The Last Gentle Sunday

It’s a moment sure to be frozen in U.S. history. An icy blast that shocks the world, spreading chilling consequences for global stability and international relations. And as we reflect, we must also consider how the contagion of political opportunism, autocracy and oligarchy is already affecting our world.

Today’s cabinet reshuffle here in New Zealand offers a stark, localised illustration of the challenges ahead. Simeon Brown, a 33-year-old minister, has been appointed Minister of Health, a role critical to the well-being of all New Zealanders. Let me be clear - my concern is not with his age. Youth can bring energy, vision and innovation but sadly not in this instance. My concern lies with his known stance and previous commentary on health issues - particularly women's health - and his cavalier attitude towards our most essential services and those who provide them. This, combined with the discriminatory fever rife throughout the coalition government he represents (a fever that has caused our quality of life to sicken and pale) and we have chills in the evening air.

The health portfolio demands wisdom, empathy, care, insight and an unrelenting commitment to equity - qualities seemingly absent in both Brown’s record and the coalition’s broader agenda. This appointment points not to a focus on strengthening public health but to an intent to tilt the system towards privatisation and profit the consequences of which would be devastating.

At the same time, we must confront the deepening complexities of ‘freedom of speech’, a concept that has become a rallying cry for figures like Trump and Musk. Their rhetoric frames it as an 'unassailable right' but the reality is far murkier. The simultaneous relaxation and tightening of regulations on dominant social networks have created an environment where genuine dissent is stifled even as harmful rhetoric is amplified.

Algorithms prioritise the loudest, most inflammatory voices, sidelining those who challenge the status quo. Terms of service are rewritten to shield platforms from accountability, leaving users powerless against deplatforming or censorship. This is manipulation, not freedom. The very platforms that claim to champion open dialogue are narrowing the space for opposition, making it increasingly difficult for individuals and organisations to speak out against injustice.

The rise of autocracy and oligarchy is not confined to any one country. It spreads like a contagion, infecting political systems with its disdain for equity and accountability. In New Zealand, we are witnessing this infection in real time. The coalition’s policy decisions and appointments are eroding the social fabric that underpins fairness, inclusivity and mutual respect.

Culturally, we risk losing the values that define us as a nation - values of fairness and collective good - as the global tide favours exclusion and division. Economically, our industries face significant challenges if isolationist policies and trade tariffs dominate. Politically, the erosion of our ability to hold power to account, particularly in a climate where dissenting voices are stifled, threatens the very core of our democratic systems.

In the face of this, kindness becomes more than a virtue. It becomes resistance. Kindness is not passive. It is deliberate and strategic. It grounds us, embodying our shared humanity and offers a way to challenge the forces of division and exploitation. To listen carefully, act decisively and stand firm. To show kindness to others, to ourselves and the communities we are part of.

The challenges ahead require us to act. To build and strengthen communities that can support one another in times of uncertainty. Solidarity on a global scale is essential, reaffirming relationships with nations and organisations that prioritise equity, sustainability, and shared progress. At the local level, advocacy will be critical. Leaders must be held accountable, challenged when they prioritise power over people, and called to act with integrity and fairness. Media has a role to play, but given the fragmentation, exploitation, and control of traditional media via the billionaire's boys' club, it will be a space that independent media must step up to occupy.

Public relations and communication professionals are also under increasing pressure as organisations ‘harden up’ in response to the political landscape, exemplified by Mark Zuckerberg’s recent call for ‘increased masculine energy.’ This hardening, often characterised by a misguided shift in values to prioritise survival over principles, demands urgent attention. Practitioners have both a role and a responsibility to encourage organisations to rethink such reactive stances. Help them to do what is right - not what is convenient. By fostering genuine accountability and helping organisations align their behaviours and actions with authentic values, public relations professionals can bolster endurance and help organisations maintain integrity.

Tomorrow marks the beginning of a new and deeply challenging chapter. But our world's story is not shaped by sitting back and hoping for the best. It is shaped when we rise to meet the moment. As this Last Gentle Sunday fades, let it be a moment of resolve. We must use our voices to challenge injustice, expose inequity and protect the values of fairness and humanity that bind us together.

At a time when misinformation, disinformation and malinformation are wielded as political weapons, the battle to ensure all voices are heard is more critical than ever. Lies, half-truths and manufactured narratives are designed to divide and confuse, create fear and suspicion, silence dissent and reshape realities to suit the powerful. Our challenge is twofold. We must speak out and simultaneously protect - or create - the spaces where truth can thrive. This requires vigilance, solidarity and a commitment to amplifying the voices of those who are silenced or marginalised.

To stand against misinformation is to stand for accountability. It means equipping ourselves with the tools to recognise and combat falsehoods. Supporting each other in presenting the truth and resisting systems that seek to obscure it. It means acting with courage and clarity, building networks of trust and ensuring that no matter how the tide turns, our voices will not be drowned out.