History and Identity debate

We are arguing that the New Zealand flag should remain unchanged, as there are many good reasons why our current flag is both relevant and relatable.

In both the First and Second World Wars, the New Zealand ANZACs fought under the national flag, and posters used it to stir up national pride and patriotism in support of our soldiers. Consequently, many of the older generations, especially the war veterans, identify with it - it reminds them of an important time in New Zealand’s history.

Other important moments in New Zealand’s history are also connected to the current flag. It is carried by Olympic champions and represents us internationally as a well, known, differentiating emblem. Changing the flag will cause many issues, primarily that the world will have to re-learn the symbol, and potentially also the colours, that they associate with our nation. Atlases will need to be updated and uniforms redesigned. Without a history behind it, a new flag will be impersonal and carry no impact or weight.

This change in flag would impact how the world sees New Zealand as a country - essentially, it’s a branding of the nation as something new and different. Turning New Zealand into a brand may be useful for tourism purposes, but it’s not the right way to promote a country.

Apparently, even if we change our current flag, the flags for the defence forces will remain as they are - that is, the current flag but instead of a navy blue background, they have red or white. This will mean that the original flag will still be used internationally in important military events, so this new flag is mostly about changing how we as New Zealanders portray ourselves. Other countries in the past have changed their flags, but globally no-one really notices. 

A new flag will affect our future history as well. In a few generations, young people may no longer recognise and associate with the old flag, and understanding of it’s significance to our people will be lost.


Research links:
http://www.nzhistory.net.nz/politics/flags-of-new-zealand/maritime-origins
http://www.nzflag.com/history.cfm
http://www.tourism.net.nz/new-zealand/about-new-zealand/new-zealand-flag.html