involved in struggling for many of the rights claimed by New Zealand women.

Drawing of heads in profile against a globe

Kathy Lee and B. Ang, visitors to the ISC from the Australian overseas students movement.

Kathy Lee and B. Ang, visitors to the ISC from the Australian overseas students movement.

But unlike many of the feminist groups in New Zealand women in the third world do not see their enemy as simply being men, but the social conditions at large. An understanding of the economic nature of women's oppression is important for all people, women and men, and all must join together if change is to be achieved.

The organisers had built in a session dealing with New Zealand. This consisted of a forum on the Maori land question (addressed by Grant Hawke from Bastion Point) and New Zealand's economic crisis. This turned out to be a lively session, although it was dominated by the New Zealanders present.

The sports day in the middle of the Congress was an eye opener for the New Zealanders present. Most people in this country consider themselves to be sports conscious. The Asian students at the Congress however, showed a great enthusiasm and skill for sport that would embarrass all but the best kiwis.

The evening session following the sports was, not surprisingly, a film and slide show. These were on Thailand and New Caledonia and presented the situation in those countries in some depth.

The second of the Congress's guests from the Australian Overseas Student Service, B. Ang, addressed the session on the overseas student movement in Australia. He pointed out the disadvantages of an overseas student organisation becoming dominated by the host organisation. The Australian Union of Students have recently thrown out the OSS and blocked their funds. OSS now operates without any money, although it still gains wide support from the overseas community.

The theme was carried on by Lisa Sacksen who spoke on the New Zealand situation. She urged overseas student to develop a self reliant organisation which would have fraternal ties with NZUSA but not be entirely dependent on it. These calls have not fallen on deaf cars — plans are afoot to make the National Overseas Student Action Committee (NOSAC), presently a standing committee of NZUSA, more autonomous.

The last forum was on education. The main feeling which came from the discussion was that university education should serve the interest of the peoples of that country rather than train people to fit into the top layer of society.

The Last Day

The final plenary discussed motions on a wide range of subjects including human rights, student welfare and amendments to the constitution to make NOSAC more flexible.

A special series of motions were dedicated to the work which James Movick had done for the Congress and the overseas student movement before being expelled from the country. It was plain that his leadership was absent from the Congress and this made it a slightly sadder and less dynamic event than the previous year.

Despite this, the Congress ended with a powerful feeling of unity in the traditional mini-cultural concert and the farewell social.

For the New Zealanders, a farewell of this kind is a rare experience, as the overseas students possess a much more group conscious state of mind. By that time we knew many people there and were able to throw ourselves into the celebration.

It is very important that students here make an attempt to understand the situation of our overseas friends. Theirs is not such a happy lot. The ISC is the only time where they can get together in a national level, and come next May, New Zealand students would be well advised attending it in Auckland. All who went from Wellington agree that the experience was both valuable and enjoyable.

David Murray