Jacinda Ardern Speaks on Middle East at Harvard

Former New Zealand Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern has called on political leaders to “remember our shared common humanity” in addressing the Israel-Hamas war, though stopped short of calling for a ceasefire at a Harvard Institute of Politics forum recently, Thomas Mete writes for The Harvard Crimson.

“The only way to find long-term peaceful resolution to difficult and complex conflicts is if you find a way to end the violence and grief in order to give yourself the space to then have those conversations,” Ardern, 43, said.

Ardern, who holds two fellowships at the Harvard Kennedy School and another at Harvard Law School, put herself back in the shoes of a world leader navigating the complexities of the conflict in the Middle East.

Since leaving New Zealand politics, Ardern has been appointed trustee of the Earthshot Prize, as well as Special Envoy for the Christchurch Call.

Original article by Thomas Mete, The Harvard Crimson, November 14, 2023.

Photo by Martha Stewart.