Southern View: July 26, 2016

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6 Tuesday July 26 2016 Our People SOUTHERN VIEW Memorable moments from nearly Dr Kate WE Dewes has been fighting to ARE keep New Zealand ON THE nuclear-free since her early 20s. She spoke to reporter Caitlin Miles about receiving threats for her work, sharing a memorable moment with the United Nations secretary general in 2011 and her plans to spend more time with her family MOVE AGAIN... Now that New Zealand has been with my first daughter so I wanted nuclear free for nearly 30 years, to settle back here. I also wanted to can you tell me why you became be able to keep working on disarmament and promoting peace talks involved in nuclear disarmament work? within Christchurch and the rest of It goes back to 1975. I was a New Zealand. In 1979, I had my first 23-year-old music teacher at Epsom daughter and became a founding Girls Grammar, and at the time I member of the Peace Foundation. was about to teach the girls a piece I ran the Christchurch office from of music dedicated to the survivors of the atomic bomb that was How was it balancing mother- home. I still do. dropped on Hiroshima. I wanted to hood and TO work? A NEW LOCATION IN learn who the victims were and what It was tough. I have three happened to them and the aftermath of it. I was horrified. I decided there was a lot to do. It was really a daughters and I was a solo mum so I wanted to go back to university balancing act. I never had hired help and learn about peace studies and to look FERRYMEAD, after my girls that was part DUE TO nuclear disarmament. of my job. There were other woman Is that when you decided to involved in the Peace Foundation study in England? so we would take turns baby sitting No university in New Zealand was each others kids when we needed offering a course in peace studies. So to do things. EARTHQUAKE I slowed down a bit REPAIRS I had to leave the country to be able after the earthquakes, though. It was to do it. I went to Bradford University to learn more about peace Why was that? secretary general Ban Ki-moon told Dr Dewes that the people more a case that I had to. MEMORABLE: Following the February 22, 2011, earthquake, UN talks, disarmament and what was Our house in Riccarton was of Christchurch had his support. happening around the world. I lived damaged following the September in Bradford while I studied and then 4, 2010, earthquake and all of my turned out to be about 120 banana were doing, can you tell me a bit came back here. work and the paper I had written on boxes of work. Funnily, they were about that? Why did you decide to come nuclear disarmament, WATCH and my PhD stored in the THIS Air Force Museum SPACE There were some people that were back to Christchurch? on peace issues, had to be put into here in Christchurch. against what we were doing. It was Well, I had to. And I was pregnant storage so they could be kept safe. It You got some abuse for what you the height of the cold war and we wanted to educate people as to what was going on. I was getting threatening phone calls about being attacked and some people even came to my home. I remember a photo was taken of me in the paper with one of my daughters sitting on my lap and someone said to me, ‘how dare you travel and work internationally when you have a family!’ I just laugh about it. There was a group that was against our idea of encouraging schools to teach children about peace settlements and things. Someone from the group against what we were doing spoke at a concerned parents’ association meeting in Hamilton. That’s where I am from and my parents were in the audience. During the person’s speech, he called me a communist, not that there was anything wrong with that, but at the time that was a rather weighted word. My parents were in the audience, and my dad stood up and said that I was his daughter and he defended me. That was a really big thing to do. Were there many low points? It was hard travelling internationally and being a solo mum, but I did it. When I wasn’t overseas, I worked from home so I could manage. What do you think are your really big personal achievements? Being a mother of three daughters is a big personal achievement. Getting my PhD was another one. I was working, being a parent and doing my PhD, so I’m really proud of that. 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SOUTHERN VIEW Tuesday July 26 2016 7 30 years of nuclear resistance POLITICAL INVOLVEMENT: Former Prime Minister David Lange spoke to Dr Dewes about making New Zealand nuclear-free and not allowing nuclear weapons to enter the country. What about moments when you have had to pinch yourself? There were a few pinch yourself moments with all the people I have met and things we have managed to achieve. I was in the United States when I got the news that the February 22, 2011, earthquake hit. I thought about the house; it didn’t do well in the September-quake so I was worried it would be gone completely. I got all set to head back to Christchurch and I called one of my daughters and she said, ‘no mum stay there, you have some important things to do, you need to stay and do it’. So I did. In the morning, I saw pictures the New York Times had of the Cathedral and then I had to go and speak at the UN. We were standing around before the discussion started and someone must have told the UN secretary general where I was from and he came up to me and shook my hand and said, ‘please tell the people of Christchurch they have my support’. Then he told the whole audience at the UN where I was from and what had happened to my city. I couldn’t speak for several moments. I saw what had happened at home as an opportunity to get my point across. What was the point you were making? If we had a nuclear power centre in Christchurch, the effect would have been devastating. Especially if a tsunami had come through. The rest of the country would have been in a really horrible situation. The Japanese ambassador challenged me on what I said. I had no idea several weeks later I would be writing him letters of support for what had happened following the earthquake that hit Japan. Can you tell me a bit more about your involvement with the United Nations? I was appointed to the UN Secretary General’s Advisory Board on Disarmament Matters as a non-government member, which was great because I could openly say what I wanted and what I truly thought and felt. They had to look at things a little differently because I made them. I was the only female on the Government peace delegation in 1988, too. I think that I presented a really different perspective to the men as well, which was refreshing. I wasn’t paid for my work at the UN though. AT WORK: Dr Dewes marks on a map the areas that support a nuclear-free New Zealand. How could you afford not to get paid for your work? The UN paid for my flights and accommodation so that helped. I also continued working from home. I taught peace studies part-time at Canterbury University so there was a little bit of money. I re-married so there was a wage coming in. What I could go without, I did. But for me, it wasn’t about the money. I got to sit on the advisory board and provide my input and opinions, which was why I kept doing it. How did you meet your second husband? I was in Geneva for work in 1992 and Robert Green was at the same convention about peace talks and nuclear development. Robert was the chair of the United Kingdom branch of the World Court Project so I gradually got to know him. I had to convince him to come to New Zealand, as the Government were looking at changing a clause to the nuclear legislation, so I needed to convince him to come to New Zealand to speak and make sure they didn’t change the legislation. When he was in the navy, he carried nuclear bombs so he knows what he’s talking about and I wanted to get him to share his information with New Zealand. Soon I had people sending me money to help get him to New Zealand. What do you think of Helen Clark running for secretary general? I think go Helen. I watched the debate she was in recently and thought she did really well. She has the knowledge and experience for the job and I think she would do really well at it. What are you setting your sights on for the future? Robert and I are trying to wind down a bit now, that’s easier said than done though. I would really like to be able to spend more time with my four grand-children, too. YOUR ONE STOP SHOP FOR ALL YOUR AUTOMOTIVE NEEDS • WOF + Services • European / German / BMW specialists • Mechanical repair • Tyres • Scan tool / Scope diagnostics • Petrol / Diesel / Light commercials • Brake Testing & machining • Insurance warranty work welcome Gainsborough Auto Services Ltd Ph 03 384 4957 281 Dyers Road, Bromley, Christchurch gainsboroughauto@gmail.com
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Southern View: July 26, 2016

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