12 Countries

Mall Kingdom

Plays Host To

>m Dorothy Lavin, in Nukualofa

The tiny Kingdom of Tonga

k on a nation-size job when undertook to play host to

resentatives from 12 different

intries during the Pan-Pacific

i South East Asia Women’s

sociation Conference in

gust. riTH delegates and observers totalling approximately 200, it ; the largest influx of visitors at one time, probably in the history Tonga.

Vith comparatively few amenities work with, it says much for the anisation, before and during the ference, that everything went h a smoothness that not only mnded the visitors, but the igans too. lie conference itself was held in new Tungi Building, an arcade shops and offices just completed in kualofa’s main street. The main 1, which is situated upstairs and s the full length of the building, i ideal for the many addresses ;n during the conference, and for various concerts held in the nings.

Delegates were billeted with Tongan I European families, an arrange nt which proved popular, fhe informality of home life came a welcome relief after each day’s gramme in conference. Queen ote opened both the new build and the conference.

Theme fhe theme of the PPSEAWA nth Conference was—“ The Role Women in Preserving the Cultural ritage of Mankind”. Many aspects this theme were taken by the ious speakers, from the practical w to the idealist, but many other >jects were spoken on and discussed i, such as the work of the United tions and its subsidiary organisa ns. 3ne of the most interesting was ; talk given by Dr. Elmina Lucke, New York, on the Mekong River 3ject—one of the biggest inter tional efforts the world has known, e work of the World Health ganisation was illustrated aptly by

Mr. Ben Adan, World Health Organisation engineer at present engaged in sinking wells and piping water to the outlying villages in Tongatapu.

Dr. N. T. Burbidge of Canberra, international secretary of PPSEAWA, gave a thought-provoking talk suggesting that much work could be done by PPSEAWA to assist adults to read and write. She pointed out that few books have been printed to teach adults to read and that PPSEAWA could find the needs of its own particular areas and attempt to have books printed and distributed.

Her suggestions were adopted by the

recommendations committee and already offers of help have started to come in.

The conference was not without its relaxations. Delegates were taken out to one of the islands for a picnic and entertained at Tongan feasts and concerts, • The people of Nissan Island, Bougainville, using bush knives, picks, shovels and wheelbarrows, are re conditioning a wartime airstrip so that it will take DC3 aircraft. The strip is about 7,000 ft. long and 300 ft. wide.