Social Investment in South East Asia

I attended this event on behalf of the Institute. The purpose of the meeting appeared to be twofold:

1. To publicise the work being done by MSI in SE Asia and (more importantly)

2. To inform sponsors and potential sponsors of the value of the work and to urge the need for continued financial support.

During the periods before and after the short speeches I was able to meet Dr Tim Black, Chief Executive of MSI, various staff members with special responsibilities in South East Asia, Sir Charles Pereira (MSI Board member), one or two sponsors and Lady Chalker.

Lady Chalker gave a pragmatic and admirably succinct speech which focused upon the increased importance HMG saw in promoting, with cash and preferably through joint interactions, work on family planning. She also stressed the considerable importance of the private sector in supporting and promoting work of this kind.

Mr Atula Nanyakkara, Chief Executive of the MSI’s partner programme in Sri Lanka, spoke briefly about some aspects of the work being done in Asia and he was followed by Dr Tim Black whose message was mainly to sponsors and potential sponsors.

Staff of MSI are very grateful for the assistance rendered by the Birth Control Trust of the Galton Institute for the work in Indonesia and took some trouble to seek me out and assure me how much this support is valued by MSI.

J A Beardmore