Among the big boys, New Zealand on the Security Council

After lobbying for ten years, New Zealand was elected to the Security Council by a clear majority. It is not obvious how New Zealand will benefit from this, but I hope that the Security Council will greatly benefit from the presence of New Zealand. There are times when a moderate voice at a divided meeting has a significant influence. The world is no longer divided into two political blocks. The interests of the great powers often overlap, even when they can't agree on a common agenda. Islamic fundamentalism is as much a threat to Russia in Chechnya, to China in Xinjiang, Uygor Autonomous Region as it is to Western interests in the Middle East, not to mention large parts of Africa. New Zealand, a small insignificant nation in terms of global power blocks, is a trading nation, doing business with China as well as America, India, the Arab world as well as Europe and Russia. New Zealand has no history of staking out extreme positions in world politics. And the rest of the world can learn from the way New Zealand is handling its race relations, its benign tolerant acceptance of a diversity of people who settled here. Despite the increasing division between the rich and the poor, irrespective of which party is in government, extreme poverty is unacceptable. The conservative government of John Key considers child poverty as the greatest challenge it faces in its next term in office, not economic growth, wealth generation or GDP. New Zealand is a country with a warm heart. This is something that the others sitting around the table at the Security Council could well learn from.