A Focus on our NZCFS Projects

with

MA BAORU

Honorary Member of the NZ China Friendship Society

and Special Guest for our 60th Anniversary

with an exhibition of her own photographs of projects

~ Next meeting: 8 June ~

The full pdf of the newsletter is available at: NZCFSNelsonMay/June2012.pdf

In 1989, Rewi Alley asked Tom Newnham to write the story of the New Zealand nurse, Kathleen Hall. Baoding was the closest city to the village of Songjiazhuang, where Kathleen had worked, and it was there that Tom met Madam Ma Baoru in the Municipal Foreign Affairs Office. He asked about He Ming Qing, Kathleen’s Chinese name. She was a little surprised that he wanted to find out about a Chinese woman.

Ma Baoru accompanied Tom for a week and discovered that Kathleen was not Chinese, but a very special New Zealand woman. Inspired to begin her own research, Ma Baoru is today Kathleen’s most devoted disciple, escorting increasing numbers of New Zealanders to Quyang County. Our photo shows her at the time she received her Honorary Membership from Dave Bromwich during the NZCFS Projects Tour in 2009.

We are planning a big welcome for this remarkable woman, and urge you to invite friends and relations to meet Ma Baoru and hear more about the project work she is involved in.

As usual, we will begin with a brief general meeting and then enjoy our meal at 6 pm, costing $12. Our speaker will begin about 7pm. Friends and visitors are most welcome but please notify Barbara when you ring so that we have accurate numbers for the meal.

Friday 8 June .. Hearing House .. 5:30 pm

To arrange catering please ring:

Barbara Markland Ph. 544 4712 by Tuesday 5 June

or e-mail: [email protected]

STOP PRESS: Pot Luck Meal at Kathy Beatson’s with Ma Baoru on Saturday 9 June at 6 pm. All NZCFS members are welcome. Call Kathy (547 9940) about your contribution.

LAST MEETING: A large group of 36 members enjoyed a superb talk by Anne Todd-Lambie about the Prominent Persons and Leaders Tour in 2011. Entitled ‘China: A First -Timer’s ABC’, Anne ran through the alphabet and gave us many fascinating and entertaining insights into her experiences during her first trip to China.

NZCFS PROJECTS 2011/12 – A SUMMARY:

• Shaanxi Women’s Federation Rural Women’s Health Project

Reached 63 villages and around 100,000 households – funded by KOHA, NZCFS and an additional $3,750 from Auckland Branch for health training activities.

• Shaanxi Women’s Federation Model Cooperatives

8 cooperatives established with assistance from Shandan Coop expert Liu Guozhong and Dave Bromwich.

• Shandan Bailie School – New Zealand Embassy Development Project Fund

Not a NZCFS Project, but the next step in making SBS the centre for rural development in NW China.

Designed collaboratively by Liu Guozhong, Dave Bromwich and the New Zealand Embassy and will include cooperative expertise from the International Committee for the Promotion of Chinese Industrial Cooperatives (ICCIC) in conjunction with the Lanzhou University College of Pasture, Animal Science and Technology – funding of $NZ78,000.

• Guangxi Buwu Project – Dragon Fruit

The 1.3km track from the reservoir was finally completed in November, 2011 with an injection of funds from MFAT.

• Sanzhiyang Rabbits Project

This project is now complete and is successfully operating. The families are receiving an adequate income from the rabbits.

• NZCFS Project Activity for 2012 – United Nations International Year of the Cooperative

NZCFS is commemorating the UN Year of the Cooperative by making four International Awards, selected from our project coops. There are 41 coops in Zhangye/Shandan, Gansu Province, and 8 in Shaanxi Province. The fund target is $3,500. The awards will be presented during the 60th Anniversary Tour.

• NW China Education

Shandan Bailie School – Andrew Knight is in his second year as a teacher of English.

Hexi College – as seen from their delightful newsletters, Ferry and Aukje are enjoying their time there.

