The catch-up edition: starting 2025 with unwavering and unapologetic voices of change.

Relentless assaults on democracy, genocide, indigenous injustice, and climate inaction. 2024 was hard. A year of fear and uncertainty for those working in our public services. A year where policies were written to erode the rights of the most vulnerable and to give more to the top. A year where this government doubled down on extractivism. A year where the coalition showed its true colours. 

But it was also a year of defiance. A year of mass mobilisation, of communities organising against these threats. The largest hīkoi in our country’s history marched to the steps of parliament in response to the blatant disregard of te Tiriti o Waitangi. This mobilisation led to hundreds of thousands of submissions being presented on the Treaty Principles Bill, rejecting a future founded on racism, inequity, and the erasure of tangata whenua. 

From the streets to the picket lines, from select committee hearings to occupations, we were strong this year. 

Now more than ever we cannot afford complacency, to lose sight. We need to be unapologetic in our rejection of the status quo. We deserve to be angry. Power concedes nothing without demand, those in power count on our exhaustion, our silence, our fear.

There is so much to fear. And fear, historically, has driven action. It has given social movements momentum, fostered organisation, has been a proponent of transformative change. But fear can also be a paralytic, a tool of control manipulated by those with vested interests in the status quo. We must use it, channel it, and not let it consume us. 

In this issue you will find unwavering and uncompromising voices of change that sharpen our resistance. You will find a lack of articles about ACT’s Treaty Principles Bill and the hīkoi. We felt we had nothing to add and proposed pieces on this issue did not offer any new insight. We highly suggest you inform yourself on the undemocratic, racist, and divisive nature of this bill, as its nation-wide opposition will go down in history.

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The Canterbury Memo has been no less busy than the hectic world around us. It was bold of me to establish this publication as bimonthly. In our defence, the magazine has been through a lot since we released the first issue back in September. Having encountered a fair few obstacles, we took the time to reflect on what works best. The Canterbury Memo remains committed to being the University of Canterbury’s voice of progressive and environmental writing—a platform for critical ideas and transformative visions, for all. 

Discussions with the university to establish print distribution on campus have, after months of communications and negotiation, finally gotten somewhere. You’ll be able to find our magazine stand with each print issue in the Undercroft, where it will be safe from confiscation and censorship. This development means we can, finally, get to work. 

At the beginning of February we published a press release. As well as discussing our agenda for the new year and the coming editions of the Memo, we put forward a call to action to expand our team as we tackle the big issues in 2025. We need you. Join us today as an editor, a contributor, a supporter, a reader. It all helps. 

Let’s make 2025 a year of unyielding solidarity and resistance. The Canterbury Memo stands with everyone towards a brighter future. 

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A truly grassroots, independent student press, we are not affiliated with the University or UCSA. The Canterbury Memo does not necessarily reflect the views of these organisations. We do not receive funding from any organisation nor do we generate operational revenue; we rely solely on support from the community.

The Canterbury Memo would not be possible without the writers and artists who contributed their time to the project, and those who help behind the scenes. Thank you.

Got a problem with something we published? You can follow our complaints process: www.memozine.nz/about/complaints

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Joseph Davidson-Labout

Editor-in-Chief, The Canterbury Memo