Leading from the front issuu

TWO OLD MATES
IMPLORE THE GANGS
It sounds like the beginning of a joke: two old
mates, social justice campaigners from way back,
rock up to the Mongrel Mob gang pad in Maraenui
last summer. They’re emissaries; one carries a
document in his hand, a plea from kids at a nearby
school, a school that some of these gang members’
tamariki attend. But this is no joke. The kids, among
other requests, ask for a truce between the warring
gangs in the rohe, Mongrel Mob and Black Power.
That same night Mati Eru and Pat Magill, brothers
under the skin, also met up with lifetime Black
Power member Denis O’Reilly and presented the
same document. Pat and Mati said there was good
will on both sides but the community probably
doesn’t feel those good vibes. Over a year down
the track there’s still a lot of work to be done in
striking an accord. “A peace treaty is needed because
children have the right to feel safe and enjoy
a better life”, the emissaries said on the night and
that’s still the case.
As was covered in the previous chapter, there
is good stuff happening too and the ripples are
spreading, creating plenty of positives to help build
a better future.
Napier Pilot City Trust – for a kinder, fairer city 147