I had coffee with Creative Dunedin Partnership social sector representative Max Reid just a handful of weeks ago.
That singular act has opened up a killer combination of flat-out kindness and community-wide can-do spirit that has left this Aucklander - dare I say it - jealous.
I floated the idea of opening a photography and "talking space'' exhibit at the Dunedin Community Gallery to facilitate discussion around Kiwi refugees issues, one I had initially intended to premiere in Auckland.
The timing just seemed too perfect, with the imminent arrival of Dunedin's first Syrian resettlement refugees.
Here was a community that asked for 45 Red Cross volunteers, then stuck its tongue out at all of us in the Jafa provinces with 500 signing on to help welcome new arrivals - and counting.
You can't help but believe that Dunedin is the open-hearted Canada to the world's refugee-kicking Hungary.
The analogy isn't as flippant as it seems.
What Dunedin has accomplished in an 18-month groundswell of proactive community support to become a new resettlement city is nothing short of shaming to both parties who haven't managed to find the political will to touch our permanent refugee quota for almost three decades now.
Dunedin's grass roots initiative says something important too, a message the New Zealand cabinet needs to hear loud and clear, as it considers its quota decision in these next weeks.
There is a huge disjuncture between the empty fear-mongering of talk radio-and the truer voice of the quiet majority.
This week, Dunedin embodies that voice - with action.
"You'd be hard pressed to find anyone who doesn't feel it's a good idea,'' one community leader told me.
There was a time when I felt New Zealand was better than our sadly anaemic refugee quota.
But today that 750 number seems tragically cold-blooded, relative to the historic numbers of devastated lives we now ignore because they are far from our shores.
As the photos of a drowned toddler on a Turkish beach moved the world, the best we came up with last year was an addition of just 100 temporary emergency places, another 250 for each of two years following.
After all, this wasn't really our problem - a hemisphere away.
The image of that tragic child may have faded from our memory, but it is what the media hasn't covered that is far more poignant; another 70 children have washed up on those same shores since then.
As a journalist, I have watched acutely as a malleable news narrative has washed over desperate refugees too, flooding what should be a clear humanitarian imperative with loaded politics.
The headlines of simple compassion from months ago have been transformed to occasional demonisation, with pointedly cruel intent.
These aren't families, nieces, brothers, and grandchildren, running from war.
They are invaders now, worthy of being jailed in camps first set up to assist their movement to find safety.
Has New Zealand bought into these devolving storylines?
When our Government may have perceived public outcry was loudest, we finally offered 600 emergency places (spread out over three years).
A generous gesture?
Hardly.
Even if we measure ourselves against countries similar to our size, others put us to shame.
Ireland (population: 4.6 million) will now take an additional 4000 refugees.
Norway (populations 5.1 million) is taking an additional 8000 Syrians. Lebanon (4.5 million) is now hosting well over a million Syrians alone.
Indeed, we just sunk four more places this year to rank a dismal 94th in the world for the total number of refugees and asylum seekers we host per capita.
That's nothing to be proud of, especially relative to our GDP wealth.
Our geographic place in the world allows us a luxury most land-connected countries don't have.
We choose who and how many permanent quota refugees can settle here.
Making no choice to do more for 29 years, now speaks volumes.
More emergency places alone won't cut it either.
While an effective stopgap, having variable numbers will never allow this tiny, underfunded sector to permanently grow, the most effective way to achieve better resettlement outcomes in the long run.
Allowing private sponsorship is a welcome choice, one that has been successful in Canada.
But Canada matched this programme with an additional 25,000 Syrian intake last year.
Privatising refugee support, though a welcome additional tool, cannot be used as a replacement for our Government stepping up too.
This week, New Zealand is hearing Dunedin's voice loud and clear, one that has echoed across party lines, faith groups and public meetings up and down the country.
History will be staring back at all of us.
If this nation values compassion and the clear call to do the right thing, now is the time to prove it.
Dunedin, you are doing us proud.
- Tracey Barnett is an Auckland-based columnist, author and founder of WagePeaceNZ. "Transplanted: Refugee Portraits of New Zealand'' will run from May 8 to 18 at the Dunedin Community Gallery.
