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  • 14 Jun 2024 11:40 AM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Statement on the Crisis in Gaza*

    Since October last year we have witnessed a relentless stream of massacres, mass destruction of homes, schools, and hospitals, and the displacement of over a million people in Gaza. As an organization representing academics and students in political studies in Aotearoa New Zealand, we cannot stand silently by while this violence continues. In addition to supporting calls for an immediate end to the violence, NZPSA also 1) unequivocally condemns the destruction of Gaza’s education system, 2) affirms its support for the right of students and academics to protest against war crimes, crimes against humanity, and  genocide, and 3) calls for more measures from the New Zealand Government, including immediate assistance for Palestinians who are in need of safety and security.

    The NZPSA unequivocally condemns the ‘systematic obliteration’ of Gaza’s entire education system and the killing of thousands of students and academics. All twelve universities in Gaza have either been completely or partially destroyed since October last year. Libraries and archives have been bombed and burned. These were all places of learning and repositories of research and knowledge. Many distinguished professors who taught in these institutions have been killed, some in targeted attacks. Tens of thousands of students are now unable to complete their programmes of study and graduate with the degrees that promised them a better future. Thousands of their friends and classmates have been killed or wounded. We express full solidarity with our Palestinian colleagues in condemning this ‘scholasticide’ in the strongest possible terms. It should not be accepted anywhere for any reason.  

    The NZPSA stands in solidarity with students and academics in support of their academic freedom and their right to protest on and off university campuses. We call on all university administrators in Aotearoa New Zealand to show respect, care, and support for students and academics as they make their voices and demands heard in response to the violence they are seeing. The lack of effective political response to Israel’s assault has generated a global mobilisation of students demanding action from their institutions and governments. Many student and faculty protestors have themselves faced the excessive and unwarranted use of police force as their university administrators have sought to remove them from their campuses. As educators in political studies, we respect the right of our students and academics to speak and organise for causes that are meaningful to them. While all protests transgress normal rules and expectations, we have seen no evidence to suggest that student protestors in Aotearoa New Zealand have behaved in ways that are discriminatory or unethical. Calling for an end to genocide should not be controversial and should not be a punishable offence; indeed, it is something that all university leaders should actively support.

    The NZPSA calls upon the Government of Aotearoa New Zealand to take stronger and more decisive actions in response to this crisis. Such actions should include:

    • Ongoing public support for the International Criminal Court and International Court of Justice in carrying out their investigations of war crimes and the crime of genocide.
    • Ongoing support for and monitoring of the full and fair implementation of UN Security Council Resolution 2735.
    • A fast-track visa process for at-risk Palestinians, particularly those with family in New Zealand. This was made possible for Ukrainians in 2022 and is the least we can expect from a nation that claims to respect human rights and dignity.

    As scholars and students of politics, we know that history does not look kindly upon those who stay silent or support war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide. While the voice of the NZPSA may be a small one, we raise it here in the interests of peace, justice, protection of all lives, environments, and cultural heritage, and political dialogue toward a better world.

    Please direct any media or other enquiries to admin@nzpsa.co.nz

    * This statement should not be taken to represent the views of all individual members of the NZPSA. It was published after a process of consultation with the current membership in which over 80% of respondents expressed support for it.


  • 28 Feb 2024 1:41 PM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    The 2023 Issue of Women Talking Politics is out now. Click here to read it!

    E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou katoa.

    Welcome to the latest edition of Women Talking Politics, where we continue to push boundaries and amplify voices at the forefront of feminist discourse. This is in a context where women continue to be affected disproportionately in terms of abuse, war violence and the effects of climate change and yet struggle to have a seat at the decision-making table. Nowhere is this more obvious than in Gaza where the death toll has now past 27,000 and two million people are facing starvation, continuous bombing, and a lack of political will for an immediate ceasefire. In this issue, we've curated a dynamic collection of articles, poems, and perspectives that delve deep into the intersection of feminism, climate change and human rights.

