People power

For some time I have been thinking I should try to post a photo of some of this very long mural. This evening while on an "emergency run" (due to a variety of factors preventing an earlier run) I went to turn into Ponsonby Road at the corner with K Road and thought "Today I can do this".

In the early 1980s New Zealand's proud antinuclear stand from the 1972 - 75 Labour Government led by Norman Kirk (who sadly died in office), was under threat from both within and outwith New Zealand. Stimulated to organise as had medical practitioners (we joined the International Physicians for the Prevention of Nuclear War), a large number of visual artists formed Visual Artists Against Nuclear Arms (VAANA) in 1984. A year later eight prominent artists each painted a panel, and the panels were erected here as an antinuclear panel. A further eight panels were added in 1986, and another two in 1995.

Unfortunately, by 2004, the paintings had deteriorated badly, and it was decided that they were beyond repair. Agreement was reached that the mural would be recreated digitally from original photographs taken when the mural was first erected. Once the reconstruction was complete and before it was unveiled in 2006, the original panels were taken down cut into pieces under the supervision of the artists, and auctioned.

This then is the digitally remastered version of the first three panels of the mural. The first panel was the work of one of New Zealand's premier artists, the late Pat Hanly, for his daughter Amber.

Anyone wanting more details about the history of the mural can look here.

My title for today is chosen because without the strong statements of activists expressing the views of the majority of the people of New Zealand (Aotearoa), it would have been much harder for the Lange and Clark governments to resist the huge amounts of pressure exerted by the United States.

There is a belief that major political change only ever occurs because of the actions of people, not Governments. Recent events in North Africa are a case in point, although the Libyans are suffering mightily for their actions.