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Span: Pacific Focus

Span: The South Pacific Action Network

The South Pacific Action Network (Span) is a group concerned with developing, through a network of contacts throughout the South Pacific, a greater awareness of the social, political, cultural and economic issues concerning the region.

Initially formed in 1973, Span has concerned itself in recent times with acting as an information service—receiving information from other Pacific nations and channelling this to other interested groups around New Zealand, as well as feeding out material from New Zealand.

While this education function has been a valuable one, current political trends in the South Pacific suggest that Span must also become involved in actively supporting the struggle of all Pacific peoples against colonialism, neocolonialism and more recently the spectre of the superpowers adding the Pacific to their chess board

The present situation in the New Hebrides is a clear example of colonial powers interfering with the democratic right of an indigenous people to independence. Since its inception Span has actively supported and aided the Vanunatu Party in its claims against the British and French condominium. Span also supports the people of West Irian (West Papua New Guinea) who have for years struggled against Indonesian attempts at colonization.

Throughout the South Pacific, the threat of foreign economic dominance is a real one. Australian and New Zealand economic interests dominate the economies of smaller island nations and in turn are dominated by large scale and multi-national interests. The consequences of this are clear: not only does New Zealand actively short-change its Pacific neighbours, it also becomes the loser when faced with the increasing control of our own economic and political resources by foreign interests

Over the coming year, Span hopes to focus on selected issues relevant to New Zealanders and the South Pacific in general. As well as publishing the Span newsletter, "Spacific", it is hoped that we will be able to assist in getting more relevant material on current issues to the public.

However, to do this Span needs people who are interested in the South Pacific and its future, and who are prepared to donate some of their time to making the Pacific more of a priority in New Zealand. A meeting will be held in the Lounge (middle floor. Union Building) at 1 pm on Thursday 23rd March. If you are interested but can't come to the meeting then give Neil Gray a call (home ph. 843-239) or drop into the Span office (behind the Third World Shop in Courtenay Place.)

The Pacific for the Pacific Peoples!

—Neil Gray