Stand, Shift, Speak, Strengthen
Someone recently asked me, “If you could do anything with your life, and not fail, what would you do?”
It brought me real joy to say, honestly, I’m already doing it.
But PILLAR isn’t just something I want to do. It’s bigger than that. Our hope is that it would bring thousands of people the same sense of purpose, courage, and freedom that our team is grateful to experience every single day. This isn’t just a job for us. It’s a calling. And you’re part of it.
As I reflect on another week of PILLAR’s mission to stand firm so all Kiwis can stand free, there’s so much to celebrate. I hope you don’t mind me sharing a few highlights, because after all, you are a huge reason we do this work. Your support makes it possible.
Why do we use @AucklandCitizens handle and blur his face? the very people who are taking him to court have previously stalked and doxxed him, even as recently as yesterday. They’ve hung posters up around his neighbourhood and even had the police arrive unannouced on his door step to quesiton him without reason!
This week, we took a Stand. We were in court defending an innocent man, @AucklandCitizen, who was wrongfully arrested for filming a public gathering during a silent audit. The police attempted to reduce the charges in an effort to quietly move on. But we won’t allow even a small injustice to slip by. A trial date is now locked in for July, where we’ll defend a charge of common assault. The police are fronting with three officers and two eyewitnesses. We have the entire incident on camera, from two angles. The footage tells a very clear story. And when we win, we won’t just be seeking costs and an apology.
A few weeks ago, we went to Parliament to Shift. We submitted on two key pieces of legislation because protecting civil liberties requires more than commentary. It requires action. We’re working toward a culture that cherishes freedom, a system that prioritises liberty, and a society where people recognise the inherent dignity of one another.
Every day, we Speak. On issues the media would rather ignore. On topics institutions hope you won’t question. Democracy weakens when people are told not to ask questions or simply accept one approved version of truth. We won’t accept that. From election integrity to foreign interference to failing social media bans, we’re leading the conversation. In fact check out these 5 recent headlines that we called out long before they hit the front page. No crystal ball, just a team that pays attention.
Speaking of speaking up have you caught the latest episode of THE PILLAR PODCAST? Neither left nor right with enough support to govern, is the social media ban really about protecting children, and political prisoner jimmy lai’s death sentence. Plus more!
Next week, we Strengthen. Nick will speak alongside some of Australasia’s leading voices on foreign interference. We’ll release our anticipated FIT Bill, the Foreign Influence Transparency Bill, which is already attracting cross party interest. We’ll sharing with local communities to explain why this matters and how they can be involved.
Stand. Shift. Speak. Strengthen. That’s how we frame everything we do.
And we do it all with everyday Kiwis like you.
We’re all in on New Zealand. This place is special. And we believe it can lead the world in defending civil liberty.
Thank you. For every read, share, conversation, and donation.
We’re just getting started. Let’s do this together.
Nathan Seiuli | Executive Director | PILLAR NZ
