The Jacinda Ardern solution
In the aftermath of an act of terrorism, a deep wound often festers deep in the psyche of a nation. Anger, resentment, and helplessness crowds every conversation and thought. By global standards, whether we’re talking European countries, the US, or India, leaders have time and again led the healing process with heavy rhetoric and lending legitimacy to violent backlash. With this context in mind, New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has initiated a peaceful revolution that can forever change how leaders deal with terrorist attacks. I dub this- the Jacinda Ardern solution.
Dealing with violent acts born out of extremism is, of course, a complex problem comprising several socio-economic factors such as sanctions or a military response. But for the ordinary citizen, an outlet must be created, and example must be set, a leader must address their frustration. And this is where the usual strong-arm tactics and aggressive rhetoric have led to backlash against entire communities instead of specific systematic problems. Whether Democrat or Republican, for example, US politicians have behaved as though a right to bear arms enshrined into the constitution in an age when automatic weapons were a distant reality is far more important than the lives of innocent, school-going children. Similarly, an inability to correctly address the anger of Indian citizens in the wake of the Pulwama attack, leaving the politics of the country’s military response aside, led to incessant war-mongering propaganda. What Ardern did in contrast here, is use a completely different route and vocabulary. She used compassion.
Soon after the attack at Christchurch that left 50 people dead, New Zealand’s Prime Minister made a definitive statement calling the incident a “terrorist attack”, challenging traditional vocabulary used to describe white gunmen acting on extremist beliefs. The terrorist wasn’t called a “lone wolf” or a “disturbed individual”. He was called a terrorist. By doing this, she was condemning the attack instead of an entire community consisting of innocent people- such as the knee jerk reaction to blame immigrants that many countries suffer from. In fact, Australian senator Fraser Anning even decided to blame Muslim immigrants on New Zealand’s behalf. “Does anyone still dispute the link between Muslim immigration and violence?” he tweeted after the attack.
Next, Ardern denied the gunman any claim to fame. “He sought many things from his act of terror, but one was notoriety,” Ardern said. “And that is why you will never hear me mention his name.” In extension to his name, his manifesto and ideology is also denied any fame. Ardern refuses to legitimize the extremist belief that led to the act. Instead, Ardern decided to pour all her energy into being there for the victims, those whose stories deserves to be told. She decided to highlight the loss and senselessness of the situation, to make sure their suffering is heard. The PM was unafraid to call a spade a spade. “So yes, gather together, show those outpourings of love, but also let New Zealand be a place where there is no tolerance for racism ever. That’s something we can all do,” she said while addressing students grieving for two victims.
All of this was compounded with concrete action as well. Despite knowing the opposition she might face, Ardern promised reforms within ten days of the massacre that would make the “community safer”. And she followed through. New Zealand is moving to ban assault weapons.
Whether one agrees with her on a political level or not, the remarkable thing about Ardern’s tact is the overwhelming praise she has received for her statements. Using a vocabulary filled with support and sympathy has managed to work when it comes to dealing with public anger and helplessness. She has come across as a leader of the people, evoking a sense of community, instead of pointless revenge that could potentially be directed towards innocents. She brought everyone together on a personal level, and that at least, is commendable.
