Tackling Culture and Disobedience: How the 1981 Springbok Tour Can Shape a Model of Civil Disobedience for Aotearoa New Zealand

Abstract

How civil disobedience should be defined is a heavily contested subject, with many theorists having offered various definitions. Civil disobedience, however, is often seen as an American concept. While most definitions are presented as being universal, it seems improbable that definitions imbued by American culture will be appropriate to apply to other states. This paper therefore seeks to propose an alternative model of civil disobedience, specifically tailored to Aotearoa New Zealand. Examining Aotearoa's commitment to democracy, the paper argues that the model should be loosely based on radical democratic theory. However, it also argues that the model should incorporate learnings of real-world civil disobedience. The case study of the 1981 Springbok Tour means that an Aotearoa model of civil disobedience should allow for violence in select situations, take a somewhat feminist approach to the publicity and illegality requirements, allow for Māori understandings of resistance and the presence of multiple motivations. While future analyses of civil disobedience in Aotearoa should necessarily continue to develop this definition, the model provides a first taste of Kiwi civil disobedience.