Jacinda Ardern’s emphatic election victory is seen as an endorsement of an inclusive brand of leadership that may ripple beyond New Zealand’s borders. In an age of populism and confrontation, Ardern’s message of empathy and kindness married with skillful crisis management won her Labour Party its biggest share of the vote in more than 70 years. That contrasts starkly with the divisive politics in the U.S. as Donald Trump and Joe Biden face off for the presidency on Nov. 3.
Ardern, 40, won international plaudits for her response to the deadly shootings at two mosques in 2019, donning a headscarf as a mark of respect as she mourned with the Muslim community. This year, she’s demonstrated her steel in tackling the coronavirus pandemic, enacting one of the world’s strictest lockdowns to crush community transmission. Ardern stood out among her western peers in pursuing an explicit elimination strategy, and imposed one of the strictest nationwide lockdowns in the world. This shuttered the economy but wiped out community spread of the virus, allowing restrictions to be removed sooner than in many other countries. A second outbreak in largest city Auckland was also quickly stamped out with a regional lockdown, though one new community case was reported Sunday.
It is the human quality of her leadership and her amazing success in keeping her people well protected from the devastating Covid pandemic that the New Zealanders voted her to power second time with a landslide victory. Her brave religious sympathy when a Muslim mosque was attacked by terrorists expressed her grace for unity as ambassador to her people irrespective of religions.
Mrs JACINDA Arden has earned respect worldwide for humanity and competence as an outstanding world leader. Her leadership is a great example of leadership of unity and peace. Other leaders of the world have a lot to learn if they want to make this world less divisive and more united for peace and harmony.
