Five things you can do for your community in five minutes

Grab a coffee and get behind a cause

I have a to do list and it’s so long that even if I take one thing off, I’m adding two more. I hate my to do list. I know so many of us are feeling really stretched right now. It can feel hard to show up for your community.

Here’s my attempt to provide quick ways you can support causes that help others. I hope it’s useful. And as always, feel free to comment with other ways we can support each other - links to events, places to donate, petitions and that kinda thing!

What can I do? You can help protect women in Aotearoa by pushing the Government to make stalking illegal. Stalking is illegal overseas, but not explicitly in NZ, making it very difficult and often impossible for victims/survivors to get the protection they need. Prior to the election, now-Minister Paul Goldsmith criticised the previous government for dragging its feet in this area, but he now indicates criminalising stalking is not a priority.

How can I do it? Sign this petition by the Coalition for the Safety of Women and Children.

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What can I do? You can stand against genocide and in solidarity with the Palestinian people who are being murdered and starved by Israel. The New Zealand government is complicit in the genocide in Gaza.

How can I do it?

Sign this petition calling on the government to do the following:

• Resume and at least double humanitarian funding for UNRWA (United Nations Relief and Works Agency), and announce this immediately.

• Investigate claims that New Zealand company Rakon may have made components used in weapons used by Israel, and take all necessary steps to assure itself that no New Zealand companies can in future export any components that could end up in weapons used against civilians. Suspend exports of these components until the investigation is complete.

• Withdraw NZ troops from the Red Sea.

You can also sign the petition calling for Aotearoa to pull out of RIMPAC 2024. RIMPAC is a live combat training maritime exercise based in and around Hawai’i that is used to demonstrate US domination and control of the Pacific Ocean. This year, in the midst of a genocide of Palestinians, Israel has once again been included in RIMPAC. 

One of the ways Palestinians have asked the international community for support is through Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions - BDS. Products to avoid are: Obela Hommus, AHAVA products, SodaStream, HP (Hewlett-Packard), BP and Caltex, and McDonald’s. Nobel Peace prize winner and South African Archbishop, Desmond Tutu, says international solidarity such as BDS is critical to ending injustices like apartheid.

You can also join the United for Palestine Whatsapp group. Every other day you’ll get an easy link to click on that will load an email all laid out ready for you to sign and push send. I highly, highly recommend joining.

If you have more than five minutes - Come along to the All Out For Gaza rally National Rally in Pōneke on 27 June from 11am starting at Parliament. Details of the event are here. If you can’t make it - please share the event. If you are not in Te Whanganui a Tara, there are events all across the motu - details here.

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What can I do? You can urge the government to stop the flawed Ram Raid Bill. The Ram Raid Offending and Related Measures Amendment Bill is before Parliament right now and I’m pretty sure every single organisation that is committed to serving, caring for and advocating for children and young people is against it. I haven’t see one group that actually cares about children supporting it.

The crux of it is that the Bill violates the human rights of children, it is out of step with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child, and it fails to address the root causes that contribute to children causing harm in our communities. You can read more about the criticisms of the bill here.

How can I do it? You can sign the Open Letter signed by Amnesty International Aotearoa New Zealand, Ara Taiohi, Auckland Action Against Poverty, Aotearoa New Zealand Association of Social Workers, Barnardos Aotearoa, Canterbury Howard League for Penal Reform, Community Law Centres of Aotearoa, Celia Lashlie Trust , Dr. Enys Delmage, Consultant in Adolescent Forensic Psychiatry, Dr. Luke Fitzmaurice-Brown, Dr. Sue Bagshaw, FASD-CAN, Family for Every Child, JustSpeak Korowai Tupu, professional association for Youth Work in Aotearoa, Kick Back, Key Assets New Zealand, Mana 2022 Inc., NZCCSS, Pillars Ka Pou Whakahou, People Against Prisons Aotearoa, START, Save the Children, Talitonu Te Kaha, Trauma-informed Educators NZ, The Collaborative Trust , VOYCE - Whakarongo-Mai, Wellington Howard League, YouthLaw Aotearoa, Youth Arts New Zealand, and Zeal.

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What can I do? I have complicated feelings about AI. I think sometimes it’s useful (I find the idea of using AI for cover letters and essays really tickles me because ways to subvert those systems are great imo) but I am afraid for my own job, the job of people I care about, arts and literature as a whole, and misinformation.

A lot of my friends who are artists are already seeing people choose cheaper or free AI options for art rather than seeking out and supporting local artists. We need artists - artists challenge us, surprise us, inspire us, and delight us. They make us think. They’re our mirror to the world and they literally can make our world more beautiful.

You can support local artists by choosing to commission a local artist for a birthday present or anniversary present. You can buy local art for your walls. You can give koha to local artists to keep them going.

How can I do it?

You can share your favourite artists so that people can seek them out. I have had portraits of my pets made by Kea Folly and MICA STILL. I’ve bought art from Maori Mermaid, Jun (not including tattoos!), Danz Vernon AKA Yeehaw The Boys (tee shirts and a family portrait that I love), DugMcFug (tee shirts) and so many more.

For my birthday I asked my husband to get me a custom necklace from Madame Fancy Pants and I love it.

I also buy from local bookshops as often as I can and try to only buy NZ writers. At Bookhub you can search any author and find a local bookstore that has their book. You can then order and have it delivered to you. They have my books! I also bought a few books last night from Bookety Book Books - they’re donating $5 from every book by a Palestinian author to the Palestinian Children’s Fund. AI WOULD NEVER!

I tried to take a photo of my local art and photos wall but my cat wouldn’t allow it.

If you have more than five minutes -

I’ve got 350+ envelopes to address to Louise Upston at Parliament so I’m doing it at Meow on Friday night from 5pm to 8pm. We are posting her all of the stories Awhi Ngā Mātua has collected from parents and carers of disabled children. Come along and join us as we write letters to Parliament and try to make the world a bit better. Details here. Not in Wellington? Host an afternoon tea at your local kindy where you all write letters to Parliament. Being together matters. All we have is each other.

https://onegoodkiwi.one.nz/about/