And quiet at harbour rests the isle of my heart
Jesus, healer and friend, You walk these sands through sea mist & sun.
Touch the folk of this land with the vision of joy.
Salt tears still fall, loud lament of the gulls.
Till justice roll down, till the naked earth is clothed,
till creation is restored.
Waters swirl and tides flow, generations rise and fall
Loves alpha and omega, our flag in the wind.
Our enduring root in the soil.
Aramoana Christ by Peter Matheson
* * *
The Knox Church Choir sang this poem last night, set to music by Karen Knudson in 2010, at the launch of Here I Belong, a posthumous collection of Peter Matheson’s poems.
It was a celebration of Peter’s life and words, and a recognition of a dearly beloved friend to many.
It was another reminder to me that peace and justice are both personal and shared responsibilities.
The University of Otago is home to Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa, the National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies, offering global expertise on indigenous rights, peace building and conflict transformation.
In one of my politics classes this semester, associate Professor Liana MacDonald spoke about the Master of Peace and Conflict Studies. This piqued the interest of students around me in their final year of their Bachelor of Arts, who were considering further study.
It also served as a reminder that peace is not merely an abstract ideal but a practice cultivated through attention and engagement.
The people at Te Ao o Rongomaraeroa, like Peter, have dedicated their lives to the pursuit of peace and finding expression for the messages therein.
Detachment is easy, particularly for students at this time of year.
Exams loom, deadlines pile up, and everything feels insular. It is easy to block out international and domestic headlines, which can sometimes seem necessary for one’s self-preservation, but this can build up internally unless you have a healthy outlet, a safe space to reflect.
This sentiment is recognised within departments. On Wednesday, two law societies came together to run a "Wellness Workshop" on staying balanced during exams, showing that reflection and care are necessary to engage fully in one’s studies, and with the world.
Yet peace, even at home, is not guaranteed.
Across 24 districts, voters recently chose to remove their Māori wards. This decision reveals that fundamental building blocks to peace, like justice, are contested here in Aotearoa.
In happier news, Dunedin has our second female mayor. Mahi tika ana Sophie Barker.
There was definitely a buzz on campus this week regarding the outcomes of the local body elections across the country, although the harsh reality of online discourse quickly tempers the excitement of new leadership that incoming councils face.
A few scrolls through local Facebook pages reveal vitriol and personal attacks directed at councillors. The ability to move forward and make progress is not guaranteed by the election alone, but upheld and reliant on the way we treat each other, in person and online.
Even small engagements matter. Sitting with an ice cream from Rob Roy, and intentionally reflecting on the Archibald Baxter Peace Garden, could remind students that history, memory and action are all intertwined.
The memorial trust writes: "This was an action for peace. There are thousands of good people who inspired it, many who contributed to it, many who worked for it."
Students can, and are echoing these efforts through empathy, civic engagement and discussion.
Mary Oliver wrote that, "poetry is one of the ancient arts, and it begins as did all the fine arts, within the original wilderness of the Earth".
The wilderness of Otago is reflected in Aramoana Christ, and there is an encouragement there for us all to seek inspiration for a better future from the world around us.
I know many students are seeking this source of inspiration and peace, even at the busiest time of the year.
Ngā mihi nui,
Grace.
• Dunedin resident Grace Togneri is a fourth-year law student.
