Speech
Pan-Pacific and South East Asian Women's Association
Greetings, Kia Ora, Kia Orana, Fakalofa Lahi Atu,Taloha Ni
To: the international president of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asian Women's Association, Papalii Dr Viopapa Annadale; Dr Niva Thakurdus, Auckland past president of the Association; Mrs Shiromani Pillay, Auckland Vice-President of the Association; Reverend Valerie Hogan; Distinguished Guests, my greetings to you all.
I am delighted to welcome you here to Government House in Auckland this afternoon as the Patron of the Pan-Pacific and South East Asia Women's Association for this 80th birthday celebration.
I have been asked to be the patron of several organisations since my husband, Anand, became the Governor-General of New Zealand in August 2006.
For more than fifty years Anand's family has had a very close association with PPSEAWA.
My mother-in-law, Tara Satyanand, joined the association here in Auckland in 1958, and I know that she devoted a great deal of time to it - and drew great strength from it.
She was a president of the Auckland branch and New Zealand vice president - and she felt most honoured when she was made a life member.
As you can imagine, she was delighted that one of her son's was sworn in as New Zealand's 19th Governor-General. She was seriously ill at the time but was able to watch the ceremony on television. Sadly she died a month later.
A wonderful energy is produced when women get together in a group to devote themselves to a common cause. I have seen this in several organisations related to women, family and children of which I am patron, such as National Children's Day, Rural Women NZ, Girl Guiding New Zealand, the NZ Federation of Women's Institutes and the YWCA of Aotearoa. Recently, I attended the Annual General Meeting of the Maori Women's Welfare League who showed their commitment to their organisation.
That energy seems to be particularly vibrant when it involves women from different countries. For PPSEAWA that cause is peace and understanding in the Pacific and South East Asia. Those words 'peace' and 'understanding' are taken in their widest terms - so that PPSEAWA's scope is very broad - from family life to national life ... to international life.
The great strength of this organisation is that it fosters a real understanding among women of diverse races, cultures, religions and ways of life - and this kind of bonding is surely more important today than it has ever been.
There is a very apt Maori saying on working together to reach common goals.
It is:
Kaua e rangi-rua-tia
Te he o te hoe
E kore to ta-tou
Waka e u ki uta
The translation is that in a waka, we must lift the paddles in unison or we will not reach the shore - but of course the message behind this image is that we must work together for the success of PPSEAWA and its wider community.
That community is spread over about 20 countries - and it was a pleasure for me to see delegates from all over the Pacific and South East Asia at last year's conference here in Auckland.
That this organisation - founded by a group of women who met in Honolulu in 1928 - has continued in a spirit of peace and progress for eight decades -is a great tribute to those who have been involved, and those who are involved today.
So when Dr Thakurdus asked me if we could host the celebrations, I was delighted to find a date and make it happen. In the context of this role, we take pride in fostering the warm links our country has internationally.
I would like to wish you all the best for your next 80 years! Congratulations and happy birthday!
No reira, tena koutou, kia ora, kia kaha, tena koutou katoa.