After a bit of a panic to set up projectors, amps and cameras (and a few tunes on the piano) the local wahine (women) arrived with biccies and sandwiches to go with the tea. Then as Kiri was setting up her elaborate info table display, the call came to change rooms. So there was a mad panic to relocate to next door and retape banners to walls and so forth. Finally the gear was ready, the speakers were ready, the public were seated and the hui begun on time.

Every hui so far on this tour has been unique. In Wanganui we were honoured to hear the stories of many people in the audience, in addition to those of local Vietnam Vets, the ever eloquent SWAP tane (men), science guru Gordon Jackman and Greenpeace toxics campaigner Mere Takoko.

One young man from the audience, the son of one of the Vets, told us of his inability to hold down a steady job due to chronic illness. Amongst other effects he had lost several teeth due to dioxin poisoning, and tragically now his young daughter’s teeth have all fallen out. That is the real tragedy of dioxin poisoning, it doesn’t stop. Once it gets into the genetic make-up of a person it then gets handed down from generation to generation, getting worse every time. Just as it does in the food chain, going from soil to plants to accumulate in the fatty tissues of animals and people.

A radiographer from SNIFTERS told how many health workers are also affected by chemical poisoning, and by Government and corporate refusal to acknowledge their issues or take responsibility. Another woman from the audience spoke of how the medical profession refused to take her health complaints seriously, and instead institutionalised her. She later closed the hui with a passionate prayer for justice and the fall of the corporate pharmaceutical empire.

There was a real buzz of unity and solidarity in the room that night, as people who had been fighting government agencies and corporations realised that their struggle is intrinsically linked with that of many others. We hope to see this movement for justice for poisoned people (and the poisoned earth) grow and spread throughout the whole of our contaminated country.

So, after a few chocolate biccies and some dish washing we headed back to the motel for some kai (food) kindly cooked up by the SWAP tane. Then it was off to sleep and another early morning debrief.

- Jen

Day 5: On the Road Again

The hui the night before had been inspiring and educational but still many of us had questions about what dioxins really were. Gordon explained in length how PCPs were created essentially by splitting salt into its sodium (used to make caustic soda for soaps) and chlorine components. The chlorine is used to make 245-T and 24-D particles by attaching to other molecules. These dioxins are now able to attack and manipulate other molecules and every cell of livings thing on this planet. The disturbing thing is that because of this, every reaction to dioxin poisoning is different yet deadly and when it comes to recognising symptoms and finding cures it is almost impossible.

Gordon brought up the fact that we all need to take responsibility for the situation we’re in. Every time we buy things as seemingly mundane as PVC guttering, treated wood and bleached paper we vote with our money and support the continued production of dioxins. To prevent highly toxic dioxin emissions occurring in house fires, rubbish fires and landfills, imports of PVC need to be banned.

Jen reckons that once we become aware of dioxins’ deadly affects, we must take on the responsibility of sharing our newfound knowledge. Together we can actively work towards finding and implementing solutions.

Another strong point Gordon made was the need for really radical change – to get rid of our current education systems and deconstruct the entire society that we live in. The doco Emily is working on has been looking at this issue all over the world and noticing a large rise in people taking up the call. There is a realisation growing that we need to reclaim control of our communities and the care of our land without submitting to the whims of governments and large corporations.

Shareholders need to be made liable for the actions of companies they invest in. Currently those who profit from the illegal dumping of toxic waste in the land, the air, the water and the people are not held responsible for the mess they make. Politicians and bureaucrats are biding their time, waiting for people to die and hoping that the dioxin issue will disappear. They don’t want people to know that NZ is 2nd only in widespread dioxin contamination to Vietnam. We need to share our stories, our strategies, our failures and our successes, so that together we can heal the poisoned people, clean up the environment and prevent this from happening ever again.

Jenny Bell
Emily Bailey

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Jen and Em have been journeying with the crew, photographing and videoing the tour. Jen is organising a photographic exhibition and a booklet to educate people about the presence of dioxins in Aotearoa. Em is filming the tour to help with media coverage and a possible documentary on the issue of dioxins. The footage will also be part of a global grassroots documentary called ‘Kotahi te Ao’ (www.kotahiao.org) due out at the end of this year. The film documents similar stories from around the globe but with a focus on solutions.