by Alia Bland

Alia Bland is a co-founder of Voices For Freedom and Reality Check Radio. The following message was shared this week with the Voices For Freedom community, reflecting on the importance of local connection, resilience, and staying grounded in uncertain times.

There's a lot happening in the world at the moment. You will all be seeing it in one way or another. The situation in the Middle East feels like it is shifting by the hour, and even though we are a long way away here in New Zealand, the ripple effects are already being felt.

Supply chains, general uncertainty, rising petrol prices, and a fuel level system giving many of us the heebie-jeebies. That sort of thing.

I am not saying this to alarm anyone. Quite the opposite.

But it does make me think again about how important it is that we are not isolated from each other.

One of the best things VFF ever did, right from the early days, was focus on local groups. Real people and connections. Cups of tea. Hugs. Laughs. Walking groups. Workshops. Community gardens. More laughs. Helping each other fix things. Sharing skills. Trading labour. All the very normal, practical stuff that makes life easier and more enjoyable.

We are incredibly lucky to have such amazing volunteer local group coordinators, along with our regional coordinator team, who quietly put in huge amounts of time and care to keep these networks going. Many of them have been doing this for years now. They are the glue in their communities, and VFF simply would not be what it is today without them.

When things get a bit wobbly globally, strong local relationships matter even more.

A simple idea we have talked about for years is this: Find your five.

What's that, you wonder? It's five people or families in your area who you actually know. Who you have phone numbers for, and could call on if you needed to. Ideally close enough that you could walk (or bike) to each other’s homes.

We're not interested in drama or worst-case thinking, but there is room for level-headed common sense. We have already seen how useful these kinds of connections are during floods, storms and all sorts of unexpected situations around New Zealand in recent years.

Rebuild Free Radio Network (RFRN)

Another practical thing some of you have been getting involved in is the Rebuild Free Radio Network. Old-school walkie-talkie radios (PRS, if you're being fancy). Simple, reliable, and a bit of fun as well. There are now RFRN groups up and running around the country, and in one recent weather event, their network was the only communication working in the area. If you like being a bit prepared and capable, it might be worth looking into.

Staying informed without getting swamped!

The other piece of the puzzle is staying informed without becoming overwhelmed. Keeping an eye on what is happening globally does matter. At the same time, it is very easy to get pulled into a constant cycle of anxiety if you are not careful. Beware the Doom Scrolling! RCR content and the RCR Bites weekday email (now with a free option) are there to help you stay across the important developments without having to sift through the noise.

Action you won't regret…

Our local group network is now in its sixth year, which still amazes me. There are more than 100 groups across New Zealand, with tens of thousands of people connected through them. Some meet regularly, some more casually, but the important thing is that the relationships, connections, and networks are there.

And if there is no group near you yet… No worries! You can start one. Many of our best groups began with just one or two people deciding to give it a go.

Mostly, I just want to encourage you to keep building your local connections. Check in with people. Make plans. Be neighbourly and practical.

It makes life better in the good times and easier in the more challenging ones.

We are very lucky in New Zealand in many ways. Looking out for each other is part of that.

There's never been a better time than now.