Anita Baker, Mayor of Porirua, NZ made the statement when discussing child poverty in NZ:
They "think" they know what it is like.
They don't
In NZ, we have many vulnerable people who are marginalised because of who they are and who they are not. Their culture, their beliefs, their ability, their disability, the colour of their skin, the country they come from, their identity.
Kevin McLeod uses the term "otherness".
I see "otherness" happening right here in NZ, our paradise in the pacific.
It happens when people who are harmed, those that face the harm, those who live the harm are those that really know what it is like.
They have the solutions but those solutions do not eventuate. They do not get implemented.
"Others" make the decisions on the solutions to be implemented.
Others who are not harmed, who do not face the harm every day and do not live the harm. They may walk with us, they may feel sorry for us, they may think they know but they do not.
For they have the choice to turn their back, walk away and retreat to the safety of their privileged life.
In NZ, I see "others" as our State Sector Services who are under the watch of our Public Service Commission.
They hold the power, they select who make the decisions, they make the decisions, they allocate the funding and resources as they decide what is best for us.
Recently we have seen Oranga Tamariki - Ministry FOR children
- remove newborn babies from their mothers
- breach the privacy of many repeatedly including victims of violence causing significant harm
- compromising the wellbeing of vulnerable children
In the recent past, schools used seclusion rooms which were investigated by the Ministry of Education in 2016
Currently, the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Abuse in Care is looking into what happened to children, young people and vulnerable adults who were in State and faith-based care from 1950 - 1999.
The Chief Ombudsman, Peter Broshier has investigated our state sector services:
- Cruel and inhumane treatment of those under the care of mental health units
- Routine baby uplifts by Oranga Tamariki ~Ministry FOR Children
- Use of seclusion room at Mirimar School December 2017
- Use of seclusion room at Ruru School November 2017
Significant harm has been caused by "others" who have used their power and money to do what they "believed" was the best for those they were tasked to support and protect.
It clearly was not for the best of those harmed
We knew it happened. It happened repeatedly. It was done by not one or two people but by a workforce.
"Others" can walk away. Those that are harmed can't.
Our advocates with lived experienced who are fortunate to be selected by the "others" are our voice at the decision-making table. However, if they are vocal and challenge the "others" they are often removed in an attempt to silence them. In doing so, they silence us enabling them to continue to put in place interventions that they deem are good for us without our input.
Case in point, Ministry of Social Development with the knowledge of our government has removed Louise Nicholas as our National Sexual Violence Survivor Advocate by not renewing her contract.
The Ministry of Social Development has a very short memory. They continue to believe that Oranga Tamariki ~ Ministry FOR Children and the Ministry of Justice are the best people to provide our vulnerable children and young people with what is best for them because they are "qualified" and they have access to "certified providers" which override lived experience.
Oranga Tamariki ~ Ministry FOR Children and Ministry of Justice has repeatedly failed our children and young people. We all know this. We have historic evidence.
Despite evidence to the contrary, "others" continue to have the power with the knowledge of our Public Service Commission and our government
They think that they know what it is like
They "think" they know what is best for us.
They don't.
All the money and all the plans created to address the harm have not worked
Poverty, racism, ableism in NZ is not improving
It is going backwards
Solution:
Let those of us who have been harmed be given the opportunity to decide on what is best for us.
Others can work WITH us by giving us access to the knowledge and skills, funding and resources to ensure we have the opportunity to do what we know will work.
Do with us NOT to us
Moving from Otherness to Us
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