Nau mai haere mai – and happy lockdown anniversary …

One year ago, having only just created a COVID-19 alert level system, Jacinda Ardern’s government threw the country straight into level 3, followed 48 hours later, at 11.59pm on March 25, by a full level 4 lockdown. It lasted four weeks, plus another couple back in level 3. When it was over, Aotearoa New Zealand had effectively eliminated the virus and avoided a potentially catastrophic overload of the public health system. Then the hard work began.

Economic stress, remote working and learning, border closures, isolated outbreaks and further level 3 lockdowns — it has been a year like no other. And yet life was also strangely normal compared to so many other countries. What to make of it? Only now, as the vaccination programme begins to roll out, is it really possible to take stock. And, as Massey University professor of politics Richard Shaw writes, behind the social cohesion that has largely got us through the pandemic lie familiar and worsening divides, especially the one between younger and older generations.

This week marks another anniversary, too, with The Conversation itself turning ten. You can read all about that remarkable journey here, and of course there is plenty more on our homepage. Thank you as always for your support and readership. Until next time, mā te wā and all the best.

Finlay Macdonald

New Zealand Senior Editor & NZ Editor: Politics, Business + Arts
GettyImages

A year on from New Zealand’s big lockdown the ‘team of 5 million’ needs a new story

Richard Shaw, Massey University

A successful COVID-19 response gave the impression of social cohesion, but New Zealand's inter-generational fault line is rumbling.
GettyImages

Overhaul of NZ women’s prison system highlights the risk and doubt surrounding use of force on inmates

Ross Hendy, Monash University

Deciding whether force is necessary, reasonable and proportionate is often subjective, and this can leave both inmates and staff vulnerable.
Earth’s magnetic field protects us from the solar wind, guiding the solar particles to the polar regions. SOHO (ESA & NASA)

Climate explained: how particles ejected from the Sun affect Earth’s climate

Annika Seppälä, University of Otago

When solar particles reach the Earth, they not only produce spectacular auroras but also contribute to the chemical reactions leading to ozone depletion, which in turn influences climate patterns.
www.shutterstock.com

Previous governments blocked it, but anti-slavery law should now be an urgent priority for New Zealand

Kris Gledhill, Auckland University of Technology

Pressure from business leaders and a simple legislative process leave few excuses for not introducing rules to combat modern slavery in commercial supply chains.
Education Images/Universal Images Group via Getty Images

Many New Zealand species are already at risk because of predators and habitat loss. Climate change makes things worse

Cate Macinnis-Ng, University of Auckland; Angus Mcintosh, University of Canterbury

Climate change has long been dismissed as a significant stress to New Zealand's native wildlife, but research shows it exacerbates existing threats such as introduced predators and habitat loss.

From our foreign editions

Medicinal cannabis to manage chronic pain? We don’t have evidence it works

Michael Vagg, Deakin University

We can make the case against using medicinal cannabis to manage chronic pain by debunking three myths.

Thousands of flood-stricken people are sheltering in schools, clubs and halls – but we can do better

Mark Maund, University of Newcastle; Kim Maund, University of Newcastle; Thayaparan Gajendran, University of Newcastle

Evacuation and relief centres are often the first place disaster-affected people go, and should provide a minimum standard of living and care. But this standard is not always met.

Audio cassettes: despite being ‘a bit rubbish’, sales have doubled during the pandemic – here’s why

Iain Taylor, Birmingham City University

Cassette tapes are in again – and this time, it's smaller artists who look likely to gain.

Six lessons the UK should have learned, one year on from its first lockdown

Christian Yates, University of Bath

Act quickly, act decisively, trust people, communicate clearly, tackle inequality and be prepared.

Survey shows ignorance about big moments in South Africa’s history – like the Sharpeville massacre

Benjamin Roberts, Human Sciences Research Council; Gregory Houston, Human Sciences Research Council; Jare Struwig, Human Sciences Research Council; Steven Gordon, Human Sciences Research Council

The low levels of familiarity with key historical events indicate that there are serious shortcomings in the development of national collective memory in South Africa.

Toxic bosses should be the next to face #MeToo-type reprisals

Erica Mildner, University of British Columbia

Could the resignation of Canada's governor general represent a watershed moment for workers’ rights?

To help insects, make them welcome in your garden – here’s how

Brian Lovett, West Virginia University

Looking for a new gardening challenge? Turning your yard into an insect-friendly oasis could mean less work and more nature to enjoy.

US has a long history of violence against Asian women

Karen Leong, Arizona State University; Karen Kuo, Arizona State University

US culture has long represented Asian American women as sexually seductive – showing how victims' gender and race cannot be separated when attacked by white male violence.