    Our commitment to inclusivity shines through as we feature a diverse array of voices from various disciplines, each offering unique insights into the complexities of gender dynamics. From exploring the nuances of race, culture, and class to confronting issues of violence and sexuality, our contributors fearlessly tackle pressing issues facing women today. By actively working to address these issues, we can create a more equitable and inclusive society where the contributions of women and gender scholars and activists are valued and celebrated. In a world reshaped by the pandemic, we've embraced remote collaboration, innovation, transcending geographical barriers to bring you this journal from four separate locations across continents. This innovative approach not only underscores our adaptability but also highlights the power of connectivity in driving meaningful dialogue and collaboration. As editors, we take pride in curating content that challenges the status quo and sparks critical conversations. We invite you to engage with our thought-provoking articles and poems, knowing that your perspectives contribute to the rich tapestry of feminist discourse. At Women Talking Politics, we're more than just a journal—we're a community dedicated to empowering scholars, activists, and students alike. Join us in our mission to elevate voices, bridge gaps, add depth and richness to the discourse. We particularly welcome contributions by early career researchers and from underrepresented groups.

    Thank you for being part of this journey.

    Ka kite anō, The Women Talking Politics Editorial Board

  • 24 Jul 2023 11:26 AM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    The Conference Website is now live. This will be your one stop shop for all the Conference 2023/2024 details, including a schedule of papers, keynote speakers and more. Currently you can find the Call for Papers and some preliminary details of the Conference, but come back soon for more! 

  • 23 Jun 2023 9:00 AM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Deadline for Proposals: October 6, 2023

    As sea levels rise in our region, the Pacific is also garnering a rising level of political attention. The Pacific is a site and source of political innovations for the complex and intersecting challenges faced by people and governments around the world. The Pacific confronts rising economic inequalities, increased international geopolitical tensions, a mutating pandemic, cataclysmic climate change and ongoing entrenched racisms, sexism, and other discriminations. At the fore in engaging with these, and other matters the Pacific may offer alternative responses, knowledges, and experiences.

    The NZPSA|TKTToA 2023/2024 conference theme is The Rising Pacific. While the conference will welcome a broad range of Political Studies scholars and their works, we particularly encourage papers, panels, and roundtables that speak broadly to the theme.

    Participants may wish to explore:

    • How centring the Pacific as a region of study, or the Pacific as a collective of unique knowledges and histories, help us to better understand contemporary politics?
    • What is “the Pacific”, and do distinctions between Oceania, the Indo-Pacific, Polynesia, and Australiasia, limit or enhance our theories and politics?
    • What unique challenges confront the Pacific that suspend, obscure, generate, or stymie our existing ways of thinking and theorising about politics?
    • What roles do Aotearoa New Zealand, and other Pacific nations, play in international politics in the Pacific and beyond?

    The conference organisation team will welcome a diverse range of participatory formats. We encourage submissions of whole panels, author-meets-critic book roundtables, network-specific themed panels (e.g. local government, gender and politics, political theory, etc.) and professional development themed discussions.

    For further questions, enquiries, or proposals, please contact NZPSA2024@gmail.com.

  • 28 Apr 2023 10:48 AM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    The Rising Pacific

    The next Annual conference, the theme of which will be ‘The Rising Pacific’, will take place in-person at the University of Auckland/Waipapa Taumata Rau on the 15, 16 & 17th of February 2024Details regarding the conference programme, registration, paper submission and so on will be available here shortly.

  • 08 Dec 2022 1:07 AM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Political Science warmly welcomes submissions from members of the Association, particularly on topics related to New Zealand.

    A report on the submissions made to Political Science between 2012 and 2022 show that almost half the articles published by Political Science includes New Zealand related content, and New Zealand based submitters have the highest acceptance rate for the Journal. For more detail and analysis read the full report here

  • 29 Nov 2022 5:05 PM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Editorial Board: Barbara Bedeschi-Lewando, Heather Tribe, Nashie Shamoon, & Heather Devere. 

    The 2022 Issue of Women Talking Politics is out now. Click here to read it!

    E ngā mana, e ngā reo, e ngā karangatanga maha, tēnā koutou katoa

    This issue of Women Talking Politics offers innovative features which present a unique space for debates around topics at the intersection of feminism and human rights because it includes a wider range of voices and formats than those usually accommodated in academic journals. We publish articles and commentaries from several disciplines in a variety of voices - articles engaging gender and its interaction with race, culture, class, nation, violence, and/or sexuality. We have lively, provocative poems that will hopefully prompt intense debate. The pandemic has made it apparent that collaboration does not require in-person contact, possibly making it more feasible to network and start new collaborations. We completed the whole journal based in four separate locations, sometimes across continents.

