Dear reader, you may be surprised to learn I have had occasion to march over community rights and land in my youth. When we migrated to New Zealand in 1975, I was fortunate that my parents bought a house near Howick Beach, a veritable paradise compared to where we lived in the UK.
The one drawback from a kid's perspective was access to significant flat land on which to kick a ball or play cricket - not that I liked cricket. Close by was Nixon Park, donated to the borough by Miss EM Nixon following the centenary of Howick in 1947. A community park was envisaged on the 5 acre plot, and a design competition was held. However, in 1957 the land zoning was changed and mayor Bill Stevenson had other plans; "He owned fleets of earth moving machinery and quickly created bowling and croquet greens."
In my childhood time in Howick, there were five bowling or croquet greens, ample parking for all and two club houses, one of the largest clubs Auckland. One small field at the end was left for community use, the same size as a green. Woe betide us if our ball went over the hedge onto the manicured green. We lived in fear. The neighbours got wind that the small pocket of flat play area was going to become another bowling green. My classmate's Dad organised letterbox drops and a movement, and we all gathered for our hīkoi up to the mayor's office at the borough council. It was an impressive crowd of kids and adults, declaring our displeasure at the looming demise of the only flat land for kids to play on in the area. "We want the mayor!" we chanted.
The mayor of the time didn't emerge from the council chambers, rather some timid assistant appeared to announce he couldn't see us. I suppose I had a diminished view of him after that, though history shows him to have been an effective local politician. We were not best pleased, but our very visible protest seemed to do the trick, as the concrete edging prematurely installed for the green had grass growing up over it before long, and the field remained the domain of us late 70s free range children for years after.
This week a hīkoi will pass through the North Shore on the way to parliament, protesting a number of issues, but mostly the Treaty Principles Bill. Organisers have stressed over and over this needs to be a peaceful protest. Such protest has a long history in this land, from Parihaka in 1881 till now. Kids versus bowlers, community versus council, the crown versus tangata whenua. The church was there at the very outset of te Tiriti o Waitangi in 1840, translating, brokering, negotiating, sealing the deal. We have skin in the game as a good faith partner, though we have often forgotten this. I have come to regard it as a covenant to be honoured. The very least we can do as Christians is allow these current events to move us to prayer for our nation, and for all the people within it to live in peace, with justice. May we know the shalom of God in our land.
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