}

Wednesday, September 26, 2018

Worth Quoting: Willie Jackson

New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern is attending the United Nations General Assembly and spoke yesterday. Her partner, Clarke Gayford, and their baby, Neve, were in the audience. Apparently, it was the first time a baby had been there.

In response, Labour MP Willie Jackson posted this on his Facebook Page:
Let's just take a pause from all the angry politics and allow the joy of Jacinda, Clarke and beautiful wee Neve at the UN to wash over us and feel pride at our leader and us as a people.

"We must not be silent in the face of intolerance, hate and discrimination. We must speak for those who do not have voice", when Jacinda spoke these words at the UN General Assembly during the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit, while Clarke held Neve, she not only channeled a new type of leadership based on kindness and compassion, she challenged every stereotype that has locked women and men into the career or family trap. They showed everyone that with support, people can have family and career.

She has also shown the planet that leadership doesn't require brutal tough guy masculinity, there can be an equally strong leadership through simple kindness. She has done more for our international standing in one appearance than many Prime Ministers manage in a lifetime. We should all feel a deep pride in the way Jacinda, Clarke and Neve have shone and represented us on the global stage. Their humble grace reminds us all of our basic humanity. There is a joy in all of this and we should all drink deeply from it, this is a moment where we are all included and have all been served wonderfully by our Prime Minister and her family.

We can get back to arguing and bickering about politics tomorrow, but today was truly special.
I completely agree with him. It’s time not just for a new generation of leaders, but also a new generation of leadership, and Jacinda is an example of that.

This is the speech Willie Jackson was responding to, given at the United Nations General Assembly during the Nelson Mandela Peace Summit:

1 comment:

rogerogreen said...

Meanwhile, what's his face gets laughed at