Pictured above: Dame Susan makes a point with Foundation Director of Development Steve Davie
Not too long into her role Dame Susan had met an Afghanistan woman who worked as a taxi driver in Christchurch and who was concerned about the racial abuse she endured from a growing number of passengers. During the conversion the woman’s history was revealed.
After her husband had been taken by the Taliban she had escaped Afghanistan with her six young children, crossed through Pakistan and had eventually been relocated to Christchurch. There she raised her family, helped other refugees learn English and drove her taxi. Such was the brutality of the Taliban reign, she had no idea what had happened to her husband but feared the worst.
More than five years later the woman was part of a welcoming committee at Christchurch airport, there to greet the latest group of refugees … and among them, unbeknown to her until he walked across the tarmac, was her husband. He had gained his freedom but didn’t know what had become of his family and had begun the process of repatriation.
Dame Susan quoted the story as being the perfect example of New Zealand needing to increase its refugee quota, further citing the value of such a policy with all six of the children now university educated and in the workforce.
Three years into a five-year term, Dame Susan says New Zealand is (generally) a racially tolerant country. However, she believes the bi-cultural issues and divisions between Maori and non-Maori need to be settled unequivocally before we can become a truly effective multi-cultural society. She hopes part of her legacy as Race Relations Commissioner will be having given New Zealanders the confidence and conviction to face up to and not be cowed by those perpetrating racial abuse and intolerance.
The former World squash queen is the proud mother of four sons, three of whom are on scholarships at universities in the United States. She recently played a game with a view to competing in the World Masters championship in Auckland later in the year – that ambition has been shelved with Dame Susan saying she couldn’t walk comfortably for a week afterwards.
View all the photos from the event here