“There is a real purity in New Zealand; it’s actually not an easy thing to find in our world anymore.” – Elijah Wood
If anyone knows NZ its Elijah Wood, right! But seriously, he knows what he’s talking about, New Zealand often feels as if it’s unaffected by the rest of the world. Perhaps it is this pure and unscathed quality that allows NZ to be one of the most, if not THE most progressive country in the world. This is up for debate, of course, and many may object citing cost of living, housing prices and lack of basic technology such as central heating (See my post about central heating HERE ) Though after some research, I can show you that NZ has been a a trailblazer in many important milestones, for women’s rights, the environment and employment rights solidifying the case for progressive New Zealand.
What do I mean by progressive?
I’m talking about a country which “…favors or advocates progress, change, improvement, or reform, as opposed to wishing to maintain things as they are…”. As well as “..making progress toward better conditions; employing or advocating more enlightened or liberal ideas, new or experimental methods, etc.” (Source: Dictionary.com)
New Zealand was one of the last countries in the world to be populated by humans. It’s new as can be in country terms and this is definitely apparent in the landscape; the pure crystal clear waters and the feeling that dinosaurs could possibly still live in the wild environment. Being new, perhaps means that there isn’t a great deal of long entrenched historical and societal expectations which means that things can push forward unhindered. The geographical isolation must have a bearing on this too, with little political, territorial distraction, NZ is potentially less affected by the outside world than other countries allowing them to push forward without too much outside interference.
The outdated, unfair NZ stereotype
But then there is the bizarre stereotype that NZ suffers in some places. There is an impression that NZ is a little sister of Australia, who is slightly backwards with not much going on Check this article on the 7 Stereotypes Every New Zealander Hates for more on this. This is a stereotype I have come to strongly disagree with. My personal experience and the following indicators show that it’s quite the opposite: NZ might just be the most progressive country in the world!
New Zealand: The most progressive country in the world. 13 Reasons why…
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First women to get the vote
On 19th September 1893, a new electoral act was signed by Lord Glasgow, the governor at the time resulting in landmark legislation giving ALL women the right to vote in parliamentary elections. Yes, New Zealand was the first country in the world to give women the vote. In the UK it wasn’t until 1918 and in the US 1920! Decades ahead, doesn’t seem backward to me.
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No Nuclear Power
New Zealand is working towards obtaining 90% of its power from renewable sources by 2025. Already, wind power usage is at one of the highest proportions in the world. Nuclear power, however does not gain much public or political support, with only 19% of New Zealanders choosing nuclear as a good source of energy for the next ten years or wanting more research done into nuclear. It seems that green, clean and pure image is high on the agenda for New Zealanders. So NZ remains one of the few developed countries in the world not using nuclear power. (Source: World Nuclear Association) Whether this will stay the case remains to be seen.
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13th country in the world to legalise gay marriage
New Zealand became the 13th country in the world to legalise gay marriage back in 2013. As this remains an ongoing issue in Australia, the idea that New Zealand is Australia’s little sister, seems completely redundant here. Nice one, progressive New Zealand!
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No Zero Hours Contracts
With Zero hours contracts high on the agenda in the UK, perhaps a leaf could be taken out of lil NZ’s book. From April 2016 it became illegal for New Zealand companies to employ workers without guaranteeing a specific number of hours per week. This allows for a degree of certainty for employees, enabling them to plan their lives and finances to a greater degree. It seems shocking that this is not the rule everywhere. Well done NZ.
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NZ cities, top of the world’s most livable
Wellington is number 1 on the 2017 list of most livable cities in a global survey by Deutsche Bank, beating Vienna, Edinburgh and Melbourne to the top spot. Measured on values such as cost of living, pollution, climate and house prices, Wellington is top of the table! It doesn’t stop at Wellington. Auckland was voted 3rd in the world’s most liveable cities by a Mercer survey following only Vienna and Zurich. It seems like a pretty liveable place here in NZ judging by these surveys. Places like London and New York often considered as the pinnacle, appear way, way down the list.
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First Man to climb Everest
NZ is top of the world for explorers. The first man to climb Mount Everest was New Zealander, Edmund Hillary and he conquered the peak with Tensing Norgay back in 1953. This is a pretty damn impressive mountaineering feat to come out of a small country.
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New Zealand was the first country to have all of its top positions of political power held simultaneously by women.
