Aotearoa New Zealand is often referred to as the land of milk and honey – I even have a t-shirt that says this.
Source: https://imagevault.co.nz/art-prints/land-of-milk-and-honey-i-marie-reidbeadle
However, the uncomfortable truth is:
One child died every five weeks as a result of alleged abuse in 2021[1]
The number of children who were victims of abuse rose in 2021 to 13,478 – 1.2% of all children[2]
The number of confirmed cases of sexual abuse of children increased 20% since 2022 and is the highest number since 2015
Aotearoa New Zealand ranks 35th in child wellbeing outcomes – out of 41 EU and OECD countries[3]
The number of households registered on the social housing register is currently 26,868[4] – this is an increase of 657% over the seven years since March 2015.
At least 2% of Aotearoa New Zealand’s population is living in severe housing deprivation.[5] This is equivalent to the population of Lower Hutt, or the combined populations of Palmerston North and Blenheim.
Māori life expectancy is considerably lower than non-Māori[6]
Māori health status remains unequal with non-Māori across almost all chronic and infectious diseases, as well as injuries, including suicide[7]
Māori are less advantaged than non-Māori across many socioeconomic indicators[10]
Māori men are 3.5 times more likely to be sentenced to imprisonment.[12]
The Māori imprisonment rate is 700 per 100,000 while Aotearoa New Zealand’s overall imprisonment rate is 180 per 100,000.[15]
Suicide is a leading cause of death among 15-19 year olds in Aotearoa New Zealand and we have the second highest rate of adolescent suicide in rich countries with a rate of 14.9 deaths by suicide per 100,000.[16]
These statistics make us uncomfortable, and rightly so. They are shameful in the 21st Century. But sit there, pause and reflect on these uncomfortable truths for a moment.
May God bless you with discomfort, at easy answers, half-truths, and superficial relationships so that you may live deep within your heart.
May God bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom and peace.
May God bless you with tears, to shed for those who suffer pain, rejection, hunger, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy.
And may God bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in the world, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done, to bring justice and kindness to all our children and the poor.[19]
It is our discomfort, our anger, our tears, and our foolish belief that we can make a difference in the world that is the catalyst for change in our communities. This is what underpins the work of Methodist Alliance members – the belief that we can make a change.
We share the responsibility for each other in our community. We share the belief that we can make a difference in the world. We share the belief that people can change and the transforming love of God. We share the belief that Te Tiriti o Waitangi is the covenant establishing our nation on the basis of a power-sharing relationship, and guides how we undertake mission.
This “we” is not just Methodist Alliance members, it includes everyone in the Methodist family. We all have a responsibility to bring justice and kindness to children and to the poor. Join us in our work for a just and inclusive society in which all people flourish. Contact your local mission or me, to see what you can do to make a difference.
Carol Barron, National Coordinator
03 375 0512 | 027 561 9164 | Carol@MethodistAlliance.org.nz
[1] Child Matters Media Release, 27 January 2022 - https://www.childmatters.org.nz/media-information/ [2] The Salvation Army Station of the Nation Report 2022, p8 [3] https://www.unicef.org.nz/stories/new-report-card-shows-that-new-zealand-is-failing-its-children [4] Minister of Housing & Urban Development – Government Housing Dashboard, March 2022 statistics - https://www.hud.govt.nz/research-and-publications/statistics-and-research/the-government-housing-dashboard/ [5] 18 month review of the Aotearoa/New Zealand Homeless Action Plan February 2020 – August 2021, NZ Government, 2021, p6 [6] https://www.healthnavigator.org.nz/healthy-living/m/m%C4%81ori-health-overview/ [7] Ibid [8] Ministry of Health, Wai 2575 Māori Health Trends Report, October 2019, p16 [9] Statistics NZ Tatauranga Aotearoa, Housing in Aotearoa: 2020, 2020, p10 [10] Ministry of Health, Wai 2575 Māori Health Trends Report, October 2019, p19 [11] https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/research/over-representation-of-maori-in-the-criminal-justice-system/2.0-criminal-justice-system-bias-and-amplification/2.6-summary-and-conclusion [12] Ibid [13] https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/statistics/quarterly_prison_statistics/prison_stats_march_2021 [14] NZ Statistics https://www.stats.govt.nz/information-releases/maori-population-estimates-at-30-june-2021 [15] https://www.corrections.govt.nz/resources/research/over-representation-of-maori-in-the-criminal-justice-system/2.0-criminal-justice-system-bias-and-amplification/2.0-criminal-justice-system-bias-and-amplification [16] UNICEF Worlds of Influence – Understanding What Shapes Child Wellbeing in Rich Countries, Innocenti Report Card 16, p13 [17] NZ Statistics https://www.stats.govt.nz/news/increase-in-cost-of-living-reaches-new-high [18] Ibid [19] Franciscan blessing