Bringing justice to our Climate Justice work

Lessons and insights on working with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island communities and campaigns.

You know that Indigenous people around the world are on the frontlines of extraction and feeling the brunt of climate change. You also know that as the world’s oldest environmentalists and protectors of country, first peoples must also be central to any solutions.

So what does this mean for the work you and your organisation, network or collective are doing? What would it take to work effectively with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people?

If we are serious about shifting off this destructive path we are on in a just way, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities need more than short term commitment and social media moments of solidarity. We need long term partnerships that can contribute to the deep, systematic changes we know are required. 

In Australia, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, activists and elders have been saying no to fossil fuel projects and mining developments, even though they are presented as our only economic development option. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander led campaigns and networks like Seed, have been raising the understanding of the effects of climate change amongst our own people and many of our allies are working hard to shift the climate movement more broadly.

Climate and clean energy campaigners and organisers are increasingly engaging with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities and campaigns but there is a lot more for us to learn if we are going to get this right.

This practical workshop will be an opportunity to:

• consolidate and deepen our understanding of climate justice in the context of colonisation in Australia
• reflect and share lessons from efforts to support and engage with Aboriginal and Torres Straist Islander communities and campaigns
• hear about a couple of current campaigns to protect country here (plus a few exciting stories from Turtle Island)
• really think about what it would take for you and your organisation to bring justice into the climate goals, stories and actions you’re working on.

About the facilitator 

The workshop will be facilitated by Karrina Nolan. Karrina Nolan is of mixed heritage from Yorta Yorta nation in Victoria. She is fresh back from 2 months learning from First Nations people in North America. She’s worked as an organiser, campaigner, facilitator, lobbyist and hip hop wrangler alongside Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women, young people and communities for 20 years. Right now she’s Seed’s Strategist and Community Facilitator, Borroloola’s biggest fan (not so of fracking though in the NT), and Wangan and Jagalingou’s back up guy. She’s about to be a part time film producer creating a video message stick to build power among communities protecting country. And she is a singer with the Mission Songs project rejuvenating songs not heard in over 60 years from the mission days.