Pathway to Survival pathwaytosurvival@pathwaytosurvival.nz

Tapatahi: Coalition for a People's Aotearoa was launched just after midwinter 2023. Heading out of the darkest night, making for the light and for Matariki New Year - felt like an auspicious time to birth a new progressive initiative! Respected activists Arama Rata, Sue Bradford, John Minto, Mike Joy and Samah Seger, with MC Catherine Murupaenga-Ikenn acted as the midwives, zooming in from three face-to-face meetings around the motu (Tāmaki Makaurau, Porirua and Ōtautahi). Their korero has been recorded.

The new coalition was initiated by Organise Aotearoa, who were joined by Pathway to Survival, IWW Aotearoa, Aotearoa Liberation League and other groups in the mahi of setting up a website, Facebook group and an Action Station-hosted petition of demands (see below).

Organise Aotearoa - for liberation and socialism
Pathway to Survival
Industrial Workers of the World Aotearoa
Aotearoa Liberation League

Why A Petition?

This is not a plea to those in power. It's a rallying call to all people, both inside and outside party politics, saying: "This is what we need for a decent life, a decent community and a survivable future". The changes that the petition calls for are all doable, practical and the subject of active campaigns in Aotearoa right now. We have no illusion that all these changes will be achieved within the structures of power and ownership that exist now. And, indeed, few of these changes will be effective unless the others are also brought in. But they represent the first steps in bringing on the deep transformations we need in the way we live together if we are to survive the future.

Why Another Coalition?

Strong coalitions are emerging now in Aotearoa around specific issues Non-Members like Climate Shift, Free Fares and NZCTU's 2022 proposals. There's a real sense in the air that people know what needs to be done and are banding together to push for it, without necessarily waiting for party politics to catch up. Tapatahi aims to highlight how these issues have a common root in the current power and ownership structures of our society, and how these campaigns share a common vision of what a decent society would look like.

This Common Vision Includes:

No-one left behind in the cold when it comes to a liveable income, secure decent housing, freely available healthcare and education. End inequality!

The big decisions about how we look after our collective wealth - the work and skills of the people and the taonga of whenua, awa and taiao that sustain us - these decisions are made by those whose lives are most affected by them, not in distant boardrooms for financial profit. Do democracy better!

As a country we face the reality of our colonised past and the damage it has done, and we work together to rectify this, to treasure the taonga of the past and protect the new shoots of the future. Decolonise!

We face the reality of an overheating planet and collapsing ecosystems and, leaving no one behind, we mobilise fast to reduce our collective energy use and inessential activity, we transition to regenerative land use and food production and we protect and expand the realm of Te Taiao, as it in turn protects us. End emissions and live within planetary boundaries!

We link with the peoples of the planet who resist militarisation and exploitation by the powerful. We take inspiration and leadership from the values and world view of indigenous cultures and we make productive alliances with other non-aligned nations. Work for global peace!

Tapatahi wants to build a broad citizens' movement that brings together progressive organisations and individuals who share this vision, to learn from and support one another. Together we are stronger.

How Do We Use This Coalition To Build The Movement?

John Minto commented at the Ōtautahi hui - "Don't focus on organisational structure, go for building the movement". That feels intuitively right, especially to those of us who came through Extinction Rebellion with its tactic of decentralised mobilising round simple demands and principles, and its urgent awareness of the imminent collapse of Business As Usual as the physical and economic tipping points are reached.

So here are some ideas on this from one participant in the coalition:

• Spread the petition among organisations and individuals who support each demand and invite them to join the broad progressive movement that Tapatahi coalition represents.
• Learn from the Matike Mai process - hui with groups and individuals round the motu to share their visions of a fair and peaceful society and a survivable future.
• As the political parties announce their election policies, use the petition demands to critique them and reinforce the need for system change, not just piecemeal add-ons.
• Hold Webinars and local face-to-face hui where various campaign leaders explore the synergy and the tensions among their different campaigns. Examples:
• Invite unionists and degrowthers to figure out how we could reduce energy usage fairly through rationing, without austerity.
• Invite environmentalists and Tiriti activists to share the differences and commonalities in how they experience Te Taiao.
• Invite climate, peace and indigenous rights activists to korero on how to build global networks with non-aligned peoples
• Invite unionists, universal basic income/universal basic services (UBI/UBS) advocates and taxation reformers to explore how their demands dovetail.
• Create and spread images, memes, slogans, actions that dramatise and popularise the common vision underlying the campaigns and demands. Aotearoa Liberation League's very short videos on topical events are a good example.
• Actively use every possible news event in the run-up to the election to point out the limits of the current structures and how people can and must work together to bring a new vision into being.
• Live the change - set up/support local initiatives that reflect the vision of the movement in everyday activity - like repair cafes, urban farms, local citizens assemblies ...

What Do You Reckon?

Watchdog goes out to a group of people who collectively have a wealth of experience in setting up popular fronts and pushing forward with a visionary socialist agenda. We'd love to have your feedback!

Email: kiatapatahi@tapatahi.nz
Website: www.tapatahi.nz
Facebook group https://www.facebook.com/groups/253573297217679

The Big Changes That Aotearoa Needs Right Now (ActionStation petition)

1. Commit To Constitutional Transformation And Doing Democracy Better
• Immediately start the process for the national conversations that Matike Mai recommended in 2016
• Trial Te Tiriti-based Citizens' Assemblies to deal with key questions affecting all of us
2. End Poverty, Disparity And Income Insecurity
• Expand universal basic services - starting with:
• Free dental care
• Free public transport
• Free early childhood education
• Immediately implement all the recommendations of the Welfare Expert Advisory Group
• End the ethnic and gender pay gap - support the recommendations of the Human Rights Commission
3. Solve The Housing Crisis
• Rent control
• A comprehensive capital gains tax
• Higher rates/tax on empty houses
• Adequate funding for a State house building programme and for iwi and community housing
4. Tax The Richest To Ensure Income Security For Everyone
• Wealth tax, capital gains tax, financial transactions tax, remove GST
5. Real Environmental Action
• Immediately support farmers transitioning to restorative farming focused on food security and reducing cattle herds, and phase out artificial fertilisers and imported stock food
• End coal, oil, and gas extraction and prospecting on land and sea by 2027, and reduce fossil fuel use by at least 20% per year from 2024 without offsets or expanding biofuels
• Ban all seabed mining and bottom trawling.
6. Jobs That Support Everybody's Welfare, Not Endless Growth In Corporate Profits, Starting With
• A four-day working week with no loss of pay
• A Ministry of Green Works creating jobs, homes and infrastructure that will prepare Aotearoa for a low-emissions future
Justice Reforms as recommended by the Safe & Effective Justice Advisory Group Oppose Militarisation Of The Pacific
• An Aotearoa with a non-militarised foreign policy in alliance with other nations working to create a strong global voice for peace and climate action, especially the nations of Te Moana Nui a Kiwa.