About Our Chapter

Our chapter is part of the World BEYOND War global organisation that aims to end wars in the world and is named Te Waipounamu and based in the South Island of Aotearoa New Zealand. It is based on the principles of Aotearoa New Zealand’s founding document – ‘Te Tiriti o Waitangi’ (the Treaty of Waitangi) made between the Māori people and the English colonial settlers and signed in 1840. This also means we promote respect for cultural diversity and encourage people from all nationalities to become engaged with our values, beliefs, and objectives.

Our chapter is committed to advocating for security through total demilitarisation, promoting management of conflicts without violence and creating a culture of peace with justice, in Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world. Our philosophy is that humanity is part of the planet and its interconnected web of life and whatever we do to the planet we do to ourselves. By promoting peace, we advocate for the continued status of our country as being nuclear free, for worldwide nuclear disarmament and the elimination of all weapons and armaments that cause harm and destruction to humans, all living creatures and their environments. Through this we wish to keep Aotearoa New Zealand as the most peaceful country in the world.

To achieve our goals we are identifying, researching and monitoring issues that are involved in peace and disarmament in Aotearoa New Zealand, and developing and implementing programmes to increase public awareness and understanding of these. We are creating public awareness by presenting at public meetings and conferences, holding exhibitions, seminars, and promoting films, concerts and publications, that align with our purposes. We are also affiliating and cooperating with other local organisations with similar and compatible aims and objects for example by being part of their demonstrations that promote peace and disarmament.

Kia mau te rongo (Keep the peace).