On March 16th we unveiled the Tuku Aroha Quilt in commemoration of March 15th 2019. Last year was the 70th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, but it will live in our memory for the outpouring of love and compassion, as well as bringing together of people from diverse backgrounds into one community.

Inspired by these events, the After 3 art class at Hagley printed designs on fabric to be made into this quilt by Helen Packer. The different designs reflect the diverse imagination of each of us in the class. We are all individuals, with our own thoughts and beliefs, and the quilt brings our diversity together, with its borders highlighting our individuality.

It represents what it means to be human and how to live together in a harmonious community. To recognise the anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the activist artist Ai Weiwei was commissioned to design a flag. He used a footprint of a refugee in the mud in a camp in Bangladesh.

Significantly, this could be the footprint of any human on earth. The footprint in this quilt is inspired by Ai Weiwei's footprint flag. It represents the step to taking action and defending human rights, recognising it as one essential human value which belongs to everyone and that we all share the same humanity.

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights apply to everyone the world over and not just to those who share our colour, our place of birth or our religion. Believing in them, acting on them, promising never to break them - that's how we make the world a better place to live; it's how we make ourselves better people. There is no them and us. We're all in it together.

The quilt can be viewed in the foyer of the Hagley College main building.