Day one of the Adventure we call "Human Rights"

For those of you who don't know, the main reason I came to NZ was for school, and doing the wonderful exploration of human rights abuses in NZ. What human rights abuses could possibly be perpetrated in a land so beautiful, with a people so nice and a country never to be found in the news? Well, it's Domestic Violence, and it's a terrible thing, really.

For a quick briefing, 50% of homicides in NZ are committed by partners or ex-partners of the victims. Also 1 in 3 women in NZ are victims of violence in the home, be it verbal, emotional or physical. All very scary. I find myself looking at women all around me, and every third person or so, thinking- wow, I've just come across someone who has been abused. Can it be true? How can people be victims and still be so nice, so funny and so...normal?

The funny thing is that throughout my travels, it's been like this. Through orphanages, shelters for street children, and villages, I've come across people who have suffered poverty, sickness, death, homelessness, drug abuse, and abandonment-- and through these things, they are all incredibly joyful, humble, and yes, normal. Sort of a testament to how strong the human spirit can be-- however fragile humans are, they are likewise tough as nails. And compared to the extreme beauty of snow-covered peaks, blue oceans, blue moons, stars so bright, and rolling hills, there is nothing as beautiful as the resilience of people. Amazing.

I expected this trip to leave me two weeks closer to hating men. With day one under our belts, we spoke to women working for domestic violence NGOs, two survivors of domestic violence (both emotional and physical) and two doctors who train health professionals to recognize and deal with victims. And even though I'm exhausted from talking, note-taking, and honestly, being interested and attentive to what people are saying for 8 hours, I feel surprisingly good about what I've learned.

Admittedly, the recent past has had me pretty down on people in general-- watching movies like Blood Diamond and things having to do with child soldiers, greed, exploitation, and anything deeper and more troubling than a romantic comedy would get me hating people in general. But strangely, on a trip where we are looking to uncover abuses of humans, both literally and figuratively, I'm hopeful. And hopefully, there are more good things to come...