being waged -- with the help of the Bible Society.

The General Secretary of the Bible Society of Ghana, Mr. David Nii Ayi Hammond, told how the scriptures were being translated into different languages throughout the world.

"Eradicating illiteracy means eradicating poverty,'' he said.

The guest speaker at the weekly luncheon of Hamilton Lions, Mr. Hammond, a lawyer who has been working in the insurance business, pointed out the Bible Society distributed two or three million Bibles in Africa last year.

Worldwide the figure was about 18 million.

Mr. Hammond, 47, who was called to the Ghana Bar in June 1970, stressed Bibles were always sold at "affordable prices''.

For in parts of Africa, communities were bedevilled by poverty, and youngsters' education was severely hampered -- all for the want of a few dollars.

"In many cases the scriptures are the only supplementary reading material in schools,'' he said.

Mr. Hammond, a father-of-four, said it was often considered a luxury for people to get two meals a day.

More often than not, they had to make do with one meal. Unemployment, too, was a massive problem.

The Bible Society, through its translations, was introducing hope to many people.

"Above all, we believe in the rights of all.'' Mr. Hammond, who speaks four languages, said human conflict and suffering, such as that experienced in Africa or eastern Europe, stemmed from a fault in human nature.

It was not a racial problem, since often blacks were fighting blacks.

The Bible Society believed men should be their brother's keepers, and was willing to help, without regard to sex, creed, background or race.

And it was determined to continue sharing the joys of the scriptures to the world.

Mr. Hammond said the Society translated Bibles into about 2,000 different languages.

The translation involved a complex, and lengthy process.

"We don't receive any Government support -- we rely on support from individuals, churches, and philanthropic organisations.''