Sébastien Desclée: The tragedy and opportunity of life in NZ's gilded cage

There are worse places to be trapped, writes Sébastien Desclée. Photo / Getty Images

OPINION:

Over last two years, I have witnessed many young people in Europe experiencing the loss of foundational experiences, or rites of passage, due to Covid. These days, a lot of those young people in the Northern Hemisphere are beginning to travel, resigning from the jobs they started remotely, strapping on a backpack and taking their first tentative steps towards the rest of the world.

For many young Kiwis fortunate enough to be in the position to travel, a foundational life moment is of course the "OE" or Overseas Experience - discovering new cultures, new languages, heritages and generally broadening horizons. One could argue that this is even more important for Antipodean youth, considering their distance from most of the world's different cultures: you can't jump on a train to Paris or catch a quick flight to Egypt - but of course, this is currently on hold.

We have seen an enormous amount of discussion, debate and literature around how NZ has locked itself away from the world through its MIQ system. Whilst it's totally understandable for a country with the privilege of living on an island to put some measures in place, we have seen some collateral damage due to this strict, unpredictable and – some would say - inhumane system.

The first in the world for many things, New Zealand is working on a kind of delay with Covid, with the resulting benefit of seeing what's happening everywhere else before it hits our shores. This gives us a level of certainty – modellers are able to predict likely scenarios, allowing for some preparation, e.g. hospital services. But what we don't know is how long our borders will be closed. It's been a while since Kiwis could take flight, and it could be a little while before they can again.

Let's face it: there are worse places to be locked in than New Zealand. And yes, that is partly due to our access to golden beaches, pristine forests, mountains and lakes. But New Zealand has another, often underestimated, asset: our diversity of culture.

We have an opportunity right now to really learn and absorb the multiple cultures and communities that live around us here in Aotearoa. After all, Auckland is one of the world's most diverse cities, one of my favourite things about living here. From Diwali to Chinese New Year, Pride to Matariki and so much more, Kiwis are fortunate enough to have a plethora of cultures and communities with whom they can celebrate. There are plenty of opportunities for volunteering amongst different communities, and chances to learn languages: instead of that Spanish you were brushing up on for the OE, why not Te Reo Māori?

Auckland Airport has been quieter than usual over the last two years. Photo / Peter Meecham

As the leader of a creative organisation that needs to connect with every community within our country in order to drive behaviour change, I know that we will need to immerse and connect even more effectively in 2022. We aim to find the positive in whatever 2022 holds for us, becoming more connected and more progressive.

Understanding the tikanga, or customary practices and behaviours, of a culture is something that we can all do without leaving the country. We have no excuse for sitting safely within our own cultural bubble, just because we are unable to travel overseas: we have the good fortune to live in a place that is diversity personified and we should take full advantage of it.

Then, when Kiwis can fly once again, they'll bring even more to the rest of the world.

- Sébastien Desclée is the chief executive of creative agency FCB New Zealand.