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Salient. Victoria University Student Newspaper. Vol. 38, No. 9. April 29, 1975

Overseas Students' Congress — Overseas Students' Congress (OSC)

page 5

Overseas Students' Congress

Overseas Students' Congress (OSC)

at Knock-na-Gree Camp, Auckland.

What is OSC?

It is NZUSA policy that every two years there shall be a Conference called Overseas Students' Conference So delegates of the overseas student communities from major university centres flock together for a period of merriness, gripes and moans. The topics invariably tend to revolve around welfare, academic and social problems of overseas students in New Zealand. According to accepted customs and traditions the Immigration Department has been a target of abuse. Anyway, these get togethers give NZUSA moguls some ideas on the feelings and aspiriations of overseas students. Consequently through intensive NZUSA efforts many changes have been made benefitting overseas students in New Zealand.

We have decided to broaden the appeal of such a Conference so as to include more students both overseas and local. While not losing sight of the traditional objective of the Conference and mindfull of the injustices still placed upon overseas students, the Congress (as distinct from a Conference in which there is a limited cross-flow of ideas between student participants and key speakers) intends to run along the lines of an international affairs congress, raising as many international issues as possible. By doing so it is hoped that a more realistic understanding of the international background from which New Zealand currently draws its overseas students is gained. Because of the nature of this congress — its variety and topical interest — the scope for participation of both local and overseas students is indeed limitless. In this respect, the name Overseas Students' Congress temporarily loses its relevance.

Cartoon of a bodybuilder flying a kite

How Much Will It Cost?

Our congress budget is drawn up on a 150 person basis and is aimed to cost about $ 12 per person for the whole 5 days (this has to exclude travel). Special allowance will be made for those who can only attend for less than the five days.

What Would You Possibly Get by Coming?

The entire Congress is designed to be both educational (somewhat distinct from what you used to get at school, varsity etc.) and relaxing (you can treat this as a whole week of hilarious camping holiday if you like). See the programme!

How would you like to have all-night movies in a chapel-turned-cinema-house?

To be wrapped up in a sleeping-bag under a clear night sky by a huge camp fire?

A train ride to Auckland, a bush-tramp in the Waitakere Ranges, a pony-ride, a visit to the vineyards, or just peeling potatoes in the thick of conversation with your new-found friends?

Come Along! We bet you'd enjoy every minute of it!

Oh yes, we would like you to remember remember one thing! This Congress is participatory to the strictest sense of the word Everybody who comes will have to do his/ her share of work. Whether it is scrubbing floors, dish washing, cooking, or just putting putting back a roof blown away by the wind! That goes for invited guests, speakers, or just you.

Travel?

In order not to place an extra burden burden on those who have to travel a great deal more distance and thus cost more for them, we are planning a travel subsidy of between 20% - 60% per person depending on how much each Studass we have approached in prepared to help.

The Programme

The essence of the 5 day programme is 'enjoyment' To put the Congress on in the university seems to us just a matter of giving you an extra week of terms lectures. So we moved to a camp site, 30 acres with bush and creek and even rabbits that come out at dusk.

In amongst the enjoyment we have placed a programme of speakers and discussions, panels and films, tapes and slides and music.

It seemed to us important that in 1975 an opportunity be provided to come together from all over New Zealand to talk about issues and events in home countries. Previous conferences have had student welfare as the prime theme so now we are relegating welfare as such to second place and instead making the main theme social, economic and political issues in the coutries where students come from and other countries as well.

The 13 to the 17 May is Tuesday to Saturday. If you arrive in Auckland before that Tuesday you can actually stay at the camp anytime from Sunday evening onwards.

The first half of Tuesday is devoted to registration and familiarization and welcome and then we launch into looking at a distant example of social change — South America. In the evening a panel will present some excellently researched material on Indochina. On Wednesday you can fly a kite early in the morning and after breakfast you can participate in a session on Malaysia and Singapore.

In the afternoon Fiji and other Pacific Islands will be looked at and some themes of common problems discussed. There is Fiji-style hangi food waiting for you and a big fire to relax around and hear more about Indochina, see slides of recent Malaysian elections and other tapes and film. You are welcome to crash any night by the fire.

Thursday is Your Day. 'Slack out day' we have called it. A chance to do nothing or your own thing or go tramping, or beaching or train riding or whatever. In the evening we will have continual barbeque food going and a session about Maori Politics in New Zealand.

If you are up by 9 am. on Friday morning you can take part in a session examining deffering philosophic and religious traditions such as Hindu, Muslim, Buddhism and Christianity. In the afternoon we will examine NZ aid agencies and official external aid including the scholarship system. Then in the same afternoon a panel looks at student welfare concerns. This includes two postgraduate students presenting current research into problems that students from Malaysia, Singapore and Fiji face in New Zealand.

Then for Friday evening we have a session on Africa with an excellent documentary film and speakers. Over food and beside the fire you can discuss these issues and if you are still awake in the late evening then we will treat you to a full length 'big picture'.

Sleep in if you can on Saturday morn morning. After you have a bite to eat and a cup of coffee we want to hear your gripes and moans about Congress and anything else. Any business resolutions and thoughts about future Congresses can be done then. In the late afternoon we have the Congress capping ceremony at which everyone will graduate and receive degrees from the University of Knock-na-Gree! For the evening a variety of foods will be ready for you and then a glorious concert and dancing and anything — all night, all night, all night.

Tapes, slides, films will have lots of showings during the Congress. Also the broadcasting system at Congress means that if you use a transistor radio you can in fact listen to talks and tapes etc. where-ever you are at the camp.

What to Bring:
  • Warm sleeping bag and blanket.
  • Good walking shoes.
  • Kites, balls, records, tapes, musical instruments.

How to Get There

The camp is 10 miles west of Auckland Auckland. You can catch a bus there from the city — the West Coast Road Oratia Bus. There will also be transport from the airport. When you arrive ring from the city terminal 818-7802. If desperate ring 600-536 or 863-063.

Want to Come?

If you want to come, please contact Bryony Hales at Studass, and leave details of who, how and when you will be arriving in Auckland.

This Congress Will be Open to All Students and Important for All Students. Please Come.