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Manawatu Branch Newsletter – March 2011

116

Manawatu Branch NZ China Friendship Society

Next Meeting Friday April 8th 2011

At the ETC Learning Centre, Broadway, Palmerston North. 7.30pm

Topic: The Uyhgur People of Xinjiang

The Uyghur people of are the largest minority group in the Xinjiang Autonomous Region and about 80% of them live in the south west Tarim Basin region of the province. They are of Turkic ethnicity and have a rich culture of song and dance which is popular throughout China.

 

Speaker: Fu Yujuan

Fu Yujuan (or Mimi) is from Urumqi where she works in the Xinjiang Animal Disease Prevention and Control Centre specialising in poultry diseases such as Avian Influenza. She is currently a visiting scholar at the Institute of Veterinary, Animal and Biomedical Sciences, Massey University where she is working in the Microbiology Section.

 

 

 

Our last Meeting

At our December meeting we were joined by Wanganui branch members to say farewell to the Liu family, Guozhong, Zhongjing and Nannan who have now returned to Shandan. Guozhong has successfully completed his masterate thesis at Massey University on the organisation and administration of rural cooperatives in Gansu. 

While in Palmerston North, Zhongjing improved her English language and undertook a glasshouse garden project with honours in tomato growing. Nannan was among the top five students at Palmerston North Girls’ High with excellence in mathematics, chemistry and geography.

At our October Meeting

Liu Guozhong gave a fascinating account of the Evolution of Farmers Copperatives in China. He followed their development from preliberation times through the formation of peoples communes, the cultural revolution, and the household responsibility system up until the present time. He discussed the failure of the work points system and the difficulties in administration of large collective organisations. He finished by illustrating the successes of many of the recent rural cooperatives in China formed by specialised groups of farmers which have encouraged members to increase production and improve their marketing opportunities for their products.

Coming Events – Easter Trip to Rewi Alley’s whare Moeawatea Valley

Leaving on Saturday morning (weather permitting) visitors would have the option visiting the cottage and returning to Palmerston North on late on Saturday night or staying in the valley overnight and returning home on Sunday. Anyone who is interested in the trip should contact us at 3570362.

Identity and Heritage in New Zealand: Looking for survey participants

Are you a New Zealander of Chinese and European descent? Would you like to participate in a study about identity?

We are looking for men and women aged over 20, with one parent who is Chinese and one who is European/Caucasian (doesn’t matter where the parent was born), to complete a short online survey for a study on identity in New Zealand. Interested in participating? We would be happy to hear from you. Thank you in advance!

Zarine Rocha, New Zealand PhD Student, currently at the National University of Singapore. Email: [email protected]

You can find the survey here:

http://bit.ly/NZidentity

Earthquake Appeal

Many branches are raising money for the Christchurch earthquake appeal. The Rewi Alley Cultural Centre, in Christchurch has openeda separate bank account for monies raised for support of Society members following the National Disaster in Christchurch, and will distribute the monies accordingly. So if we wish to support our friends in the Society, then we can now do so.

Eric Livingstone reports that about 10% if NZCFS members are really hurting emotionally and financially.

“Half our main roads through the city are closed so others are not coping with extreme traffic loads, travel because of damaged roads is slow, supermarket car parks are overflowing at most times because half of them are still closed – they have extra staff from those closed but cannot keep the shelves loaded and not all goods are available. Many people have moved into less damaged suburbs so that makes the shopping and traffic there even worse. Restaurants are full because half are munted & closed and many people are tired of eating in with permanent visitors. Most theatres are closed as are most libraries, shows are cancelled, beaches are polluted and are not to be visited, museums and galleries, public gardens and many markets are closed. Job losses are huge and some people are really hurting with damage first in September, total destruction now and a job loss as well. Some retirees have lost their business they were about to sell (an owner rang tonight to say they had half an hour today to get some business files out but no time for clothing or personal effects before their seemingly solid brick building is demolished tomorrow). Winter is coming and many lives are off the rails. It is going to hit some hard very soon.”

NZCFS Website

Among the topics discussed and demonstrated at the recent Lower Nth Island regional meeting in February was the new NZCFS website

Maurice Alley

25th March 2011.