When the world turned upside down in 2020, New Zealanders were given a simple instruction: "Be Kind." But for thousands of people — your neighbours, your colleagues, and perhaps even you — that kindness felt like a façade that hid a much harsher reality. The True Face of Kindness was created to make sure the stories of those years are not quietly swept aside.
Fighting the Memory-Hole
There is a real risk that this period of our history will be forgotten or rewritten to fit a more comfortable narrative. Even today, many people feel a pressure to pretend nothing happened and to ignore what remains, for many, a profound and unresolved experience. But the authors of this book believe that the well-being of our society depends on facing up to what took place. Telling these stories is a primordial act of healing — an opportunity to look back and look within so that we can finally move forward.
A Vivid Portrait of Ordinary Lives
This is not a book of dry statistics or political talking points. It is a vivid portrait of the human face of pandemic politics. You will find stories from everyday people: a science teacher barred from her classroom after fifteen years of dedication, a veteran nurse charged with misconduct, business owners who watched their livelihoods disappear. These narratives document a profound sense of loss — not just of jobs and careers, but of family relationships, homes and social standing.
The True History and the Official Narrative
While the government claimed to be the "single source of truth," these writers experienced a different reality. They document the deep disparity between public empathy and the actual treatment of those who did not comply with mandates. This book records the historical transition into a two-tier society, where citizens were segregated into the virtuous and the contagious. It serves as a raw diary of the plague years, capturing the atmosphere of the time and the weight of the mandate deadlines.
Resilience and New Communities
Despite the soul-stripping experience of being excluded and silenced, a thread of unexpected resilience runs through every chapter. Many contributors found something valuable in adversity by forming alternative communities. From the "Butterfly Cafés" hosted in private homes to breakaway home churches, people created new networks that allowed them to maintain their social identity and their humanity when the rest of the world felt closed off.
Why Future Generations Need This
Years from now, our children and grandchildren will look back and ask what really happened. These accounts will be a vital critical reflection on civil liberties and a warning about the fragility of democracy. Above all, they stand as a testament to the courage of ordinary people who maintained their personal integrity while under extraordinary pressure to comply. By preserving these experiences, we are maintaining our cultural memory and honouring the humanity in us all.