Chester Borrows: Petitioners should be proud

ELOQUENT: Rhiannon Magee, Leah Bell, Waimarama Anderson and Tai Te Ariki Jones outside Parliament where they presented their petition calling for a commemorative day to mark the land wars.

IT seems that the Kiwi psyche can often mean that we are skewed towards cynicism and apathy.

"If it ain't broke, don't fix it" ... "Don't put your head above the parapet" ... then there is the ever-present tall poppy syndrome.

There is an assumption that "the system" can never be changed and lobbying government is a waste of time. But these cliches assume that whatever isn't broken worked for everyone, while, in fact, what I say is broken may well be working fine for you.

There is the odd phrase that runs opposite to those supporting doing nothing in all circumstances - "If you always do what you've always done, you'll always get what you always got"; "A rut is just a coffin with the ends kicked out"; and my current favourite: "Sitting on the fence only breaks the fence".

The stark comparison between activism and reticism (if that isn't a word, it should be) was never greater than in the Maori Affairs select committee this week when two students from Otorohanga College presented a petition seeking an annual day of commemoration for the New Zealand land wars.

Waimarama Anderson and Leah Bell presented forcefully with the confidence of youth that our education syllabus does nothing to educate students on the history of the land wars. There were more New Zealanders killed in these wars than died at Gallipoli. There is no need for a holiday on a day that remembers the land wars, but the fact that there is a day set aside for the purpose would act as a catalyst for education and understanding.

Various days have been suggested, and one of them is February 29, the day of the battle for Ruapekapeka. This would allow local communities to remember individual battles and incidents, while providing a national day of recognition once in four years.

The young women spoke eloquently and powerfully, with complete composure. How well this reflected on them, their families and school - and also on this country, probably the most democratic country in the world where an idea can be presented and Parliament takes notice.

The petition will be opened up for submissions and our committee will report back to the House, so maybe other schools will take the opportunity to make a submission as an exercise in activism. With 11,000 signatures before it got here, I think the idea has merit and support.

The most moving moment was when a senior member of Parliament asked what New Zealand would be like in 20 years as a result of their petition. Without hesitation, Waimarama said: "Proud" and as she interlaced her fingers, she said: "Together. United."

There have been other requests, but the one most likely to succeed came from two girls who took seriously their responsibility to deliver a message, believed in their ability to affect change and did not listen to the cynical catchphrases about poppies and parapets. The present and the future is in good hands such as theirs.