• MFAT Sustainable Development Fund

After another change in the criteria, the new requirement is for a one-third financial input from NZCFS and they are only interested in large multi-year projects (over $500,000). Unfortunately, this is not feasible for us unless we can find a major donor.

~ Kathy Beatson, Projects Liaison

CHRISTCHURCH CONSUL GENERAL VISITS NELSON: Our photo shows the meeting in the Nelson City Council Chambers where Madam Tan Xiutian congratulated our Branch on our activities and promotions. Prior to this, she and her husband had met the NMIT Chinese students in the Chinese Garden. The Christchurch Consulate is now responsible for South Islanders’ visa applications and cares for Chinese students and tourists in the South Island.

CHINESE MOVIES: While it was disappointing that the recent Chinese movie didn’t draw a bigger audience, those present enjoyed a very human drama that elicited a few quiet tears. We are exploring options for showing another one some time during the Winter so if you are not on our email list and think you would like to come along, please let Royden know so you can be telephoned.

60th NZCFS CONFERENCE AND AGM: The 60th Anniversary National Conference was a significant celebration and a very theatrical experience, well-choreographed by Auckland Branch President, George Andrews, and a team from the Confucius Institute and the New Zealand China Youth Foundation. Important visitors from China included two of our three Honorary Members, Liu Guozhong and Ma Baoru, as well as Rewi Alley’s “number three son”, Lao San, whom some of you will have met in Shandan. Sadly, our third Honorary Member, Lu Wanru, was unable to travel.

Ambassador Xu and Auckland Mayor, Len Brown, welcomed us and the keynote speakers included: Liao Hui, Vice Chairman of the National Committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference and President of the China Oceania Friendship Association; Philip Burdon, NZCFS Patron; John McKinnon, Secretary of Defence and NZ Ambassador to China 2001 – 2004; Life Members, Cecil Fowler and Bill Willmott; National President Eric Livingstone; Dave Bromwich, North Island Vice President and Projects Coordinator; Patricia Tauroa from the China-Maori Friendship Trust; Isabel Thompson, who nursed in China in the 1950s; and the ‘ambassador’ for the godwits, Adrian Riegan.

The families of Rewi Alley and Kathleen Hall were well represented and there was a huge ‘presence’ of important historical figures: Rewi Alley, Tom Newnham and He Ming Qing (Kathleen Hall). Warren Freer, one of the earliest Auckland members who joined the NZCFS in 1955, was there, as were Don and Elizabeth McRae. Elizabeth, fresh from her return performance as Marge on “Shortland Street”, was MC for the day on Saturday, along with Sylvia Yang, who has edited an excellent video that was shot during last year’s Projects Tour and includes our own Philippa Reynolds as one of the stars.

While this might seem a dry list of names, their messages were inspirational, informative and fascinating as they traversed their personal and official experiences of New Zealand-China friendship and honoured the valuable part the NZCFS has played in developing that relationship. Look out for some of the speeches and photographs on our website: https://nzchinasociety.org.nz/

A special treat was viewing excerpts from ‘Inside Red China’, a documentary made in 1957 by Rudall and Ramai Hayward. This was enormously appreciated by the Chinese delegation. They gasped as they saw their cities and countryside as they were over 50 years ago.

Another highlight was the final presentation – a group of young Pakeha and Chinese Kiwis, gave quick, but powerful, sketches of their lives and their hopes for their future in NZ-China friendship and cooperation. Inspiring!

Our photo shows Royden Smith receiving his Distinguished Service Award at the conclusion of the AGM. He has retired after five years as National Treasurer, but now takes up the important role of South Island Vice President. Congratulations, Royden!

NEW FUND FOR CHINA FRIENDSHIP EXCHANGES: At our 60th Anniversary Conference, Liao Hui, Vice Chairman of the influential Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC) and President of the China-Oceania Friendship Association, announced a one million RMB ($NZ200,000) contribution to a new fund to promote educational, cultural and arts exchanges between China and New Zealand. He told the Conference that this contribution is initial capital for the Fund, which will be known as the Rewi Alley Friendship and Exchange Fund.

