Help Renew Kate Sheppard's Vision for a New Generation

2013 marks 120 years since Christchurch, New Zealand’s Kate Sheppard and colleagues successfully campaigned to win the vote for women, making New Zealand the first in the world to grant women the vote.

We have an obligation to maintain that visionary legacy and renew it for every generation.

Open, inclusive, just democratic decision making underpins an effective economy, a healthy environment, and flourishing communities.

Democratic decision making it is not easy, its rarely tidy, and often falls short of our best intensions,  but when democracies are inclusive and socially just, they can be visionary.

The task of rethinking our democracies so they are fit for the future, can seem daunting. Everywhere people are frustrated with politicians and politics. Often the idea of democracy is reduced to something akin to mere representation of stakeholders or private interests in decision making at city, regional and national government levels.

Yet  more inclusive, just democracy can offer creative decision making which ensures our economy serves its people, maintains  the sustainability of our environment, manages its resources wisely for future generations, prioritises local employment and supports education so that the goals of learning support human flourishing, critical thinking and community wellbeing.

In Christchurch, New Zealand debates about our democratic future have been more obvious and more urgent because in the wake of the 2010 and 2011 earthquakes much of the community was stripped down to its basic infrastructure, and many have had to struggle to reclaim local voices, rights and visions in re-planning our future.

But here in Christchurch we’ve also seen the strength, creativity and potential of our communities- and here in Christchurch we have a chance to renew our commitment to a better future and to reclaim the remarkable vision of Kate Sheppard and colleagues.

So in 2013–why not join us for a series of inclusive on line and community events, discussion, debates, children’s democratic discovery days, economic recovery workshops aimed to renew Kate Sheppard's vision in democracy and sustainability for our children-news of events to follow here.

Best wishes for a happy, flourishing and democratic 2013!

Bronwyn Hayward

Letter to the NZ Prime Minister from Political Science Researchers and Writers

Thanks to colleagues in Political Science and Public Policy this letter went to the New Zealand Prime Minister -the select comittee hearing on the suspension of regional elections is tomorrow, 15 Nov.

Rt. Hon. John Key

Prime Minister

Parliament Office
Private Bag 18888
Parliament Buildings
Wellington 6160

15 October, 2012

Dear Mr. Key,

We are writing to you as researchers and writers who have an interest in strengthening democratic governance to express our deep concern regarding recent government decisions in Christchurch that can only be construed as undermining local democracy.

While there are diverse views about how to address complex problems in Christchurch, we are united in our concern in relation to three specific issues:

1.     At present, the government department CERA is the primary agency making strategic decisions in Christchurch. Its presence has effectively compromised the functioning of the elected city council, and removed some of its key decision-making functions. There is also no clear pathway to reinstate the city council’s original role.

2.     The Canterbury Regional Council (ECAN) which is established to work through its elected council has been suspended while government nominated Commissioners make significant decisions about Canterbury’s regional water, air and transport.  There is no clear timeframe indicated that will restore the process of election to ECAN.

3.     It is clear there is widespread concern and scepticism about the opportunity for genuine involvement in decisions on changes to the Christchurch school system.  

Our concern in each of these cases is that opportunity for public deliberation is being seriously undermined and that the structures of local representation are being weakened. In the absence of these, there is much greater risk the resulting decisions will not only not be informed by local knowledge, but they will lack legitimacy with the community.  

We ask that you intervene and restore confidence in the people of Christchurch, and the rest of New Zealand, that your government will ensure due processes of democratic representation and public deliberation in the decisions made for and about communities.

 We look forward to your urgent attention and response to this matter.

Yours faithfully

Dr Bronwyn Hayward, University of Canterbury

Dr Patrick Barrett, University of Waikato

Dr Rachel Simon-Kumar, University of Waikato

Professor Bryan Gould CNZM, Ako Aotearoa

Associate Professor Priya Kurian, University of Waikato

Associate Professor Janine Hayward, University of Otago

Associate Professor Richard Shaw, Massey University

Associate Professor Christine Cheyne, Massey University

Professor Gerald Chan, University of Auckland

Dr Brian Roper, University of Otago

Dr Carla Lam, University of Otago

Associate Professor Richard Jackson, The National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies

Associate Professor Margie Comrie, Massey University

Associate Professor Ann Sullivan, University of Auckland

Jeanette Wright, University of Waikato

Dr Peter Skilling, AUT

Steve Baron, Better Democracy New Zealand

Dr Anita Lacey, University of Auckland

Quentin Findlay, Lincoln University

Matthew Gibbons, University of Waikato

Dr Rowland Weston, University of Waikato

Dr Louise Humpage, University of Auckland

Dr James Watson, Massey University

Associate Professor Ton Bührs, Lincoln University