Environment
Democracy, Environment
How The Greens Won Budapest
Viktor Orbán’s Fidesz party seemed unbeatable until a progressive breakthrough at the Budapest mayoral elections. As he made me coffee in his kitchen on the train to Budapest, the chatty chef said something surprising: “there is a fashion now to hate the president”. Orbán would, he guessed, lose the next election. On my previous trip to Hungary, just 15 months... Read More
Environment
The Great Green Wall: Climate Change, Conflict and Community Resilience
The Great Green Wall is a documentary film that follows a journey along the Great Green Wall – an ambitious plan to grow a 8000km ‘wall’ of vegetation across the Sahel, from Senegal in West Africa, to Djibouti in the East. The film follows Malian musician and activist Inna Modja as she meets with communities across the region, grappling not... Read More
Culture, Democracy, Environment, Social Justice
Hope, Fear, Needing And Grieving: New Year’s Eve 2020 At Malua Bay
“Who will mend us? How will we mend?” In this piece, originally published on Valerie Braithwaite’s blog, Professor Valerie Braithwaite reflects on her experience of the 2020 bushfires on the south coast of NSW. [On Friday 3 January, 2020] I was one of the thousands who left the NSW south coast via Bega and Cooma, heading home to Canberra. Like... Read More
Democracy, Environment, Social Justice
Jobs, Justice And A Liveable World: Urban Planning In A Green New Deal
On August 29, 2019 the UQ Greens, alongside QLD Greens MP Michael Berkman hosted the forum ‘Jobs, Justice & a Liveable World: A Green New Deal for Australia’. Looking at the leadership being provided around the world on the issue, this panel asked the question what might a Green New Deal look like in Australia? With permission from the organisers Green... Read More
Culture, Democracy, Environment
Indigenous Communities Should Be At The Forefront Of Action On Climate Change
Dr Virginia Marshall is providing a keynote address at the upcoming Green Institute Conference, Cultivating Democracy. Register now! In early September I attended an Indigenous Peoples Climate Change Preparatory Meeting in Mexico City as one of three delegates representing the Australia/Pacific region, where Indigenous delegates from around the world drafted and endorsed a Commitment of Indigenous Peoples Action for presentation... Read More
Democracy, Environment
The Climate Emergency As A Governance Emergency: A Bold Case For Democratic Reform
On the 20th of September, millions of protestors marched across 85 countries demanding climate action. The image of hundreds of thousands of young demonstrators taking to the streets send a message that time is running out, that an urgent response is needed from world leaders. Raising alarm, however, is only the first step. Equally important is forging a global consensus... Read More
Democracy, Environment, Peace, Social Justice
Protecting Our Right To Peaceful Dissent In The Face Of Climate Breakdown
It is difficult to overstate the importance and influence of disruptive, peaceful protest and non-violent direct action in social change. On countless issues like women’s rights, LGBTIQ+ rights, justice for First Nations people, rights for workers, or campaigns against racism and xenophobia, large-scale protest, including disruption and direct action have been an essential ingredient of success. Globally, recent months have... Read More
Culture, Environment, Social Justice
Do Nuclear-Powered Electrons Have Balls? Hyper-Masculine Domination VS Ecological Politics
There’s been a flurry of stories recently about men apparently choosing not to recycle, or carry reusable shopping bags, because they’re worried people might question their sexuality. The reporting is based on research by Janet K. Swim, a professor of psychology at Penn State University, studying the perception of certain pro-environmental behaviours as having a particular gendered nature. She did... Read More
Democracy, Environment, Peace
Time To Rebel: Civil Disobedience For The Planet
The Extinction Rebellion (XR) movement has grabbed headlines since late 2018 with its repertoire of non-violent but disruptive tactics to raise climate awareness and protest government inaction on impending ecological collapse. The UK-born phenomenon has transformed into an international movement which continues to gather momentum. XR activist Jayne Forbes speaks here about her experiences in the London blockades and citizen’s... Read More
Economy, Environment, Social Justice
Lessons From The Election Part 2: Unions And The Environment Movement
There has been significant debate over both the role of unions and the environment movement in the 2019 Australian Federal Election. Godfrey Moase argues the two need to work more closely if we want to see action on climate change. This is the second part of a two part series on lessons for social movements following the 2019 Australian Federal... Read More
