Overseas Student Congress

The International Student Congress this year is the responsibility of Victoria University Students to plan and organize. Between the 5th and 8th of May Overseas and New Zealand students from all University Campuses will meet at Akatarwa Campsite north of Upper Hutt to discuss a variety of topics relating to individual and collective problems, political, social and cultural issues.

This is only the second time that the N.Z.U.S.A. initiated congress has been held. The first Congress which was organized by Auckland University Students and held at Knok-na-Gree camp in Auckland in 1975 was a great success for its educational and cultural function. This year we hope to make the Congress as great a success and of course improve where mistakes have been made in the past.

The Congress is open to any overseas and New Zealand Students who want to learn from other nationalities and understand the reasons for Overseas Student cutbacks, the military coup in Thailand and the contention between the two superpowers particularly as it relates to South East Asia and the South Pacific. For, even though New Zealand students are welcome this congress particularly hopes to give Overseas students an opportunity to talk about the countries in which they live, if they wish, and the problems they are facing in New Zealand with their study and living conditions. The overseas student welfare issue will in fact be given important priority early in the congress.

The intention of the International Student Congress Planning Committee is to make this Congress not only an educative four days but also a social event with plenty of sport and cultural events. In fact, each day it is planned to have lunch and tea prepared by a different group of Overseas Students in as near as possible to their traditional manner.

This year the Congress is being planned by representatives from V U.W.S.A., M.S. S.A., the International Club, Fiji and Samoan Clubs and hopefully M.S.A. If you have any suggestions as to how you think the Congress can best cater particularly for the needs of Overseas students would you please give them to either Lindy Cassidy President of V.U.W.S.A. at the Students Association office, or James Movik, Overseas Students Officer, or come along to the Thursday night committee meetings that are held in the President's Office at 7.30pm.

A new addition to the Agenda, this year there is a workshop on Women and other issues. Undoubtably to be discussed will be the new French initiatives in the South Pacific and an analysis of developments in Southern Africa. But it is hoped that the many needs of Overseas Students will be catered for.

For futher details about the Congress and registration please watch Salient and the notice boards.

Planning Committee I.S.C