Geoff Blackwell - Jacinda Ardern: I Know This to Be True

I know this to be true

Dedicated to the legacy
and memory of
Nelson Mandela

This edition published in the United States of America in 2020 by
Chronicle Books LLC.

Produced and originated by
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Publisher: Geoff Blackwell
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ISBN 978-1-7972-0917-3 (epub, mobi)
ISBN 978-1-7972-0726-1 (hardcover)

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What if we no longer see ourselves based on what we look like, what religion we practice, or where we live, but by what we value? Humanity. Kindness. An innate sense of our connection to each other. And a belief that we are guardians, not just of our home and our planet, but of each other. We are borderless, but we can be connected. We are inherently different, but we have more that we share.

Jacinda Ardern never expected to be prime minister. Growing up in the sleepy town of Murupara in a rural part of New Zealands North Island, population 3,000, her childhood was spent driving tractors, docking sheep and picking fruit from the family orchard. She had a pet lamb called Reggie, whom she attempted (unsuccessfully) to train for the community A&P (Agricultural & Pastoral) show. Her parents were hardworking and down-to-earth; her father was a policeman and her mother worked at the school caf.

When the family moved north to the Bay of Plenty, she first bore witness to the inequality present in New Zealand. I always noticed when things felt unfair. Of course, when youre a kid, you dont call it social justice. I just thought it was wrong that other kids didnt have what I had, she says. Outside of her studies and part-time job at the local fish and chip shop, she began to join human rights groups at school and push for change. An early act involved campaigning for girls to be permitted to wear long pants as part of the uniform at her secondary school, Morrinsville College. She won.

Fast-forward twenty years to her swearing-in as the fortieth prime minister of New Zealand and its clear that she has not only established a definitive career in politics, but is well on track to creating fundamental changes.

As the worlds youngest female head of government, Ardern was hailed by many as a champion for womens rights. An advocate for gender equality, she has long taken a strong stance against policies and rhetoric that discriminate against women. Before she was elected, she openly challenged a radio host who posited that employers have the right to ask females if they plan to have children when hiring new staff. It is totally unacceptable in 2017 to say that women should have to answer that question in the workplace, she argued. It is the womans decision about when they choose to have

Three months into her first term as prime minister, she announced that she and long-term partner Clarke Gayford were expecting their first child. When she returned to full ministerial duties six weeks after giving birth, critics questioned how she would manage the dual roles of new mother and prime minister, while supporters proclaimed her to be a role model for women. To both, Ardern simply pointed out that there were countless women who juggled careers and motherhood and unlike most, she had extra help. I am lucky, I have an incredible support network around me. I have the ability to take my child to work theres not many places you can do that. I am not the gold standard for bringing up a child in this current environment, because there are things about my circumstances that are not the same.

But it isnt just gender equality that Ardern has consistently lobbied for. Throughout her time in government she has worked to ensure that all people regardless of their gender, race or age dont just have In the same breath, she condemned the attacker, while refusing to use his name, and moved to introduce stricter gun laws.

Arderns leadership skills were thrust onto the world stage in the wake of the mosque shootings, and again a year later when the COVID-19 pandemic swept around the globe. Determined to avoid the significant death tolls that were devastating other countries, Ardern swiftly moved to close New Zealands borders and imposed a month-long nationwide lockdown to prevent the risk of the infection spreading. Acknowledging that asking an all whilst adhering to Arderns call to exhibit patience, kindness and understanding.

Acting efficiently is a strength of Arderns, who progresses issues and takes direct involvement with the projects that she believes are most important for the country be it reducing child poverty and homelessness or improving the mental health system and combatting climate change. A long-time

Politics aside, Ardern is at once practical, genuine and easily relatable. Not afraid to In a nutshell, Ardern is an example of a progressive, modern leader with a vision centred around equality and the drive to achieve it. But on a deeper level, she shows that its possible to govern with kindness, integrity and common sense, embracing diversity and unity, all while remaining authentic, modest and grounded.

What greater example of a nation is there than one which unites in the defence of our most vulnerable and, ultimately, in defence of our way of life.

Ko nga tangata katoa, e manaakitia ana te whenua, o te Ao Whanui

Ko nga kaitiaki, e riterite ana, nga whenua, huri rauna, i te Ao

Me tu tatou ki te werohia i nga wero

I te ingoa o te tika o nga mea katoa

Tena koutou katoa

To all those who care for the lands of the wide world

To the guardians of sustainability around the world

Stand and challenge the challenges

In the name of what is right with all things Greetings to you all

Friends,

I greet you in te reo Mori, language of the tangata whenua, or first people, of Aotearoa New Zealand.

I do so not just because it is the same way I would begin an address if I were at home, but because there are challenges we face as a world that I know no better way to express.