CO
E.R.
constructive partnership between Government and the voluntary
sector. In a given situation each makes its own essential
contribution. The Government, having responded positively to
the need for help in the world refugee crisis last summer, has
since provided essential funds, co-ordination and administrative
.support. For their part, the voluntary bodies have provided a
flexible, caring and practical service for the refugees
themselves. We are achieving together what neither of us could
very easily have achieved separately.
The programme, however, also involves other agencies and services.
the
Traditionally, Government's role is to help provide the refugees
with survival skills though goodness knows the boat people have
shown their survival skills already! - and to set them up for
going out into the community. In the Vietnamese programme,
Government is, therefore, funding more than just the costs of
maintaining and staffing reception centres. It is also
reimbursing local education authorities in full for their
costs in providing refugees in these centres with an intensive
programme of education in English language and communication
skills. But after this initial launch, initiative and
responsibility pass increasingly to the local communities where
/the refugees