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