So the 2009 Students of Sustainability conference at Monash Uni in Melbourne was pretty freakin wicked. There were hundreds of people camping out in the cold on Wurundjeri land and spending many hours anguishing over which workshop to choose to go to out of a choice of 8 amazing options. We ate vegan, kept our vitamin C up with a giant crate of oranges and had a day of actions including a vegie barbecue with workers at Hazelwood power station, a colourful musical protest at BHP Billiton, a powerful visit to Minister for Indigenous Affairs Jenny Macklin’s office and a stirring example of police brutality at Centrelink. We also played with bikes, gardens, talked politics, strategies, coal, anti-nukes, anti-oppression, feminism, racism, mental health, communities, radical legal strategies, organising skills, direct action skills and ideas and we danced too.
One day we got together in state networks and talked about what we’d been up to and what we want to do. This was the SEAN chats and here below are the minutes. Thankyous to Jen for these sweet minutes and to Scarlet for her rad facilitation. Love, gem
Student Environment Activist Network (SEAN) meet and plan session
Students of Sustainability Conference
9 July 2009 12:00-13:00
1. University Environment Collective reports on what they’ve been up to
Wollongong
Leafleting to students on campus
Actions
Street theatre – Billionaire polluters supporting CPRS (Carbon Pollution Reduction Scheme)
Climate Emergency Rally
Not currently tied in with SEAN coal campaign
Charles Sturt (Albury)
Small collective – not very motivated
Put in grant application for a garden on campus – hope this will help get people involved
Want help from SEAN to get more involved in coal and indigenous solidarity campaigns
Uncle Chappy: [Albury is Wiradjuri country. People in the Land Council are not Wiradjuri – are not the culturally appropriate people to be making decisions. We need to be careful on country and talk to the right people – not just the Land Councils. “You need to know who’s who in the zoo!”].
ANU (not present)
Convener is not contactable
Emails are not being put through to e-list
Difficult politics
Other interested folk have joined Climate Action Canberra and are in contact with SEAN
Macquarie
Solid group of ~5 people. Going well.
Lots of on campus events – e.g. Plastic bag monster
Trying to get a food coop going
UNSW
Big collective
Working on sustainability on campus
Events on campus, forums
Supporting other campaigns – e.g. Bulahdelah, Lake Cowal
Trying to step it up now and do more!
Sydney Uni
Lots of new people!
Been a great 6 months
Working on:
Anti-nuclear
Rascism
“Clean” coal
CPRS
Climate Rally – polar bears, music, fun times
Campus Sustainability
Newcastle
Fundraising for Germinate magazine
Swap meet
Hitching competition for SOS – organising a convergence for later in the year
Next semester want to do – gardening, bike stuff etc on campus
UTS
· Small collective at end of last year – trying to get more people
· Trying to get a garden on campus – hard dealing with uni bureaucracy
· Next semester: Green week, Creative Activism night
2. Reports on campaigns SEAN folk have been involved with
Lake Cowal – campaign led by Wiradjuri elders to stop a cyanide leaching gold mine. Uncle Chappy giving us this report:
Had court last Wednesday about mine expansion. Judges have reserved decision. Could be a few months
This is a fight for all people –
Wiradjuri and others
Environmental fight – cyanide in groundwater and Lachlan River
Mining company and government have no regard for ancient cultural heritage – is older than Egypt’s pyramids
Wiradjuri were forcibly removed from land
Some Aboriginal people are trators and got money from the mining company.
Wiradjuri have rights to cultural heritage
The genocide continues
Have gone through Native Title (as flawed a system as it is)
Some Christian Aboriginal people have no connection to their culture and signed an agreement with Barrick Gold
When collaborating with Aboriginal people, you need to know who’s who, and deal with the right people.
Lake Cowal is part of the heartland of the Wiradjuri nation
Is a dreaming place
Is a massacre site
Black Police came during ceremony
Was an attempt to wipe Wiradjuri out – but they have survived!
Missionaries arrived – with book in one hand and a gun in the other
Wiradjuri have occupied the land since time immemorial
The struggle continues – will fight to the bitter end
Open cut mine is partly in the lake
Farmers have no water to grow food, but the mine can use enormous amounts of water
Need us (SEAN folk etc) to come in behind Aboriginal people and support in fight for justice
What now for the campaign? How can we help?
Want to do base line sampling of soil and water. The company is bringing in heaps of cyanide. Want to prove contamination is from the mine if there is a flood
Can anyone help with this?
Want banner drops in cities and towns where we are
Want actions, blockades between Gladstone and the mine along route of the cyanide
River Red Gum Forests
Illegal logging continuing in Red Gum forests in southern NSW near Victoria.
Much is part of Ramsar listed wetlands (important internationally for migrating water birds).
State Forests NSW failed to have an Environmental Impact Statement done and approved (State law) and had no application and approval done under Federal law.
