Sleepy New Zealand might feel a world away from the political storms brewing in the US and Europe. We are not as isolated as it may seem. The NZ election might not be til next year, but 2016 showed important possibilities and dangers for those who want to see progressive change.
If you do not know what an Ego Activist is let me explain. You will have one, or if you’re unlucky, more than one on your timeline. But even if you don’t interact in social media the fact is this year they even infiltrated main stream media.
There are many reasons why states may be said to go to war with one another.
There should be a unified call from the Opposition to expel the Israeli embassy for their threat if Bill English won’t front.
What Israel are doing to the Palestinian people is the great crime of our collective generation. The things they do every day to humiliate, imprison, mutilate and torture the Palestinian people in an economic, cultural and social manner is an abomination.
We can’t trust the gutless, toothless and self interested NZ Press Council for ethics in Journalism, but seeing as we as a National have surprisingly stood against Israeli aggression at the UN, don’t we owe it to the activists who have fought against Apartheid Israel and who have suffered for that stance the chance to have injustices to them wiped clean?
This is lazy journalism, it’s not news. Imagine what we could do in this country of the media focused on the suicide rate the way they do the bloody holiday road toll.
How is a slavish worship of consumerism on Boxing Day and the continued tedious update of our holiday road toll anywhere near as important as NZs leadership on criticising Israel?
There is nothing as eye opening as seeing the ocean of desperation from fellow New Zealanders sleeping overnight on the street in the fervent hope of some basic gifts.
As I pass them, I think, ‘there but for the grace of God go I’.
The US State Department has denied an entry visa to 15 year old Palestinian Ahed Tamini . She has been invited by FOSNA (Friends of Sabeel North America) to take part in an US speaking tour beginning in mid-January, No Child Behind Bars , Living Resistance.