    We want to highlight and celebrate this special contribution and we hope you find this work as cutting-edge and thought-provoking as we do.

    Women Talking Politics is an online, open-access, peer-reviewed feminist journal that provides a forum for scholars, activists, and students to explore the relationships among theories of gender and women’s rights and various forms of organizing and critical practice. Our intention is to empower and boost the visibility of the research, early-career researchers, and women’s rights activists. We share relevant writings, with a vision to build bridges and improve connections between individuals and research entities within Aotearoa New Zealand and around the world.

    One of the most disturbing recent developments is the rise of open misogyny and gender-based violence worldwide, and this is reflected in the number of submissions we received that address the violent patriarchy. The cover page, photos and a poem are the work of the Latin Feminist Collective based in Aotearoa New Zealand in remembrance of Juliana Herrera, a Colombian woman violently killed by a convicted rapist in our so-called peaceful country. Negar Partow also brings to the attention of the government and New Zealanders the protests here by Iranian women concerning the death in custody in Iran of Mahsa Amini for daring to show more hair under her veil than the government permits. Hafiza Yazdani’s personal commentary on the treatment of women in her home country of Afghanistan by the Taliban, and Elle Dibrova’s article on violence against the LGBT community in Russia provide more evidence of continued and continuous gender-based violence.

    Georgie Silk’s poems, threaded through this issue also deal with gender diversity, feminism and women’s support for each other.

    More crises in our world are represented in the articles on climate change and the pandemic with insights from Tara Brabazon who provides a feminist analysis of silence, ignorance and post- pandemic resistance in her article, calling for ‘alternative ideas, trajectories and histories’ to be recovered from ‘this pancaked patriarchy’. Heather Tribe’s article is on how issues related to food security and infant feeding impact on women in particular. Another issue exacerbated by the pandemic is access to medicines. Zohreen Ali analyses this as a human right (right to health and right to life) under the various UN conventions in her article.

    Peace scholars consider activism and decolonisation as part of the change needed for a more socially just world. Monica Carrer’s commentary looks at gender, the everyday and activism from her research background in studying resistance to conflict in India, and an article on decolonising the field of peace and conflict studies from a gender perspective is provided by Heather Devere, Katerina Standish and Kelli Te Maihāroa.

    While there is fear, disappointment, disgust and horror raised by the political writers in this issue, there is hope, strength, clarity and courage interwoven. These are stories that need to continue to be told, these are voices that need to be heard, and these are insights that are needed for our world.

    As editors we thank the contributors for these wonderful examples of what gender-based analyses can reveal. We thank the previous editors of Women Talking Politics, in particular Lara Greaves and Jennifer Curtin who guided this publication through the demanding years of the pandemic, and handed over the reins to us this year. We thank the New Zealand Political Studies Association/Te Kāhui Tātai Tōrangapū o Aotearoa for continuing to support this publication, and in particular Richard Shaw the Tumuaki/President and Shirin Brown, Māngai Wahine/Women’s Representative.

    We call upon you the readers to help maintain this mahi by responding with commentary, your own research and studies, mentoring students, to keep visible, heard, respected and acknowledged those who might otherwise not appear to be concerned about and impacted by political issues in Aotearoa and internationally.

  • 14 Nov 2022 5:40 PM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Registrations are now open for the 2022 NZPSA/TKTToA Conference! Head over to the conference website to register here

    We have 5 amazing keynote sessions lined up:

    To see what other papers are being presented head here
  • 08 Sep 2022 12:15 PM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Planning for the annual conference is going well, and we have a number of exciting keynote plenary sessions arranged.

    We are extending the date for the submission of panels and abstracts to 30 September. We are aiming to keep registration fees low, given this is a fully online conference. If you have an idea for a paper or a panel, do submit an abstract by 30 September.

  • 24 May 2022 2:08 PM | Will Dreyer (Administrator)

    Justice Minister Kris Faafoi has announced the composition of the independent panel that will review Aotearoa New Zealand’s electoral arrangements. Two wāhine toa from the political science community – Maria Bargh and Lara Greaves (who was nominated for membership by NZPSA/TKTToA) – have been selected to serve on the panel. Well done to both (and good luck)!

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