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Thread: I'm confused.

  1. #1
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    Default I'm confused.

    New Zealand is ranked third on the Global Peace Index, all websites everywhere seem to have nothing but good things to say about it, and so on, yet I stumbled across e2nz.org while doing research and it describes the country as quite the opposite. Why is this? How can one of the most peaceful countries on Earth be described the way it is described on that website? Is the website a bunch of false information written for the sole purpose of misguiding people. I want to move to a peaceful country where learning a new language is not necessary, but the people on that website describe it as a country that would be on the opposite end of the Global Peace Index. Can anyone explain? Can anyone verify that information as true or false? Also, how is the educational system?

    Thank you!

  2. #2
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    New Zealand, and it's education system, has good qualities and bad qualities. Maybe if you asked more specific questions about what you are looking for, someone could answer your question more accurately as to whether that exists here.

  3. #3
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whyland View Post
    New Zealand is ranked third on the Global Peace Index, all websites everywhere seem to have nothing but good things to say about it, and so on, yet I stumbled across e2nz.org while doing research and it describes the country as quite the opposite. Why is this? How can one of the most peaceful countries on Earth be described the way it is described on that website? Is the website a bunch of false information written for the sole purpose of misguiding people. I want to move to a peaceful country where learning a new language is not necessary, but the people on that website describe it as a country that would be on the opposite end of the Global Peace Index. Can anyone explain? Can anyone verify that information as true or false? Also, how is the educational system?

    Thank you!

    I am not familiar with that website.
    It is a lot more peaceful than the US but it is not perfect. The school system where we live is a much higher standard than where we left in the US. And you don't have to learn another language, I presume you are talking about Te Reo, but it is always good to learn a few words as they pop up in every day conversation. I find the Maori culture very interesting.

    Hope this helps.

  4. #4
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    Of all the people who make a move from one country to another, a certain proportion find things very difficult and have a bad experience, and of these, some are of the mentality which has to assign blame to someone/something else if they suffer in any way. So you find them claiming that any other migrants who say they are enjoying life and making a success of things must be lying. I haven't visited the forum you mention, but I suspect a number of such people have probably got together to whinge.

    Things aren't all horrible in NZ, but they aren't all rosy for everybody all the time, either, as has already been mentioned.

    What in particular is bothering you? Then people can perhaps help with specific points.

  5. #5
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    Not having to learn a new language is one of the reasons that I chose NZ. The nearby countries on the Global Peace Index speak languages that I don't know.

    I have read a lot about things regarding crime and fights in NZ, which surprises me, being ranked third on the Global Peace Index. While most of the crime mentioned was regarding the younger generations, it was still astonishing.

    When it comes to peace, where I currently live isn't bad. There aren't major crimes. Most of them involve people being drunk or intoxicated somehow, but that is all. The United States as a whole is a different matter, though. I hate to be in a country where the government is causing problems for itself and the residents.

    What is the truth about crime in NZ? Are the blog posts across the Internet about it hogwash? I have read some gnarly things about it and, referring to the Global Peace Index again, what they say simply doesn't add up.

    Another English-speaking alternative would be some parts of Canada, and, though this probably isn't the place to ask this, how do Canada and NZ compare in terms of peacefulness?

    Thanks for the responses, everyone!

  6. #6
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    What is the truth about crime in NZ? Are the blog posts across the Internet about it hogwash? I have read some gnarly things about it and, referring to the Global Peace Index again, what they say simply doesn't add up.
    The weighing factor why NZ ranks so high would have more to do with it's political stance rather than just the local crimes we read in the media (for IMO, isn't that bad). NZ plays a huge part in Green Peace, you have ex-Prime Minister Helen Clark that has an important role in the UN, you have a country that sends more people in military per capita than most developed nations, no death penalty, and there are many other pluses. Overall, NZ politically has extremely low corruption. There isn't the lobbying power that we see in the US (ie. industry lobbying against public views) here in NZ.

    Another English-speaking alternative would be some parts of Canada, and, though this probably isn't the place to ask this, how do Canada and NZ compare in terms of peacefulness?
    You will need to distinguish what you mean by peacefulness. Do you mean safety in quality of living for their citizens? How the gov't participates in global affairs in war and peace talks? As a Canadian myself that moved to NZ, both countries have a neutral stance when there's aggression (ie. if the US choose to fight a war in another country). As far as quality of living, in Canada the home I grew up in, I can still today leave the doors unlocked when going out. While in NZ, keeping the doors locked has become more of a requirement. BUT NEITHER place wouldn't be a deal breaker. The standard of living that I feel is well.. pretty damn good. I would say the same if I was living in the US too.

