First published by Stuff.co.nz: Move the focus from conflict to what brings us together
With 90 per cent of the eligible population now fully vaccinated against Covid-19, New Zealanders are showing a level of unification about a cause not seen since the anti-nuclear movement of the 1980s.
However, this is a paradox of public opinion. New Zealand has always been perceived as unified in our anti-nuclear stance when in fact there were at least two contrasting perspectives. With Covid-19, we face a perception of being divided in our stance when research shows we are more unified than ever.
There are similarities between our anti-nuclear and our anti-Covid-19 views. Like our anti-nuclear stance, Aotearoa is differentiated by our approach to Covid-19 when compared to most of the rest of the world, with a clear plan from a Labour-led Government.
The fallout of nuclear weapons and Covid-19 both pose potential threats to our community, our personal wellbeing, and our health system. Both elicit strong opinions which stem from fear, and both have seen sentiment spill over into public protests.
There are also key differences. The anti-nuclear stance came from a fear of nuclear war – a very real fear at the time, but something big and unknown. While Covid-19 started similarly, the fear now is of more personal and tangible consequences such as catching Covid-19, the potential loss of income or jobs, and the burden of lockdowns.
The rise of social media gives greater access to information than the 1980s, but now includes mis- and disinformation (inaccurate and deliberately misleading information respectively) about Covid-19.
With our anti-nuclear stance, New Zealanders did not need to do anything specific except rely on the government and legislation for protection. In comparison, protection from Covid-19 requires each New Zealander to take individual action by being vaccinated.
Unlike nuclear weapons, Covid-19 is not a clear enemy – the virus is invisible and inflicting havoc, but there is no-one obvious to blame.
In the lead-up to the introduction of Aotearoa’s nuclear-free zone legislation in 1987, several high-profile events were linked to the anti-nuclear movement.
Our membership in Anzus (a security alliance with Australia and the United States signed in 1951) was tested and irrevocably severed when the government turned down the request by the United States for the USS Buchanan to visit in 1985.
A month later, at the televised Oxford Union debate, Prime Minister David Lange famously proclaimed, “I can smell the uranium on [your breath]”.
Finally, the Greenpeace ship the Rainbow Warrior was bombed by two French agents while docked in Waitematā Harbour.
All these events were evidence of our widely-held anti-nuclear views. However, like Covid-19, there were contrasting perspectives that made up our anti-nuclear sentiment.
Opinion polls in 1984 demonstrated incompatible views, with 76 per cent of New Zealanders wanting to be nuclear-free, while at the same time 66 per cent wanted to remain in Anzus. In early 1985, another poll showed sentiment remained split, with 45 per cent preferring to remain in Anzus and allow nuclear ship visits, while 45 per cent wanted to break defence ties with the United States. Despite the events of 1985, further polls in 1986 showed opinion remained evenly divided.
With Covid-19, in addition to the high vaccination rate, a recent 1News Colmar Brunton poll showed 74 per cent of New Zealanders supported the move by the Government to mandate vaccinations in certain workforces. Only 20 per cent were opposed. In the same poll, New Zealanders were asked how they felt about the approach by the National Party, which has remained acrimonious. Tellingly, the poll showed that support for this approach has fallen steadily, from 50 per cent in July 2020 to only 25 per cent in November this year. This shows New Zealanders are not as divided as it seems.
Dealing with Covid-19 and all its consequences is worrying enough; how can we be more unified like our anti-nuclear stance? An apt quote from Walt Whitman (via TV show Ted Lasso), suggests we should “be curious, not judgmental”.
We have different approaches to dealing with Covid-19, just like we did with our nuclear-free stance. We need to move the attention away from conflict and instead focus on what brings us together.
Research shows a sense of belonging cannot come from being against something. Fear and hate only fosters more fear and hate. On the other hand, shared trust, respect, and remembering we are all human, even if we do not always agree, creates much-needed connection.
Alida Shanks is a PhD researcher at Massey University in inclusion and belonging in sports organisations. Her Master’s degree in history focused on Aotearoa’s anti-nuclear stance and Anzus.
Alida Shanks 