Between March 2005 and August 2006, all five highest offices of power in New Zealand were held by women.
- Governor-General Silvia Cartwright,
- Prime Minister Helen Clark,
- Speaker of the House, Margaret Wilson
- Chief Justice Sian Elias
- Sovereign Queen Elizabeth II
Again, impressive barrier breaking for this ‘backward’ island. I’m sure this has a positive impact for young girls and their aspirations here. It can be done, clearly. The rest of the world can take note!
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Indigenous ritual is showcased
There is no hiding from or denying that the indigenous people of New Zealand, as with the rest of the world’s colonised countries have suffered unimaginable injustices and hardships that cannot be repaired. But New Zealanders make a genuine and visible effort, rarely seen elsewhere in the world, to overcome the dark history and cherish and encourage indigenous practice. The hongi, to share breath, the Maori tradition of touching noses as greeting is widely used to greet important figures from abroad. Important sports stars are greeted at the airport with a traditional Maori welcoming ceremony. These steps may be small, nut are nevertheless a sign of progress and integration.
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New Zealand is safe:
New Zealand was officially ranked the second safest country in the world this year in the Global Peace Index, second only to Iceland. With performance indicators such the level of societal safety and security, the extent of ongoing and international conflict and the degree of militarisation, it means that NZ citizens and residents are almost the safest in the world. Amazing really.
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No Fake News!
Sorry to quote Donald Trump, but point 10 is highly important in the world’s current political climate. NZ has one of the worlds most liberal Media Areas. The broadcasting sector was deregulated in 1988, when the government allowed competition to the state-owned Television New Zealand (TVNZ). Privately-owned TV3 is TVNZ’s main competitor. Defamation cases are civil matters, and can result in both punitive damages and heavy fines. There are no government restrictions on the internet, and four in five homes have access to the web. Journalists are generally able to cover the news freely, and physical attacks or threats against the media are rare.
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Very Highly Socially Progressive
Washington Based Think Tank, Social Progress Index Report for 2017 ranks New Zealand as having a very high social progress score. This means it performs highly on almost all indicators, with over-performance on indicators such as press freedom, which I covered, corruption, freedom over life choices, tolerance for immigrants, LGBT rights and low pollution.
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Rocket Launching!
New Zealand has become an unlikely location for for missions into space. The organisation Rocket Lab has launched it maiden voyage of 3D printed rocket from the Mahia Peninsula this May 2017. As ships and planes need to be re-routed, New Zealand makes for an excellent location for space launching as there is much less movement than the US, and only Antartica to the south. New Zealand has set up rocket legislation with anticipation of becoming a low cost space hub. How exciting.
13. Deep Green Bush School
The Guardian ran an article last week about a new innovative, change-making and totally progressive school in the rural south of Auckland. This was a huge inspiration for this blog post. This school involves no homework, no classes but a spot of fishing followed by cooking on an open fire. Can you imagine anything more different from the norm, or more wonderful?! Founded by ex-mainstream school teacher Joey Moncarz to equip the current roll of eight kids for future issues such as climate change, they are schooled in hunting, gathering and survival. Traditional school subjects will be acquired at the students’ own pace. In this modern world is the traditional school system outdated? Well perhaps NZ can help lead the way on new models with progressive programs like this.
So there you have it, my case for progressive New Zealand. 12 reasons why New Zealand is a really progressive country with a track record leading the way in the past, and still way ahead on many issues. I am sure there are more reasons too, so please comment below with any more points I may have missed. Individually these factors might seem like small steps, but together they build the case for a country at the vanguard for political, social and environmental reform. I am impressed.
Please know that I am not forgetting or ruling out the issues with domestic violence, suicide, house prices or other problems like this that NZ faces, as these are big issues that require much more thought and reform. But on today’s global scale, NZ massively outperforms many other developed countries on innovation, progress and change. I am proud to be here and will finish with the following quote, which I think says it all and projects a positive future for little old NZ:
“Over the past few decades, big countries have had the advantage. In the next century, countries who can embrace adaptability and flexibility will have a huge advantage.” – Salim Ismail, Founding Director, Singularity University
Please comment below if you have anything to contribute on this. I would love to hear from you, whether you agree or disagree, I know this is an issue up for debate.
If you enjoyed reading this, you might like to read my article on the 16 Things you might not know about life in New Zealand, you can read it HERE.
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Thanks for reading!
Peace
Josie x