‘This is not about you or me; it’s about us’ – Beehive Chat
Hon Tariana Turia – weekly Beehive Chat column
Tuesday 1 March 2011
‘This is not about you or me; it’s about us’
Someone once said, hope is faith holding out its hand in the dark. Never have these words resonated so much as in the last week when it seems the entire world has felt the impact of the devastating earthquake that shook Christchurch to the core.
The human cost of loved ones lost; family members never to return, weighs heavy on us all. The death toll is on a scale that few can comprehend.
So how do we summon up the courage to go on? Ironically, it is in those who suffer most that we find every reason to build optimism out of the rubble.
My own whanau – George’s sister and family – have clung together, grateful for each other, despite their homes being replaced by tents.
The brave man who had both legs amputated with a foldout knife and a hacksaw is grinning for joy that he is alive.
Two young girls, complete strangers, gained strength in talking to each other through the hours of darkness as they lay trapped in the rubble, waiting to be rescued.
The whanau of the late Joe Pohio now have a lifelong debt of love to the woman who took photos of his last moments, to show them all how many people tried to save him. And there are many other families indebted to Joe, knowing that he died while trying to help others to survive.
Or there’s superman, Ace Sopoaga, who drew on extraordinary adrenalin, throwing off slabs of concrete to try to set people free. Apparently he’s become an international sensation, as more than 3000 entries on Facebook testify to the inspiration they gained through his remarkable efforts.
Everyone has a story, and in these next few days, weeks, months, it is vital that we allow those stories to be heard. Our healing as a nation is in enabling the time to grieve, to feel the fear of that day, and yet also to look to each other, to draw on our faith, to restore the essence of the human spirit.
Through the tears and the shock, there are plenty of incidents that will help us to find the strength to go on.
It has been wonderful to see some 15,000 students group together to pick up a shovel, and clear the dirt away. Here in Whanganui it was humbling to learn of the immediate offer from the Girls College of the hostel becoming a sanctuary for families. And marae throughout the country have opened their whare to provide a place to rest a while.
The calm yet strong leadership of Mark Solomon in mobilizing Ngai Tahu’s response to the crisis has been awesome. The profound generosity of iwi, marae, runanga, Maori incorporations and trusts has been humbling. And the direct support from Maori wardens, Maori health providers, social workers, and community organisations has helped everyone to focus on the important tasks ahead.
I was moved by a simple statement from maata waka head, Norm Dewes. “This is not about you, nor me; it’s about us”.
And indeed, it is through the common courage of all of us – iwi, whanau, New Zealanders, international friends – holding hands in the dark – that we find the hope we need for tomorrow.
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