Mr Liao Hui, said that New Zealand writer and activist Rewi Alley, who lived in China from 1927 until his death in 1987, had not only devoted himself to China’s reforms but he also contributed much to friendship between China and New Zealand. The new fund “will inherit and develop the spirit of Mr Alley and continue the great cause he started”. A key objective will be to support the NZ China Friendship Society’s programme of sending volunteer teachers to the Shandan Bailie School in Gansu Province, which Rewi Alley founded in 1944 as a co-operative training centre. NZCFS President Eric Livingstone said, “The $200,000 contribution was the best 60th birthday present the Society could have hoped for.”

NZCFS PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR: We will hear more about this tour from June and Bryce Wild in July. Whet your appetite by having a look at this superb slideshow: http://vimeo.com/42018345

BEIJING EDUCATION RESEARCHERS: Several members of our Branch home-hosted this very happy delegation from April 23 to May 6. They had their brain-friendly classes with Christine at the University of Canterbury Campus in Hardy Street. The delegation enjoyed visits to the Brook Street Kindergarten, Nelson Central Primary, and the two city Colleges.

NZCFS NELSON SISTER CITY REPORT to the Nelson City Council on 3 May 2012:

Delegation Visit to Huangshi: A Mayoral/Business delegation visited Huangshi in March. This came about because of the delegation, including Bill Findlater and Dot Kettle of the Chamber of Commerce, visiting Huangshi in 2010, after accepting an invitation to their 60th anniversary celebration. Following that visit, a delegation of officials and businessmen came from Huangshi in 2011, looking for investment opportunities.

Bill Findlater spoke to a recent Nelson Branch meeting of the NZCFS and told us of the success of the recent visit. Because of the high standing of a Mayor in China, this group were given very high status, and this provided more opportunities for business discussions than may otherwise have been available. Bill also commented on the value of having their own translator, as it was possible to discuss the agenda of meetings beforehand and ensure the translation was correct.

The relationship with Nelson is highly valued in Huangshi and Bill believes that developing that relationship further is important to Nelson’s long term economic benefit. Huangshi is to be the 4th Economic Zone in China and with 2.7 million people provides all the opportunities Nelson requires. There is special interest in investing in ‘green tech’ industries and investment opportunities for young people, with many business people keen to come to Nelson. At the equivalent of NMIT, Tony Gray offered a Scholarship to NMIT in 2013, which could also include an internship in the office of the EDA.

Bill stressed the need for patience as this is a long term project, albeit with great opportunities.

Huangshi Chinese Garden: The Branch is considering how to best spend the money still in our Huangshi Chinese Garden account. One possibility being discussed is to have a stone in the garden carved with calligraphy. According to Chinese culture, this should be done by a calligrapher after they see the garden and so are able to invoke its true spirit. We are investigating the possibility of bringing a calligrapher from Huangshi, perhaps later this year.

~ Barbara Markland, Sister City Liaison

RAFFLE TICKETS: These are selling well, with special thanks to those who have taken a book to promote among their wider friends and family. Since the raffles were printed, Air New Zealand has cancelled their direct flights to Beijing but it still provides return travel from Nelson to Shanghai between 1 October, 2012 and 30 November, 2012 or 1 March, 2013 and 30 September, 2013. Remember that the draw will be on 1 October, 2012 and the Branch keeps $1 for each ticket sold.

MEMBER NEWS: We warmly welcome new member, Joanne Mulvena, and look forward to seeing her at our next meeting.

NEXT MEETING: Our next meeting is on Friday 20 July – look out for the newsletter around the 10th.

FERRY AND AUKJE’S MAY NEWSLETTER IS AVAILABLE AT: Shopping with a shadow