Warriors’ peacekeeping role topic for research

31 October 2007

Once were warriors, but they were peacekeepers too.

That's a project a trustee of the new National Centre for Peace and Conflict Studies at Otago University wants to see some research on.

Maui Solomon says while people may know about the peace traditions of Parikaha and his own Moriori people of the Chatham Islands, other tribes had sophisticated ways of managing conflict.

"Maori were a warrior people but peacekeeping was also very important so I think it would be interesting to explore that side of our culture as well, but not just working with the tangata whenua history of peace - clearly New Zealand does have an international reputation for peacekeeping, its anti nuclear stance, peacekeeping initiatives round the Pacific and around the world," Mr Solomon says.

He says peace is an aspiration, even if people don't always achieve it.

Waatea News Update (third story on page)