Politics meetup launches in Tauranga

Keen to discuss political matters in Tauranga? A new meetup group could be right up your alley. File photo.

Tauranga's first Politics Meetup Group was launched earlier this week in an attempt to promote non-partisan political debate in the lead up to this year's election.

Group founder and self-confessed political junkie Ben Rickard says the group is aimed at people of all political leanings.

Meetup is a popular online platform allowing people to connect to local interest groups, with the aim of meeting in person to pursue their interests. Tauranga has a number of popular Meetup groups, including those for social sports, technology, design, and organic food to name a few.

Ben says the politics group will discuss the issues that are important this election, covering all sides and all perspectives.

'While the debate can and should be passionate, it will also be respectful, with the ultimate aim of encouraging everyone to listen to and appreciate other people's points of view, as well as giving them an outlet to share their own.

'We'll have to see how it goes, but I expect people will break up into small groups to discuss problems and possible solutions to the issues they're most interested in. This is a forum that will give a voice to the grassroots of our political system, the voters."

Ben decided to set up the group after becoming concerned by the increasing polarisation seen in overseas elections and exacerbated by social media new feeds designed to reinforce a person's currently held beliefs, rather than expose them to different ones.

He hopes that events like this will ensure people continue to discuss, debate and challenge their own views as they listen to and engage with people who have opposing ones.

"We don't want anyone who's going to give speeches and promote their ideology. This group is about people who have their own ideas but are also open to new ones."

Ben stood for the UnitedFuture party at the 2014 election and is a current party board member. Despite this, he says the group is not about promoting his party, or indeed any other, but is about debating the issues and finding solutions independent of traditional political divisions.

Check out the group for yourself at www.meetup.com/Tauranga-Politics-Meetup.

You may also like....

0 comments

Leave a Comment


You must be logged in to make a comment.