Pan Pacific & South East Asia Women's Association Australia Inc

History of PPSEAWA Australia

by
Doris Mitchell
Revised 1994 Val Nicholas and Phoebe Bischoff
Revised 2004 Katrina Gulliver

Foreword

The Member Associations of the International Pan Pacific and South East Asia Women’s Association join me in conveying best wishes to our long-standing friends and staunch supports of international understanding and peace – THE MEMBERS OF PPSEAWA AUSTRALIA.

From the year 1928 when the First Pan Pacific Women’s Conference was convened in Honolulu – to this year 1993 when PPSEAWA members are preparing for the Nineteenth International Conference to be held in Nuku’alofa, Tonga – PPSEAWA Australia members have played significant roles in the development of the International PPSEAWA as well as their own association. At all past 18 International Conferences, Australia PPSEAWA teams came strong – in numbers – in qualifications – in earnestness and always ready to share the responsibility of the administration of the International Association. PPSEAWA is proud of the long record of work of the many distinguished Australia members who served as International Presidents, Vice Presidents, International Secretaries, International Treasurers, Bulletin Editors and International Conference Organising Chairpersons.

Dear Australian members, your PPSEAWA friends in other 18 countries in Asia and Pacific region appreciate and value your friendship and contribution. We count on your continued strong support of the International PPSEAWA and wish you great happiness and many more achievements in the future.

Thanpuying Sumalee Chartikavanij
International President

June 1993

Introduction

2004 sees PPSEAWA Australia celebrating 50 years since the founding of the Australian Association although members have been active in PPSEAWA since 1928 when the first Pan Pacific Women’s Conference was held in Honolulu, Hawaii.
Times have changed, activities have changed, groups have come and gone however the aims of PPSEAWA stand firm and remain the core of members’ activities in 2004.

The Executive of PPSEAWA Australia 2001-2004 felt that 2004 would be an ideal year in which to revise the History of the Association booklet, printed in 1995 when the Association received funding under the National Agenda for Women’s Grants Program, Office of the Status of Women, Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet. This funding enabled the Association to print a leaflet and a brochure as well as the history.

This revised history includes information from The First Sixty Years - Australia’s Part - Author Doris Mitchell OAM and the History of 1994 and has been produced with funding from the Women’s Development Program - Office of the Status of Women, Dept. of Prime Minister and Cabinet.
In 2004 the Objectives of PPSEAWA are increasingly important as we strengthen the bonds of peace by fostering friendship and better understanding among women in all areas of the Pacific and Southeast Asia.

Mary Cabrera
President of PPSEAWA Australia

April 2004

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