Letters

Wall work

under fire

THE-NEWLY elected Presi dent of the South Pacific Games Council, Paul Wallwork, criticises the or ganisers of the 9th South Pacific Games for paying more attention to sponsors than to sport (PIM Oct. 91).

This I utterly refute.

It is true that the PNG Games were supported by a generous and regionally minded private sector. Sport at this level deserves the best facilities that money can buy, and sponsorship is an essential ingredient of any successful international sporting event today. All participants, in cluding Mr Wallwork, greatly enjoyed the facilities,

equipment, hospitality and

other benefits provided by the generosity of our sponsors.

But having made their con tribution, our sponsors gener ally withdraw to the back ground, to enable the sports men and women of the South Pacific to have the two weeks of glory they had worked for.

Sport was given top pri ority. Visiting team man agers, our sports directors, venue managers and the full organising committee of the Games met on a daily basis to

ensure that the needs of sport were met ... the needs of the athletes, managers, technical officials, spectators and the media.

Similar committees dealt with the needs of the visiting VIPs, and the officials of the SP Games Council.

No such attention was paid to sponsorrs. If we inadver

tently neglected to provide

any courtesy to anyone de serving of it, then of course we apologise. But to suggest that this was because we were paying undue attention to our sponsors is simply not sup ported by the facts.

We modestly believe that the 9th South Pacific Games set 21st Century standards for this great Pacific event.

Countless happy visitors agree with us. The success was achieved by our volunteers, our professional adminis trators, our crowds, our gov ernment, and our sponsors.

But it was first and foremost an achievement of the people for whom the Games are held ... the sportsmen and women of the South Pacific, and the officiials who support them.

We in Papua New Guinea never lost sight of that.

Bart Philemon

Chairman, 9th S.P. Games, Papua New Guinea.

Helu’s comment IN Mr Futa Helu’s recent commentary {Aid aiding cor ruption, PIM, October, 91), he states that “US aid very rarely, if every (sic), supports postgraduate studies by Pa cific Islanders.” This charge is blatantly false. Likewise, Mr Helu’s assertion that through its educational programmes the US Governent aims to monopolise “the rarefied

world of. . . imported advice”

by “bar (ring) islanders” from obtaining advanced de grees is ridiculous. Had Mr Helu checked his facts he would have easily found his accusations were unfounded.

In the educational pro grammes which the US Gov ernment funds directly for the Pacific, the vast majority of the candidates study for mas ters’ or doctorate degrees.

Under the Fulbright pro gramme which the United States Information Service administers, all guarantees from the Pacific are studying for masters of doctorate de grees. In the case of East-West Center which is largely funded by the US Govern ment, the majority of individ ual applicants vie for post

graduate placement.

The US Agency for Inter national Development (USAID) focuses most of its

training efforts on postgradu ate programmes for Pacific Islanders as well. Since 1985, 24 islanders have undertaken postgraduate studies at Am erican universities for mas ters, doctorates or postgradu ate diplomas. USAID has undertaken the funding of only a few undergraduate students. In addition to five undergraduate students who were sent to the US for specialised study programmes not available in the region, several undergraduate candi dates supported by USAID have undertaken their studies at regional universities. This is because USAID feels that where regional programmes can meet the needs of individ ual students, USAID’s re sources should remain in the region and support those in stitutions. USAID’s training programmes, which also in clude postgraduate non degree studies, are directly linked to its projects which are developed in cooperation with the island nations’ gov ernments.

There are many viewpoints concerning the merits and drawbacks of aid pro grammes. A thoughtful dis cussion of aid programmes in the region would be welcome.

Judith A Moon

Director, Information Service US Embassy, Suva