Study sustainability with New Zealand

While studying Māori studies at Victoria University, I also spent time in a community called Parihaka and eventually learnt Maori culture as well as the language. The mātauranga I got to know from indigenous people during my period of studies, as well as the unique relationships Maori came to have with pakeha people continue to attract me even after I came back to Japan where I started working at a TV broadcasting company.

The indigenous population of New Zealand is estimated to be around 17% of the total population, which means that the majority are 'non-indigenous'. Through the period of my study abroad in New Zealand I have repeatedly seen how pakeha (white people), who make up the majority of non-indigenous people, struggle to fix the relationships with the indigenous people, wishing to redress the mistakes they have had in between.

'No one is left behind' is one of the key messages in the SDGs, and I felt that New Zealand is a country that puts this into practice from an everyday level, including coexistence with indigenous people. As an international student myself, I never felt left out in class, rather, I was surprised to see my name on the language test, and when I didn't know how to write an essay, my classmates were always there to help me. I think one of the great points that the education in New Zealand has to offer is that it is a place where you can feel a part of the SDGs, not only in philosophy but also in everyday practice.