News
"Being a New Zealander"
17 December 2007
| Byline: | Jess Fiebig |
|---|---|
| Source: | Humanities Research Network |
Jess Fiebig's essay was recently Highly Commended in the inaugural Council for the Humanities writing competition for Year 12 and 13 secondary school students on the topic, "Being a New Zealander".
The role of New Zealanders in the global community is one of pioneering, practicality and compassion, which has been shaped by our collective identity. Our history, politicians, icons, wars, treaties, arts and the way we relate to each other have all shaped our core values-hard work and innovation, freedom, and the idea that everyone deserves a fair go. There is so much more to being a New Zealander than marmite on toast and a beachside batch in summer, it is about our unique culture and what sets us apart from the rest, and our role not only within the national community, but the world as a whole. Because New Zealand may be little, but as my mother always said to me, great things come in small packages.
The concept of "hard yakka" is very important to New Zealanders. We are a hard working nation and value honesty and the will to give a hundred and ten percent to the job at hand. We have a reputation of determination when is comes to getting what we want-from New Zealanders struggle to be among the first in the world to claim the right to an eight-hour working day in 1840, to New Zealand women's fight for the vote and finally being granted the right in 1893, making us the first self-governing country in the world to do so. Our short national history is full of instances like these, where New Zealanders make things happen while the world stands by and watches the little island in the South Pacific do great things. We stood up to America and became nuclear free; we were the first to climb Everest, split the atom and one of the first to set up a comprehensive social welfare system. Our philosophy as New Zealanders combines hard work and practicality, and it is this mindset that has earned us many of our great achievements to date, and it is a very significant part of being a New Zealander.
The character of Fred Dagg once sang "We don't know how lucky we are mate, we don't know how lucky we are" and he was right. We are lucky to live in a country that recognises human rights, democracy and freedom. Being a New Zealander is about the right to criticise the government, form unions, protest, be educated and say exactly what we believe without fearing the consequences. Key moments in New Zealand history have been protests-for women's suffrage, against the French atomic testing at the Moruroa Atoll, the Māori land march led by Whina Cooper, and the many protests regarding the 1981 Springbok tour. These are moments in our history that have helped define who we are and our attitude towards what is important-our freedom and our beliefs. Being a New Zealander is about fundamental human rights; having freedom and using it.
Multiculturalism is a huge component of New Zealand society. We have many different ethnicities living side by side-New Zealand Europeans predominantly from English, Scottish, Irish and German descent, Maori, Pacific Islander, Asian, African and Middle Eastern and a whole lot of other racial groups who help make up our national community. We have churches, mosques, synagogues, and temples in New Zealand-we are without one exclusive state religion, but a whole mix of different people with different beliefs. The idea of multiculturalism in New Zealand is that people migrate here, take up citizenship, have New Zealand born children and are considered legitimate members of the New Zealand nation while retaining their own language, foods and traditions. Some people believe that multiculturalism is dangerous because it can lead to a loss in our identity, but I think that our multiculturalism is a lesson in our identity. Multiculturalism teaches us about how different people can be, while all still being people and the more we know about our differences and underlining similarities- the more tolerant we are likely to be. Tolerance is so important in the 21st century-it is ridiculous to think of all the things technology has enabled us to do when we still cannot get along. Being a New Zealander is about being tolerant towards others in our national community, because being a New Zealander in the 21st century means you can believe in any god, speak any language, eat any food and be a descendant from anywhere-and still be one hundred percent kiwi.
The face of New Zealand has changed a lot during its short history, both literally and in the eyes of the global community. We are no longer seen as Britain's liability, and have asserted ourselves as a nation with relevant opinions and contributions that should be taken seriously. Being a New Zealander goes beyond gumboots and borders, it is fundamentally about a value of freedom, and the capacity to use that freedom for the greater good. For isn't that what it means to be an informed and active citizen in any twenty first century democratic society? Humans, regardless of nationality, have such enormous power-we change the way this world looks, the plants and animals that live here, and life and death lies within our hands. There is no denying our power as people, but does power not come with responsibility? As informed and active citizens of the world, we must acknowledge that humans have enough influence to change things. Here in New Zealand, we have freedom, and being a New Zealander in the twenty first century is about using our freedom. I urge all New Zealanders to be informed of what is happening and what we can do. Pick up a pen, a newspaper, donate to charity, speak out, join demonstrations and most importantly be aware. Go that step further, and use your freedom.
