A grassroots catalogue: greatest

thing since sliced bread

Ways of developing technology ap propriate to the needs, cultures and resources oflhe South Pacific was one of the six themes of the first young nations conference, held in Sydney during August 1976.

If we agree with Robert Waddell, one of the participants, that such a technology should (a) bring tools and energy sources where they are needed; (b) maximise employment; (c) en courage growth in the poorest areas; (d) be decentralised so that its products can readily be made, main tained and repaired by people on the spot, then it is clear that the imported technology, from Samoa in the east to New Guinea in the west, falls far short of his criteria.

An appropriate technology for the South Pacific is one that is less costly in terms of capital, less complicated and requires much less back-up or in frastructure in the form of public ser vants, highly educated technologists, costly spare parts, etc.

Take just one example; transport.

On most islands, the distances are not long enough to warrant the use of costly foreign-made trucks, with sophisticated engines, differentials, gears, etc, that require great expertise in maintenance and considerable monetary outlay on spare parts and fuel. Animal transport, eg Zebu-cross cattle and wooden carls, could carry produce in rural areas. The cattle could be bred and the carls manufac tured in the villages, greatly reducing expenditure of foreign exchange and lessening reliance on the vagaries of the world commodity markets and

foreign aid.

In other words, the new nation becomes more sell-sulficienl and depends less on political lies with in dustrialised, more powerful nations.

Not surprisingly, an increasing

number ol people in countries with low per capita incomes and/or little industrialisation have begun to look for an appropriate technology, and there is quite a volume ol information on this.

Regrettably, not much of this infor mation has so far found its way to the

Books

Pacific. It is therefore good news that, in the case of Papua New Guinea, the Melanesian Council of Churches has brought out Liklik Buk Bilong Kain Kain Samting, a catalogue that con tains information on such matters as primary energy crops, export crops, livestock, processing, building, cot tage industries, rural health and adult education.

The section on animating village development is particularly welcome, and the many articles and il lustrations, backed up by addresses of people and organisations from whom further information can be obtained, reflect a down-to-earth approach.

There are, for instance, 14 uses for old tyres and inner tubes listed, among them feed troughs for animals, erosion barriers on steep hills, sandals and the compilers invite readers to let them know about others.

The value of this catalogue will greatly depend upon the feedback from those for whom it has been com piled; teachers in rural schools, agricultural extension workers, business development officers and village leaders. Well-indexed an covering as wide a range of activities and ‘things’ as can be expected of a first edition, this catalogue must be kept up to date if it is to retain its value, let alone to be improved.

The compilers realise this and are hoping to bring out a revised and ex panded edition before long. I hope that they consider having it in loose leaf form, with a waterproof ring binder and every page with reinforced holes to fit the binder. This would make it cheaper to up-date the catalogue: it would merely need an annual issue of pages to amend or add to previous ones.

Whoever sent the review copy to PI M's editor enclosed a note saying that the Liklik Buk ‘is the greatest thing since sliced bread’. That is precisely what it is not: it is, instead, a compendium of information that, I hope, will lead to South Pacific alter

natives to sliced bread.

Harry

Jackman

(LIKLIK BUK BILONG KAIN KAIN SAMTING. Com piled by P. R. Hale and B. D. Williams. Published by the Melanesian Council of Churches, Lae, PNG, 1976. 52.00.)