Peace advocate visits Iraq
Published in Tu Mai, June 2003, Issue 43
Growing up in her tribal area of Te Mahia an the East Coast of the North Island, Pauline Tangiora first became concerned about nuclear testing in the late 1950’s. At that time she was a young mother with many family responsibilities, but the thought of the possible damage to her ancestral lands, to the Pacific, and to the whole environment made her determined to take action.
PAULINE TANGIORA is a member of the International Steering Committee on Health for Minorities by the Year 2000, an executive member of the World Council of Indigenous Peoples Regional Women Committee, and member of the Rigoberta Menchu Committee Indigenous Initiative for Peace. She has participated in many activities relating to indigenous peoples and the environment such as the Indigenous People’s Conference, of which she was one of the coordinators, and the World Conference on Human Rights, both held in Vienna in 1993.
She represented the Women International League for Peace and Freedom as well as the New Zealand Maori Council, Rongomaiwahine Tribal Group at Kari Oca International Conference of Indigenous Peoples held concurrently with UNCED, and attended the latter as a delegate of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom. Pauline is a lifetime member of the Maori Women’s Welfare League and has served on many other bodies including Maori International and the Aotearoa Section of the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF), of which she was President for four years and currently vice-president.
A trained family counselor and justice liaison, Pauline was appointed Justice of the Peace in 1988. She has been involved in support groups for the unemployed and for the rehabilitation of youths, which include prison visits. Pauline has promoted speech on Peace and conflict resolutions in schools and was Visiting Lecturer to the Multiculture in Education at the Massey University in 1986 and 1987, she is currently a member of the Eastern Institute Technology Maori Consultative.
In 1989, she was awarded the Queens service Medal for her community work and in 1990 she received the New Zealand Commemoration Medal. Pauline has sat on national bodies in New Zealand, such as the Justice Department’s Maori Development Group (1990) and the Central Fisheries Committee (1988-1989). More recently, she was instrumental in saving the Wairoa Public Library, and recently returned from a trip to war embattled Iraq.
“There are similarities to Maori and Iraqi people in their tribalism and spontaneity to awhi (assist),” says Pauline Tangiora who was I Iraq only two weeks before war broke out. “They (Iraqi people) make visitors feel welcome by extending great hospitality even though they have nothing.” Another insight for Pauline was women in Iraq were not discriminated against as one would think. She found this out when she talked with some of the locals on her walkabouts in Iraq during a Muslim holiday. “There are top Iraqi women doctors and lawyers — women can attain whatever heights they want to.” Conversation stretched across many topics, many people mistaking Pauline’s ethnicity Arabic. To her credit, Pauline learnt a few Iraqi words and managed to get an insight into how the Iraqi people themselves felt about their leader, President Suddam Hussein as well as Iraqi life itself. She asked how they felt about wealthy people who had left their country after the Gulf War and was simply told, “That’s the path Allah gave them to walk, hopefully they will come back because this is their country.”
Pauline’s trip to Baghdad and other cities came about after being inspired by a dream — and for her it was an enlightening trip. One she feels concerned for the people of the land because she is aware of the suffering the Iraqi people endured even before the war concluding the recent war was a license to further crush their Iraqi spirit. “An immoral war that will bring about its own consequence. An infringement on Iraq’s sovereignty.”
This immorality is something Pauline, the Rongomaiwahine peace advocate feels strongly about because of her work on a global commitment for disarmament, human rights and peace-related issues.
The concern has become more acute, because of her recent and intimate connection to the Iraqi people. Her empathy for Iraqi people greater because they gained her quiet admiration and sympathy through their humbling openness. Obviously there is also a sense of helplessness, “Something a walk in the magic beach moonlight of Te Mahia- cannot cure,” says Pauline.
“The people are still recovering from the battering of Uranium tipped missiles 12 years ago and I’ve seen what the women and children have already suffered, and will continue to suffer for generations to come.
“It is devastating to see what has happened in the last 12 years, particularly after the sanctions were put in by the United Nations.
“Sanctions that have hurt only the people and especially, the children of Iraq.
