The Two days annual conference for the P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A Today for Tomorrow – Carrying the Mantle Forward that began on Friday 8th will end today at the Ascot Park Hotel in Invercargill
In 1977 P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A was incorporated as a national Non-Government Organisation for Pacific women living in Aotearoa New Zealand after the Pacific women’s conference held in Auckland in 1976.
One of its goal is to “provide opportunities for Pacific Island women to contribute effectively to the cultural, social, economic and political development of Aotearoa New Zealand and its people”.
The organisation accepts all women to “become members of P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A irrespective of background, faith and ethnicity – as long as they agree to support and abide by the aims and objectives of the organisation”.
This year’s event saw about 30 students, aged between five and 11, presenting six performances.
The overview of the organisation published on Face Book says, “P.A.C.I.F.I.C.A has twenty branches throughout the country with members from all Pacific ethnicities and different generations.
“We are currently the Pacific advisory group to government on breast and cervical screening, we advocate and raise awareness on issues affecting Pacific women and their families, some of our branches are involved in arts and crafts such as tivaevae making and weaving. In our branches we run nationwide AGMs focusing from leadership to child abuse to self-care.
It’s great to be able to travel throughout New Zealand and have a contact in each city. PACIFICA is where we sing, we dance, we network, we socialise, we strategize, we network but most of all we care, which is why we are all members of this group.”
The last conference held by the group was in 2002.