She is an attractive citizen who is respectful, hardworking, innovative and accepting, but yet neglected simply because she is humble and diminutive in size. Her good qualities have often been overshadowed by other proud citizens who compete to make their mark, but she continues her good work subtly, quietly, not asking for recognition, but only for a better standard of living and improving the world. How can one not be privileged to know her and be part of her life? She is our motherland, New Zealand, a first class citizen of the world.
New Zealand's breathtaking environment also serves as a nurturing ground for thousands of her children who co-exist calmly. New Zealanders, as the most dominant group of her children, have adopted many of her magnificent values in her honor, and in turn, we are the ones who define her in the context of the world. One of these values is respect. New Zealand's strength as a nation is built from a belief in the importance of respect, whether it is respect for the environment, respect for others or self-respect. We actively fight for the environment, such as abiding to the Kyoto Protocol and preventing nuclear ships, against all the giants that bully us. Despite suffering the consequences of their negligence, like global warming and the hole in the ozone layer, we do not see it as a sign that we should give up simply because it has not benefited us. Instead, we have faith and work towards what is right with the view that one day, through perseverance, we can repair our motherland. Politically, we stood up for our beliefs in our decision to stay out of the war against Iraq, facing the United States with confidence. Because New Zealand is geographically isolated, we know that self-reliance must be developed for a country to thrive. Intervention by another country, and ultimately violence, will not improve Iraqi lives. As a world citizen who sought justice, New Zealand defended this view at the cost of the alliance with the United States and Australia, but revealed such admirable strength in character that further epitomises New Zealand's virtuous behaviour.
By aiding us with her provision of fertile grasslands, she has taught us to be industrious and self-dependent against all odds. Without the aid of corporate giants and specialists, New Zealanders have created a successful economy, based not upon the exploitation of money, but founded by hard work and kiwi ingenuity. We do not complain when obstacles block our progress, but boldly face the problem and solve it with whatever is at our disposal. For example, New Zealander Bill Gallagher invented the simple concept of an electric fence while defending against a horse, and it has since been an invaluable resource to farming. More recently, TimeZoneOne, a successful Christchurch business, has broken time constraints by making use of web conferencing technology and time differences between countries to produce service at twice the speed. These inventions are based upon the focus on practicality and innovation. They stem from the belief that we must make the most out of what is offered to us to improve our lives, not complain and leave it to others to improve.
In addition, New Zealand's capability to deal with change quickly and willingly is impressive, proven by new immigrants bringing their culture into New Zealand. When they are on the plane, admiring their new home, they may perhaps say, “You are beautiful, New Zealand”. It would not only be because of her physical beauty, but also her reputation as a multicultural country that is able to assimilate qualities of all cultures with her core values to create a harmonious society. This is possible because her core values of hard work, respect and acceptance are all universal ideals that people are comfortable with adopting. Any difficulties that arise with cultural differences can be resolved if these values are present, and innovative thinking means that New Zealand will openly accept new ways of doing things. She is not obstinate; she is beautiful at heart, and this is what makes her a paradise for her children.
She has once been misunderstood as the rugby nation whose only specialty is producing more sheep than people. Now, others begin see that she is not two-dimensional; globalisation has helped New Zealand prove her worth as a responsible resident of the world. Kiwi ingenuity and perseverance has made its mark through the likes of Peter Jackson, putting New Zealand on the map, and the moral responsibility of our decisions has stunned some of the giants of the world. This benevolent, fertile motherland is undoubtedly proud of her children. In return, we have ethically moulded her into a first-class citizen of the world. This is our national identity.
