March 15th 2019, will forever be marked on the calendar and hearts of New Zealanders; 49 innocent lives lost, gunned down in a senseless act of violence.

The Prime Minister, Jacinda Ardern described the event as an “extraordinary and unprecedented act of violence.” Saying that – “it is clear that this is one of New Zealand’s darkest days”.

And, she is right.

I saw a post which read:

“49 people killed in NZ is the statistical equivalent by population, of a mass killing of 3,344 people in the USA.”

No life lost is worth more than the next, and comparative suffering benefits no one, but it does help put into perspective the gravity of this devastating attack on our beloved tiny country.

For all of the attacks and shootings worldwide, is this the reason the shootings in New Zealand have sent ripples of grief around the world?

I believe the attack in New Zealand was felt globally for a different reason.

According to the Global Peace Index, New Zealand is ranked the 2nd safest country in the world out of 163 countries (2018). I am from New Zealand, and this is exactly how I felt about my country. I live in Croatia now and have spent many years travelling around Europe, whenever I tell people I am from New Zealand, most everyone says – “Ah, you are so lucky, such a beautiful country”, “one of the best countries I have ever visited” or “New Zealanders are the nicest, most welcoming people I have ever met.”

My heart always brims with pride because I believe this all to be true. I felt so safe and loved growing up as a child, and now, with all of the madness going on in the world, I always imagined that we will move back to New Zealand one day. It has held this image of being a safe-haven; that even if WWIII broke out, NZ would be safe, far-removed from the insanity.

Like the lives of all of those affected by this horrific act of violence, this image of NZ is now shattered to a thousand tiny pieces and will never be the same again.

49 innocent lives lost; gunned down in a moment of peace and prayer, sending shockwaves of disbelief and grief across the Nation and worldwide. This is the deadliest shooting in New Zealand’s history; it was a targeted attack against the Muslim community by a right-wing extremist. I will not say the shooter’s name, nor talk more about his agenda because this act and the shooter does not deserve fame and twisted notoriety.

With all of the shootings going on around the world, particularly in the States, news of this event still managed to shock the world. Even my American friends who have admitted feeling almost desensitised to the extreme violence in their homeland were affected by this and expressed their dismay. Why?

It seems, not only kiwis but everyone has held a particular image of New Zealand, believing it to be a peaceful and safe country, untouched by the chaos of the world. It’s as if we all just learned that Santa isn’t real and have come crashing down to a cruel reality.

When I heard the news, I felt numb and a deep sense of grief for the families and communities affected by these tragic events. I also felt an overwhelming sense of helplessness.

Is nowhere safe?

If my beautiful country of Aotearoa, one of the safest countries in the world isn’t safe from these sorts of incredible acts of violence, then where is?

Nowhere.

The horrible truth is that – nowhere is safe because no country on earth is free of hate.

The shootings in New Zealand, affect us all because now we are all confronted with the ugly truth that hate can exist anywhere, even in ‘beautiful, peaceful, friendly, safe New Zealand.’ Don’t get me wrong, New Zealand is still much safer than many countries, but now we know it is not immune to such atrocities.

Perhaps this illusion needed to be shattered?

I am in no way condoning violence and wish with every ounce of me that this didn’t happen. That all of those people went to their weekly service and returned home to their families, friends and communities. But it did happen, and now we need to accept this harsh new world.

Where to from here?

In every aspect of our lives, security often leads to complacency. The sad thing is that more often than not, it takes a tragedy to shake us awake. Do too many of us take for granted that “bad things will never happen to us?”

Until they happen.

Maybe, we all need to open our eyes to the collective tragedies occurring. They are not isolated incidents, they speak to a growing issue that hate is real and very much alive in our communities. The shootings in New Zealand shocked the world because hate made its way to a place hailed as the safest country in the world.

This is why I believe it has hit a collective nerve because if it can happen in New Zealand – it can happen anywhere.

We need to stop thinking on a National level or holding ideas of separation through race, religion, creed, class, sexuality… As Jacinda Ardern said –

“They have chosen to make New Zealand their home. It is their home. They are us.”

I have no doubt that New Zealand will unite and rise stronger after this, and I hope it sets an example for the rest of the world.

We should unite as communities and countries, but should we not also unite as humans? Has enough blood not been shed the world over? How many more innocent people need to die before we all stand to attention, together.

They. Are. Us.

What if we took Jacinda’s words and expanded them outwards?

Earth, this is our ONE home, and we are ONE race. We are all humans. Every time someone suffers at the hands of another, it affects us all. Every atrocity committed should make us feel outraged and then unite us further for the common good.

Hate is not a foreign enemy and does not discriminate, it will grow in our backyards if left unchecked. We can no longer afford complacency or indifference in the face of hate. We need to be brave, we need to stand up and address hate wherever we see it, in whatever form – race, religion, gender, love. We all need to take accountability for the words we use and the actions (or inactions) we take.

We must not allow hate to plant deep roots and spread. We’ve all heard the quote by Martin Luther King –

“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only light can do that. Hate cannot drive out hate; only love can do that.”

We have heard the quote, and at our depths, we know it to be true. Show me an occasion where hate matched with hate – transformed into peace, and I will show you a lie. It simply cannot. We need love, compassion and understanding. We need to hold ourselves and our governments accountable. We need empathetic and courageous citizens and leaders. We need to unite.

We need to unite in love, not fear or hate. We are the ones who need to actively create the kind of world we want to live in; for ourselves and more importantly, for our future generations. Thoughts and prayers will do nothing if we aren’t willing to take a united stand against hate. I hope the shootings in New Zealand will be the tipping point, and we see a global shift in how we live and love.

Does hate win?

Only if we let it.

Aroha atu, aroha mai

Tātou i a tātou katoa

Haumi ē, Hui ē, Tāiki ē!

Let us show respect for each other.

For one another.

Join, Gather, Unite!

Kia Kaha New Zealand, and much Aroha to all those affected. I remain hopeful that we will all rise stronger from this, together.