Where to now
By: Mike Peters
OPINION: 02/06/2024
In the wake of protests around the country, some increase in funding for disabled people was won in the budget.
However the restrictions on the use of that funding has not yet been reversed.
We can still win this; however, we must start with the facts and the objective conditions. It will take as long as it takes.
DUNZ Invercargill is making a set of short, good-quality videos where disabled people and their families have an opportunity to tell their stories. The videos are aimed at winning wide public support and respect. The videos are not intended to persuade government bureaucrats. Public protests will do that. We start with every local committee member and then film anyone else putting up their hands. We will not run after those who want someone else to save them. But if they see someone else speaking out, they might gain enough confidence to have a go themselves. Lots of little steps will slowly grow this movement. And it's going to take time.
We need to start organising, with the numbers we actually have, and scale protest activity accordingly. A good roadside picket of 10 people with placards saying "toot for support" works because most people support us. That is better than trying to organise a rally with 40 turning up. When we know we can get hundreds, then do a rally. This is going to take cool heads and a lot of patience.
It's also important to organise ourselves well. We need proper local committees that meet regularly at a sustainable pace. DUNZ Invercargill has 10 members on the local committee (from a local membership of 45) who meet weekly for 1 hour. That is enough to cover illness and medical appointments, which is a factor with disabled people. Everyone on the committee is there because they proved themselves by what they did. There are no seat warmers. All of them act like real leaders and deserve to be there.
This staunch small committee has already had quite an impact on Invercargill. It has given a bit of spine to several local organisations, which are finally sorting out local issues affecting disabled people based on human solidarity after years of waffle.
Disabled people from around the country have been contacting DUNZ on this basis and are looking for a way to get something done. The numbers are small but steady. If you are prepared to do small, practical things till the numbers build, there is a lot we can do together to get results.
And those numbers are growing.