    The United States as a whole is a different matter, though. I hate to be in a country where the government is causing problems for itself and the residents.
    I'm being extreme but pretty much most nations have gov't that are not fair to their people. It may seem that what the US is going through would only be a dream for the majority of places around the world. It's kinda like an issue where if you're in the top 10 best countries in the world to live in, the gov't issue isn't really a concern because the level of freedom you have in those top 10 places would be pretty similar, but a horse of a different colour when compared to the majority of the near 200 countries in the world. I mean, look at the mass population living in China and India. The exodus of US citizens will never be a problem for the US as plenty of eager people around the world would love to immigrate to the US.
    Last edited by Super_BQ; 7th January 2014 at 10:02 PM.

  7. #7
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    Whyland, I've just remembered this old thread where the discussion about the original poster's wish for a safe place for her family to live went over things which may help you. http://www.enz.org/forum/showthread....935#post456935 Particularly, you may be interested in the difference in the way crime statistics are logged in NZ from in some other countries - posts #10, 13 and 15.

  8. #8
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    There is crime but because of the low population it gets a lot of attention. That is good because things don't go unnoticed. It can be bad because there can be a "kids will be kids" type attitude. For instance, we used to live in Blenheim and I never felt unsafe walking around any part of town. However, going to the library was annoying because there were always loitering teens out front and inside that were loud, obnoxious and inappropriate. It didn't seem as if the librarians really minded how disruptive they were. A few years ago we went to a big fireworks show and there were so many drunk teenagers there that it actually felt a bit unsafe for my small children and I kept them very close to me. This year we drove over there to go to the same show and it was nothing like that first year. It was calm and there weren't drunk teens running around like maniacs. So, what I mean by this example is that even in small towns there are times when people might get out of hand and it will have the feeling of being unsafe but it isn't something that is consistent or pervasive.

    I suppose it really depends on where you live in the US and where you live in NZ. I've lived in some bad areas in the US but while I was there I didn't really think about it as dangerous. I thought about the dangerous things as incidents but never looked at the people around me as potentially dangerous. It wasn't until I moved here that I realised how much I looked the other way in regards to the crime around me. I feel much safer where I am now but I don't think it's necessarily because I moved from US to NZ. It's more specific to the area I moved from and the area I moved to. It is possible to move to small town in the US and find the same "safety" that I find in the NZ village I live in now.

    Something to keep in mind for the future is that NZ has a growing wealth gap. To me that means a growing education and opportunity gap. That is not good for a peaceful society.

    What is it you're hoping to change about your living situation that you think moving to a "peaceful" nation will accomplish? What is it about the US that you want to escape by living in NZ?

  9. #9
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    Quote Originally Posted by Whyland View Post
    [...] How can one of the most peaceful countries on Earth be described the way it is described on that website?
    I've read quite a few things on that website (I think I got the link to it somewhere on this forum actually) and after three days I gave up on it, it was just too depressing. The majority of things said there is true but slightly exaggerated. Even I started to think NZ was unsafe based on what I read there but in reality I haven't had a bad experience here yet (apart from some street bullies and reckless drivers). It is a wise idea to get all the perspectives, just don't take them in black and white. You'll still have to experience NZ for yourself to assess whether it suits you here or not (but I'm thinking it can't be as bad as in the US, at least crime-wise).

    The NZ education system is a bit overrated (I'm saying this based on NZQA devaluing my European uni qualification).

  10. #10
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    I don't think there really is a 'global' answer to this, as it really depends on your personal circumstances. Where you live, for example, is quite important regardless of the country you are in.

    Personally, I don't feel more or less safe here than I did in the UK, although we have had more experiences with crime (theft and vandalism) here than there. Statistically, there is more violence against women and children (domestic violence) here than in other countries. Because this is mainly significantly more in certain ethnic groups, I suppose you could argue that as long as you are some shade of white, you'll be fine.

    There are areas of London that I avoided after dark, and there are areas of Auckland that I avoid after dark. I lock my house and car in both places. Whatever the ranking of those two countries on the global peace index, it doesn't seem to translate into a tangible difference in my everyday life.

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