Activism in an age of protest

Alongside his role as campaign manager, Jim has represented WACRA at court hearings and council meetings, and assisted with innumerable grant applications. As president of WACRA, Jim established a doctrine of social responsibility to protect and preserve the community, while, and by, speaking truth to power. He has shown what can be achieved when a group works together, and the civic value of that contribution. To quote Jim: ‘A government committed to wellbeing should welcome the public interest voices of civil society.’

In this book, Jim Douglas has contributed to around 25 of its stories and was interviewed on many occasions. Jim strongly believes in collaboration with others, and he would argue that little can be achieved without community solidarity. He continues to play a central role in WACRA.

Paul Laris, WACRA’s current chairperson, has the last word:

What I’d like is for WACRA to be seen by people in our geographic community as a resource for them. It’s about being a tool of influence, enabling people to be engaged in the process of decisions that are made about their lives by local and state governments in particular. At the moment, we are a small group of motivated people who enjoy being involved and share values. We have over 300 members/supporters, but I think we need to expand our base. We need to engage more with younger people. People stand up at WACRA general meetings and talk about an issue that is bothering them. It would be good if we can broaden that so that people can approach us not only about problems and protests but also about ideas to improve life in our community. We can be part of the solution or play a catalyst or brokerage role.

Activism in an age of protest

WACRA has recently developed a specific focus on climate change, calling for better adaptation and urgent emissions reduction. Climate change protests are being held in Australia’s major cities and elsewhere. The catastrophic and unprecedented bushfires of 2019-20 have highlighted the urgency of action. The refusal of our national government and major political parties to acknowledge the need for fundamental changes is a cause for dismay, but also a rallying call for action. In this context, the future of local community action may be in forming the grassroots for wider, profound social movements.