States Chronicle - Latest Breaking World News

Saturday, January 16, 2021
Log in
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Authors
  • Investor Relations
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use
  • Latest News
    • Right Colors for your Skin Tone
    • MOST ACTIVE NASDAQ After-Hours
    • iPhone 5C Release Date
    • Samsung Galaxy S5 Release Date
    • The History of the Atkins Diet

New Zealand’s Flag Reborn: Citizens Submit 10,000 Alternatives

August 12, 2015 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

alt="Alternative for New Zealand Flag"

The government of New Zealand has announced it is considering a possible change in the nation’s flag, thus encouraging the public to submit design ideas. As it turns out, more than 10,000 alternatives were sent in, and 40 finalists were finally chosen by a government-appointed panel.

One of the reasons for this change is the fact that many New Zealanders think their current flag is either too similar to Australia’s or too outdated to still be relevant. In their eagerness to put behind their colonial past depicted in the top left corner – where you can see Britain’s Union Jack – citizens took up the challenge with enthusiasm.

For a country that has been at times in the shadow of its larger neighbor, Australia, it’s no wonder that New Zealand would like to change the flag, seeing as it they are nearly identical, a detail that only adds fuel to the fire.

However, there are plenty who have no problem with the current flag. Veterans who have fought under it are even fighting to keep it as it is. Others believe this is just an expensive stunt that the Prime Minister John Key is using to distract the people’s attention from more urgent matters.

But when it comes to the new designs, there’s a visible pattern among them: almost all of them include at least one of these three elements: the silver fern, the koru, and the Southern Cross. The koru and the silver fern are basically the same thing – a fern frond, furled in one instance, and unfurled in the other.

Designers have preferred this symbol as it has both metaphorical meanings – such as the circular nature of life – and it is heavily featured in the New Zealander culture, starting from tattoo designs to the nation’s airline logo.

An open letter from the government panel explained what they were looking for: something great, but simple enough that a child could draw it from memory. Moreover, it needs timeless elements that would be relevant in any situation where New Zealanders might be represented.

However, those against the initiative might have a point as well; besides spending a great amount of taxpayer money – $17 million – it will take forever before all the people that need to be consulted will agree on a single design.

According to official statements, the Flag Consideration Panel has until mid-September to come up with a decision. But even after that decision is made, New Zealanders will still have a say in it by voting for their favorite in a November referendum.

But wait, job’s not done yet. The finalist will be pitted against the current flag and a second referendum – taking place next March – will finally decide the fate of the New Zealand’s flag.
Image Source: SBS

Filed Under: World

  • « Previous Page
  • 1
  • 2

Subscribe to Blog via Email

Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 30 other subscribers

Doom and MiniDoom 2

Volunteer-Based Mexican Studio Releases Sidescrolling Doom Clone

March 12, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Chinese Mom and locked iPhone.

Toddler Locks Chinese Mom Out of Phone for Half a Century

March 9, 2018 By James Faulkner Leave a Comment

Alexa laughing

Amazon Alexa Laughing out of the Blue Puzzles Engineers

March 8, 2018 By Jack M. Robinson Leave a Comment

Flippy and the Burgers

Meet Flippy, World’s First Fast-Food Robotic Chef

March 6, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

System Shock

System Shock Remastered Delayed, Nightdive Studios CEO Announces

February 19, 2018 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Sea of Thieves.

Sea of Thieves Optimized for Low-End PCs

February 14, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Sony and VR

Sony Touts New Generation of VR Controllers

January 31, 2018 By Deborah Cobing Leave a Comment

YouTube

YouTube Stiffens Its Monetization Policy to Discourage Spammers and Bad Actors

January 18, 2018 By Georgia Dawson Leave a Comment

Google Art Doppelganger

Google App Can Now Show Your Art Doppelganger

January 15, 2018 By Troy Rubenson Leave a Comment

YouTube mobile app logo on a smartphone

YouTube Now Enables Vertical Videos on iOS

December 24, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Samsung Galaxy S2 with a shattered screen

Cracked Smartphone Screens Are a Thing of the Past – Self-Healing Polymer Gets Fixed Just by Pressing It

December 20, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Bing logo on a white background

Bing Improves Its Search Results with the Help of AI and Reddit Integration

December 16, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

White hashtag on a blue background

Follow Your Interests on Instagram by Directly Following Hashtags

December 14, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge on a leather seat

Samsung Galaxy Smartphones Make More People Happier as Compared to iPhones

December 13, 2017 By Janet Vasquez Leave a Comment

Categories

  • Business
  • Entertainment
  • Health
  • Lifestyle
  • Markets
  • National News
  • Nature
  • News
  • Politics
  • Science
  • Technology
  • Uncategorized
  • World

Copyright © 2021 statechronicle.com

About · Privacy Policy · Terms of Use · Contact

This website uses cookies to ensure you get the best experience on our website. Learn more.