The former New Zealand prime minister emphasized that leaders must adopt empathy and humility instead of resorting to binary thinking and hostile language. She argued that failure to resolve underlying financial instability has historically fueled movements like Brexit and the political rise of Donald Trump. Furthermore, digital platforms worsen this divide by permanently documenting viewpoints and spreading manipulated information. To safeguard democratic institutions, politicians must actively moderate their tone and foster genuine, open debate.
Key points
Elected officials must tackle underlying financial instability rather than exploiting soc…: Elected officials must tackle underlying financial instability rather than exploiting societal divisions to restore public confidence.
Hostile language and unyielding moral certainty in political discourse actively obstruct…: Hostile language and unyielding moral certainty in political discourse actively obstruct constructive problem-solving in modern democracies.
Social media platforms exacerbate public mistrust by immortalizing rigid opinions and ena…: Social media platforms exacerbate public mistrust by immortalizing rigid opinions and enabling the widespread manipulation of information.
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Jacinda Ardern, who now calls Sydney home, has delivered a message to Australian politicians from the stage of the city’s Opera House.
Politicians, the former New Zealand prime minister turned academic told the audience on Sunday, were exacerbating the problem of polarisation within society and needed to be better.
“We have a responsibility not to engage in binary thinking, not to engage in the language of violence, [but] to rebuild trust by building financial security in a time of deep insecurity,” Ardern said during a forum with the author Anna Funder.
“There are things we could be doing but, right now, we’re making it worse, not better.”
In the past few decades, people across the world felt an increasing sense of insecurity as globalisation took hold, and they began attacking institutions like the World Trade Organization, Ardern said.
Politicians offered proposals such as Brexit in response to the insecurity – saying “Here’s what you blame” – which then paved the way for the rise of leaders like Donald Trump, she said.
The 46-year-old moved to Australia earlier this year. She…
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