I give greetings to Papatuanuku, the mother earth on which we stand
I give greetings to Ranginui, the sky father who watches down on us all
I give greetings to our ancestors who have gone before us
I give greetings to everyone in this world and warmest blessings for the new year
I have just returned from a fantastic month touring around Te Wai Pounamu (the South Island of New Zealand) reminding myself how f**kin cool this country is. As a woman who works in babylon (parliament), it is easy to become distatched from the realities of life outside of work. It is very easy to forget that the majority of people in this country really don't care about what their elected representatives are doing on a day-to-day basis. What they do care about is the communities in which they live and the environment that sustains their lives. So to spend a month immersing myself in the native forests, swimming in the crystal clear waters of the rivers and waking to the chorus of our native birdlife, has been truly inspirational.
One of the interesting things I noted during my time away was the high level of awareness about this years' Presidential elections in the United States. There is a deep understanding amongst the citizens of this country that the results opf this years' election will have far more impact on the future policy directions of this country than our own elections. And we aren't even dependent on the US for aid.
I have been following the Democratic primaries, and the election in general with great interest. In particular, to hear if anyone in the US is aware of the implications of the US elections on little countries like the one I live in. Sadly, it appears not, but correct me if I am wrong.
I decided last year to find a group dedicated to educating American citizens on how important their votes are to people like me. I have found a group that I have become involved with. To readers who are not American citzens I urge you to register to vote. To readers who are American, I urge you with all my heart and soul to be aware of what the rest of us think. There is a huge sense of unease internationally about what will happen if Bush is re-elected. We fear for your future but we fear for ours too.
I am from a geographically insignificant country but one that has a wonderful history of political courage. We were the first country to give women the vote, the first to declare ourselves nuclear-free. We would have been the first to declare ourselves GE Free but our government was won over by multinational and US government pressure. We are a country that prides ourselves with our "can do" attitude. But the many taonga (treasures) of our people and our land could be gone within a hundred years and absorbed into a monoculture if we don't stand up now. Unfortunately for us our size makes this really hard.
I hope you take time to think about the future of the planet that sustains us and the many rich treasures and cultures that abound this planet and ask yourself, what future do we want to leave for our children?
www.theworldvotes.org
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