Letters
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mşƱ ĶƆ ƐIJĕ ƐĶŔĕ Īşſ ë ĪşſĕƆƐ ĈşƖż Laura Targett In a historic alliance, the Gumbaynggirr custodians and environmentalists have come together to halt the logging taking place in Nambucca State Forest. This forest coup on the mid-north coast, led by the Gumbaynggirr people, is to protect their sacred sites and songlines within the forest, as well as safeguarding precious, unburnt, native forest with
its resident endangered species. There is a strong legal team working on the campaign, and a blockade camp has been set up on site, welcoming visitors and local supporters. There are usually at least ten people at camp at all times, sometimes up to 100, with social distancing practices in place, for various events including music, artivism, language and weaving workshops with local
^ƵŝĐŝĚĞ WƌĞǀĞŶƟ ŽŶ Any Gender. Any Age. Any Stage.
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Gumbaynggirr elders, mass walk-ons, and visits from MPs and the media.
‘Fucken hippies’ Over the years, I’ve come across varied reactions to environmental activism – from friends, family and random strangers. So I thought I’d respond to the most typical Gumbaynggirr custodians and accusations. environmental activists protest the The first and most familiar destruction of sacred sites and logging in is that old one we hear daily vulnerable Nambucca State Forest. Above at campaigns, the yelling Sandy Jarrett Greenwood, Gumbaynggirr from the passing ute: ‘Fucken representative. Photo Greg Sheehan hippies! Where do your dole payments come out what’s making us sick, sustainability, are doing ‘Many of the “human from? Get a job!’ Or then our best with what we’ve support our immune systems there are the accusations rights” we take for granted got. Maybe if we all shake and do something about it. of hypocrisy – ‘If you use I see direct action as a were hard-won through off apathy, invest in some timber, or drive a car, frontline immune response. direct action, and reduce how dare you protest gritty and determined As for the relative powers our hypocrisy by 50 per against logging and protest actions.’ of ‘yes’ and ‘no’ – as every cent, we might avoid the mining!’ small child discovers, saying race over the cliff. Most of the people ‘no’ is a fundamental part The other response I more necessary in this curon the frontlines of camcome across regularly is that in claiming autonomy, rent climate we live in than paigns are employed. The and of declaring one’s safe fighting ‘against’ something serving drinks in a bar, or Bentley blockade’s successboundaries. We need bring is negative, draining and doing publicity for new cars, ful anti-fracking campaign balance back to humanity’s futile. That we should be was coordinated by an amaz- or a myriad other jobs. suffusing the world with ‘love relationship with the Earth Activism has helped, and ing cross-section of local and with each other. and light’, that we should be continues to shape, human community members: from As for ‘love and light’? saying ‘yes’ instead of ‘no’ biologists to botanists, chefs evolution. So many of the Well, love can be fierce – ever and engaging with proac‘human rights’ we take for to film makers, teachers to seen a mother protecting tive regenerative ‘positive’ granted were hard-won dentists, artists to conservaher children? Old defunct actions instead. through gritty and detertionists, musicians, and so systems need challenging, many more. The Nambucca mined protest actions. If we ſşƐĕƆƐ żſşƐĕĈƐĶşŕ recalibrating, and sometimes Forest Action is similar. want a healthy, habitable dismantling to let the light in! I fully support regenplanet for future generations, ¨IJĕ Ǖ īIJƐ Īşſ ſĶīIJƐƆ of all species, the Earth’s More info at #Protecterative action, but I also see NambuccaStateForest or protective (or protestive) Regardless of any activist’s rights need fighting for too. Facebook.com/Gumbayngdirect action as a vital part employment status, I feel that As for hypocrisy, a good girrConservationGroup. of a healthy, collective, anyone willing to sit in a tree friend recently pointed out ‘immune response’ in the for up to a year (as visiting to me; one can only be a ſĕëŊĶŕī ŕĕƱƆ organism of human society activist Miranda Gibson did) hypocrite in this case if one As The Echo went to print that’s totally out of balance. to raise awareness of the has good ethics. Those of the loggers and harvester left. When you or I get sick we need to protect precious old us willing to challenge the ‘It’s not the end of this respond in multiple ways: growth forest, is doing vital dinosaurs of destructive campaign but it’s another win our white blood cells attack work absolutely worth paying industries, and encourage a along the way,’ says Laura. the infection, we rest, figure for. The kind of work that’s far movement towards human NEW DISPL AY NOW OPEN
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