In honour of the vastness of the universe, New Zealand's High Commissioner to South Africa Philip Hewitt celebrated Matariki - the Maori New Year - at his official residence in Pretoria on 3 July. "Mānawatia and Matariki!" Hewitt began his speech. "Tonight we are gathered here to celebrate Matariki - a time when we honor the past, celebrate the present and prepare for the future, guided by the rising of the stars."

Komisař poznamenal: "We meet not only under the stars, but also in their stories - stories that stretch across oceans and deserts, mountains and rivers - stories that unite the people of Aotearoa New Zealand and the people of South Africa in a heavenly embrace."

High Commissioner Philip Hewitt addresses guests /TDS

Although these nations are located at opposite ends of the southern hemisphere, many of the same stars can be seen in the night sky. And in these stars, both cultures find meaning. "These stars are not just points of light. They are calendars, guides, spirits and teachers. They remind us that even though our languages differ, our hearts beat to the rhythm of the same universe."

He pointed to the Southern Cross visible in the night sky over Pretoria. The Maori used it to navigate the vast Pacific Ocean - it was a key component of the great waka, the Tama-rereti canoe. In southern Africa, among the Sotho and Tswana peoples, the same constellation is known as Dithutlwa - the giraffes - majestic, graceful and ever vigilant.

In New Zealand, the rising of the Matariki stars (Pleiades star cluster) marks a time of remembrance, renewal and sowing. In South Africa, this cluster is known to the Xhosa tribes as IsiLimela, the "digging stars" that signal the time to prepare the land for the growing season. "Two cultures, thousands of miles apart, both guided by the same glittering sign to a new beginning," řekl Hewitt.

The celebration of Matariki also coincided with a major global event. On June 10, the United Nations declared the International Day of Dialogue among Civilizations, a call to humanity to reconnect with its ancestral wisdom and common purpose in a rapidly changing global order. Matariki is about remembering, celebrating the present and looking to the future - ideals that resonate deeply with the spirit of intercultural dialogue.

High Commissioner Philip Hewitt with New Zealand High Commission staff at the celebration /New Zealand High Commission

Hewitt, who is of Maori descent, shared a very personal experience: returning with his family to Puketeraki Marae in Karitāne on the east coast of New Zealand's South Island - his ancestral home. "It was a moment of reconnection. A moment of healing. And it was very moving for me to see my parents - each from a different place and background - come together to have this mauri ora (life force) experience."

He also stressed the common value of New Zealand and South Africa: respect for nature. "Although our landscapes vary - from islands and forests to savannas and deserts - we share a commitment to biodiversity, conservation and indigenous knowledge."

"The 'Baby Boks', South Africa's national under-20 rugby team, recently defeated New Zealand in the final of the Under-20 World Cup in Italy, reviving a legendary sporting rivalry between the two nations. This victory brings back memories of President Nelson Mandela lifting the Webb Ellis Trophy during South Africa's historic first Rugby World Cup victory in 1995, which the country hosted.

At the end of the evening under the stars, UNISA astrophysics professor James Chibueze and his team set up telescopes on the grounds of the residence and offered guests the opportunity to explore the night sky over Pretoria.

"So tonight let us honor the wisdom of those who came before us - who read the sky as holy writ, who planted by its signs, who traveled by its map, and who found comfort in its constancy. In the end, we are all children under the stars," uzavřel Hewitt.

Kirtan Bhana, TDS

Thediplomaticsociety/gnews.cz - GH