What about Movick?

During the final plenary of the International Students Congress, held in Canterbury, May 1978, a number of resolutions were passed. One of the areas covered by these resolutions concerned the continued struggle by overseas students to gain equal rights with local students as regards student politics ie. elected positions in Student Unions and NZUSA.

In view of this struggle Congress passed a resolution of acknowledgment (R.16)

"That this Congress loudly acclaims the selfless dedication and contributions of James Movick in advocating the rights of overseas students while in his capacity as NOSAC co-ordinator and International Vice President of NZUSA."

James Movick had been in many ways the active centre for the vocalization of overseas students interests. But a lack of foresight by NZUSA and the discriminatory policies of the Immigration Dept, had made sure that the position of Movick was untenable whereby he was subsequently ordered to leave the country voluntarily or face the threat of deportment.

A previous letter from us (Salient April 24) had pointed out that it was NZUSA's bureaucratic mentality and lack of any real interests in the overseas students movement which allowed a situation to exist whereby although overseas students pay the same amount of union fees as the local students they have not been getting the obligatory equal rights in the union and NZUSA affairs. James Movick's ordeal had objectified this position sufficiently enough for overseas students to recognise the fact that the plight of James Movick was reflective of the general position of all overseas students.

The ISC thus passed two other specific resolutions in view of the need to continue the fight for equal rights,

Resolution 19 (b): "That this Congress urges NZUSA to continue the struggle to win equal rights for overseas students to take up NZUSA positions. We recommend that NZUSA tries all possible means to bring James Movick back to New Zealand to continue the job he was elected to do."

Resolution 12: "That this Congress believes that the work done for overseas students and on international campaigns are a vital part of NZUSA's activities and thus strongly supports the retention of the International Vice President position." (Carried unanimously with acclamation).

These wishes and interests of the overseas students had been expressed with the hope that NZUSA would continue its publicly stated campaign to fight for the James Movick case. But what subsequently happened at the NZUSA May Council,.. held shortly after the International Students Congress, has dealt a serious blow to the continuation of this struggle. The position of International Vice-President of NZUSA was scraped.

In their attempts to hold the bureaucratic status-quo intact by means of a series of compromises they found it convenient to sacrifice the interests of the overseas students. Thus the struggle to get James Movick back into the country and thus possibly win equal rights for all overseas students can no longer be continued, for the elected position left vacant by Movick's departure no longer exists.

And to Lindy Cassidy, President VUWSA we have two quotes from her reply to our last letter, in which she defended NZUSA, followed by two questions,

Quote 1; "A great deal of time and money was put into trying to appeal against the Minister of Immigration's decision through the courts! Now that James has left that battle continues."

Question; Could you please give us an outline as to how this battle is being continued, what headway has been made and whether the abrogation of the elected position of James Movick could have in any way an adverse effect on the appeals to get Movick back to NZ.

Quote 2: "Though we have lost the first stage of this campaign NZUSA is obliged to continue to win equal rights for overseas students. It is an important principle, and one which I personally am prepared to continue to fight for."

Question: Could Lindy Cassidy inform us of the position she and other members of the VUWSA delegation to the May Council took as regards the NZUSA position of International Vice-President?

We the undersigned believe that the above questions be adequately answered and the situation be clarified if NZUSA hopes to continue being seen by overseas students as a politically dependable organisation reflecting the interests and demands of the general overseas student body.