The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern headlines day three of A’23

{"version":"0.3.0","atoms":[],"cards":[],"markups":[["strong"],["a",["href","https:\/\/www.reuters.com\/article\/us-newzealand-shooting-idUSKBN23P0TE","target","_blank"]],["a",["href","https:\/\/coronavirus.jhu.edu\/data\/mortality","target","_blank"]]],"sections":[[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Former New Zealand Prime Minister the Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern headlined the final day of AIA\u2019s 2023 Conference on Architecture. In a conversation with AIA\u2019s President Emily Grandstaff-Rice, Ardern discussed the climate crisis, how to ensure diversity as a leader, notable building projects completed during her tenure, and much more. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cI\u2019ve always felt a strong connection to place and physical infrastructure,\u201d said Ardern, who left office in January after serving six years as New Zealand\u2019s 40th prime minister. When asked about her experience working with architects, Ardern said that that she worked with design professionals many times during her term in office, especially in relation to the climate crisis. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWe\u2019re well beyond the debate of whether or not climate change is real. It\u2019s now a practical discussion of how do we mitigate and how do we adapt,\u201d she said, adding that her team focused on incorporating analytical and data-driven approaches from experts like architects in the policy they crafted."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"By fundamentally shifting the way New Zealand approached climate change, Ardern said that more projects focused on helping curb the climate crisis got off the ground."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"One example is a shelter for the unhoused in Auckland called \u201cHomeGround,\u201d which has an 80 percent reduction in carbon footprint relative to similarly-designed buildings. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Built using timber, clay, and concrete, HomeGround is designed to be earthquake resistant and includes sustainable features such as a roof that collects rain to help grow a garden and a ventilation system designed to make the best use of natural heat and air. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The project, which began during Ardern\u2019s first term, was designed to \u201cbring dignity to those it houses,\u201d according to Ardern, who said that completing a sustainable, functional building designed with its residents in mind were the top priorities for HomeGround. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"A champion of diversity"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Arden shared how she worked to build dignity in her administration, as well. She incorporated a diverse cabinet when she was prime minister, including the first openly gay Deputy Prime Minister Grant Robertson. She also included a large number of women and members of the Maori community, an indigenous people predominantly located in New Zealand. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Legislation and halls of power \u201cneed to look like communities they represent,\u201d said Ardern, adding that on top of being \u201cthe right thing to do,\u201d it ensures that everyone is a \u201cbetter lawmaker.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"She acknowledged there are many hurdles to working as a lawmaker, including the disconnection from family and time away from home, and that makes it so not everyone wants to serve their country in that way. She pondered how to make being a lawmaker more appealing, so even more diverse groups see it as a career path and a way to help inspire change in New Zealand. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cI left office with the belief that the vast majority of people were there for the right reasons,\u201d she said, adding that she felt the need to \u201cpay it forward\u201d and encourage more women to become involved in politics. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u0022When a woman in leadership opens a door...shove your foot in that door and pull as many women as you can through it,\u0022 she said."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"During her time in office, members of New Zealand\u2019s diverse population were directly attacked because of their differences. Ardern talked about the horror of the 2019 attack of two mosques in Christchurch which killed 51 people. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWe watched a live-streamed terror attack from a lone gunman who traveled from Australia with the purpose of attacking our Muslim community because he felt we were too integrated as a society,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Just two days later, Ardern visited a mosque in to console the Muslim community who were \u201crightly so, terrified.\u201d She said a young boy whispered into her ear asking if he\u2019d be safe. \u201cThe weight hit me so hard,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"But as she was leaning down, a group of local community members gathered near the mosque to sing in an attempt to lift spirits. \u201cAs I was talking to this young boy, hearing this song, I realized we weren\u2019t carrying this burden alone. The community came to demonstrate that they were here to help keep them safe. That sense of hope got me out of bed in the mornings.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"After breaking down and crying while visiting victims of the Christchurch shooting, Ardern realized that people don\u2019t expect leaders to be stoic in times of crisis, they expect them to react as all humans do. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cWhen you\u2019re in leadership, people don\u2019t expect you to somehow be immune to the processes they\u2019re going through as humans, they expect you to feel those same emotions. Your job is to mirror that; you\u2019re the nation\u2019s chief mourner,\u201d she said. \u201cBut they also expect you to do something about the grief.\u201d "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"New Zealand soon banned "],[0,[1],1,"military style semi-automatic firearms"],[0,[],0,", which were used in the Christchurch shooting."]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Leadership"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"After shepherding the country through the tragic mosque shootings, Ardern learned even more about leadership during the COVID-19 pandemic. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"\u201cOur biggest strength is our ability to unify around a challenge. We\u2019ve gotten so far from that superpower that we think it doesn\u2019t exist,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"When COVID arrived in New Zealand, the country had the benefit of seeing how it impacted places around the world before making a substantial impact on the island nation. \u201cWe saw the experiences that the United States and Italy were having, and we thought, \u0027What can we learn from that,\u0027\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"The country embraced a plan driven by \u201cdata, evidence, and experts,\u201d and were open with the public that they didn\u2019t know the optimal strategy. \u201cThere\u2019s a big difference between \u2018I don\u2019t know\u2019 and \u2018I don\u2019t have a plan,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Ardern hosted press conferences every day at beginning of lockdown with a variety of experts. \u201cWe shared everything and everyone understood what we were doing and why.\u201d This resulted in one of the "],[0,[2],1,"lowest case-to-fatality ratios in the world."],[0,[],0," "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"When Ardern stepped down earlier this year, she was confident that things would seamlessly transition to the next tenure. \u201cI always wanted to be sure I wasn\u2019t indispensable because if I was then I did a poor job of building a team around me,\u201d she said. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[0],1,"Legacy"]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Construction was complete on HomeGround in 2022, but when the tenants hosted a rooftop celebration for the center\u2019s one-year anniversary, Ardern was no longer New Zeland\u2019s prime minister. Her influence, however, remains part of building\u0027s foundation as it works to reduce clmate change and provide housing for New Zealanders. "]]],[1,"p",[[0,[],0,"Ardern recently earned her country\u2019s top honor when Prime Minister Chris Hipkins named her Dame Grand Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for the way she guided her country through the pandemic, lockdown protests and the Christchurch attack. "]]]]}