A forest action group has been communicating with the governments about this and trying to stop the logging and have National Parks created.
They also set up a blockade a few weeks ago to physically stop logging while the government sorts this out – protesters were told the police would not remove the blockade until governments had decided
SEAN folk were phoned a week after the blockade started, as more people were needed in the forest – a few drove down and joined the camp/blockade
Blockade was busted a few days later and the area declared an exclusion zone – so logging could continue
Plans are being made to set up another blockade/camp in the next few weeks – great if people can come down!
Contact Jen if you’re interested – 0402 750 208
Bulahdelah
Just north of Newcastle, the RTA (Roads and Transport Authority) are upgrading and widening the Pacific Highway.
At the township of Bulahdelah, they have chosen the most culturally and environmentally destructive option.
The road would destroy important sacred sites of the Worimi people at Yoongoo Mountain (Bulahdelah Mountain).
The local Land Council signed off on the deal with RTA and stand to get lots of $, as road will go through Land Council land.
Traditional Custodians are fighting in the courts to stop the road going through
Traditional Custodians have set up a camp at the base of the mountain ready for a blockade if needed and keeping watch on the RTA.
SEAN folk have been visiting and camping there to support the campaign, provide food, and learn about Worimi culture and the significance of the sacred sites
People are enthusiastically invited to continue visiting and camping there
Difficult politics – mixed opinions in both the Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal communities about the road going through
Has been violence at the camp as a result of these mixed opinions
Nuclear-free campaign
· Several events held around the World Nuclear Fuel Cycle conference in Syd in April. Mostly organized by Sydney Nuclear Free Coalition, including some SEAN folks.
o Film and info night in Sydney
o Forum and photo exhibition in Syd with Muckaty Traditional Owners, Lee Rhiannon, Dave Sweeney, Scott Ludlum, Nat Wasley, Holly Creenaune and friends.
o Action/protest at the Sheraton Hotel, Sydney where conference was held.
o Forum in Wollongong with same speakers.
o For photos, footage etc of these – check out the Beyond Nuclear blog: http://beyondnuclearinitiative.wordpress.com.
· Fundraiser Gig – Dump da Dump in Sydney – money raised ($350) to help with NT mob travel costs to SOS and ALP conference in Syd in July.
Cycle against the nuclear cycle – bike ride to Peter Garrett’s office to deliver letter demanding action such as stopping the Olympic Dam mine expansion and ending the assessment of NT waste dump sites.
Things organized mostly through ASEN nuclear free campaign (planning session today at SOS) and Sydney Nuclear Free Coalition.
Would be good to get more anti-nuclear things happening in NSW – we have the Lucas Heights reactor!
Upcoming events:
ALP conference 30th July – 1st Aug – actions being planned around this
ANFA (Australian Nuclear Free Coalition) meeting (Coalition of mostly Traditional Owners of country affected by the nuclear industry) meeting in Quorn, SA in September. Student crew to help with logistics – e.g. food
Coal campaign
Idea from ASEN training camp in January was to have a SEAN coal campaign
Want to connect with communities opposed to coal mines locally
Also collaborating with Rivers SOS who are concerned with the effects of mining on rivers
Meeting about this campaign happening Friday at SOS at lunchtime
Want to make plans for NVDA (Non-Violent Direct Action) at Helensburgh coal mine during Climate Camp (9-11th October)
There are plans to expand the mine
70% of Helensburgh population are employed in the mine
CFMEU (Construction, Forestry, Mining and Energy Union) wants the expansion
South Coast Lbor Council wants green jobs
Need to support workers – new infrastructure etc
Climate camp will involve workshops, planning, action
Upcoming event:
ALP national conference 30th July – 1st Aug – actions being planned around this
3. Upcoming event – SEAN gig 28th-30th Aug
Weekend get together for everyone in the SEAN network
Chance to get to know one another, make plans, take action if people want
In Wollongong/Sanders Point at Uncle Dootch’s tent embassy on the beach
Various collectives taking on aspects of the planning
Not much done in planning for this yet
4. Message from Gemma (SEAN state convener):
Let her know what you and your collective need. What sort of support would you like?
She also needs a few more contacts at each campus so can be in touch with all collectives. Also, anyone interested start thinking about convening SEAN in 2010! Chat to Gem.
5. Planning for the next 6 months
Skills we want (see photo taken by Christian of whiteboard)
How to start activism from scratch
Activist kit – mailout? (Wollongong Collective to do)
Computer, web and poster design (Tim to do) – people to tell Tim what they want
Outreach skills – getting more people involved
E.g. Building and Maintaining Collectives
To know more about the network
What is SEAN?
Talk about this in collectives
Have run out of time in this meeting – we need to talk more
Will have a phone link up (PLU) meeting on 9th August
People can ring into the meeting from wherever they are