“You are talking about 24-26 million people being denied cocktails of medicines for diseases resulting from Uranium tipped missiles. Our Government has got to lobby the UN to lift the sanctions.”
Bagdad is a very old city. Iraq is 7000 years old, in comparison America is only 300 years old, “It is a civilization that was here before any others, even Christ and Christianity.”
According to Pauline, “some of the holiest places in the world are in Iraq. But an ancient civilization is no tower against modern disease.” It appears cancer is a major killer amongst the children, and the presence of breast cancer in Iraqi women is high.
Visiting hospital wards where not just a few children, but many were attached to drips and talking to pharmacists, who themselves were crying out for more medicine because they were aware the supplies they have are no where adequate.
“The heart wrenching thing is to see parents, to see hope in their eyes, because they believe their children can and will live. They have a belief in a creator who will protect them, a belief that no matter what happens he will still love them.There are no nurses for the children in hospital, few back up staff and not enough medicine needed to contain diseases properly.”
In a conversation with one pharmacist, he told Pauline, he could not even access a computer to help break down blood transfusions because it was feared the computer would be turned into a bomb.
Pauline also met a young woman who was 18 and at University during the missile attacks of 1991. Pauline noticed a very small infant leg protruding from the woman’s scarf. Underneath the scarf was a two-week-old baby suffering from leukemia. The baby was no bigger than her mother’s hand and its deathly destiny, inevitable.
The enormity of the problem surprised Pauline because Iraq was once one of the healthiest countries in the world, however after 1991, the deadly disease cancer has thrived. Pauline ascertained that good quality food could not be found. If circumstances permit, oil is exchanged for food and medicine.
“There is no protein in the soil either, they can’t even grow vegetables. Depleted Uranium can go work its way through a steel tank. One thing we should all know about war is that affects us all in its destruction of Mother Earth.
“Once the fragments from the bombs get into the atmosphere it can be blown anywhere .... anywhere around the world, it is particularly bad for those people suffering from a weak immune system. War is bad for everybody.” Non surprisingly, Pauline distributed supplies where and when she could.
She was laden with gifts including natural manuka honey cream to soothe the scab infested legs of many of the women in hospitals she visited. There were peace posters drawn by Te Mahia school pupils to decorate children’s wards and schools, harakeke flowers as well as small stones with paua shells were given as koha for people who hosted her. And in her generosity Pauline found she was occasionally on the receiving end. Often given sweets in her visits or left at her hotel, and a special handcrafted mat.
“1 was given this mat, and it reminds me of the Iraqi peoplebecause it is woven with cheerful bright colours — that is the wonderful thing about them, they are happy people in spite of their situation.
“They were so respectful, even in their pain they were generous and we need to help our brothers and sisters who are being maligned for their resources and abuse of grass roots hospitality.”
Pauline is richer for the experience; she sees herself as a cog in the wheel and has faith in the ability of others to fly their peace flag, in their own way. “1 know by being there (Iraq), it gave some solidarity to the Iraqi people that there are women around the world who care. “We can make a difference by saying enough is enough. “Out of this we have to find someone who can mediate with President Bush and turn him away from war because the really pitiful thing is innocent women and children desperate to get out of the war zone are being killed. It’s criminal!” Pauline’s glad some of the reporters are telling what she believes is the truth.
“I’m glad they are reporting the truth because you can not sanitize a war — there are two sides to the war, the truth deserves to be told.”
Pauline is adamant, there is hope in humanity. Hope that comes in several forms. Like the many young people who tap her on the shoulder from up and down the country when she’s walking up the street quizzing her about the war, and what they can do to help. And the peace marchers around the world who are continuously protesting, and the kind-hearted people and organizations who sent her donations in order for her to accomplish her mission. “I’m really grateful to those people who helped me, it just goes to show how the ordinary peace wishes of New Zealanders can be transported to far off places.” She praised Prime Minister, Helen Clark for listening to the voice of the New Zealand people and not folding to external pressure by sending Kiwi troops to war.
Admiring her constant reminder of her meaningful work is a beautiful bright coloured hand crafted Iraqi mat — proof for her that the hand of friendship from a far off place has stretched to the shores of Mahia — a footstep in the sand for world peace. ENDS