looking back on our week of environmental activism

It’s been a long time in the writing this one…

Earlier this year when I first heard that the Bob Brown Foundation was organising a Stop Adani convoy travelling from Hobart up to the Gallilee area and back to Canberra, I thought “I HAVE to do this”. I, like so many other Australian’s, had taken every action possible to prevent the going ahead of the massive Adani coal mine. I’d signed every petition, wrote letters to MP’s urging them to not support further coal mining in Australia and to commit to renewables. I had attended protests, voted for a political party that supported and prioritised the phasing out of coal, and I’d watched with disgust when, despite the loud, clear voices of Australians, the state and federal governments continued to pander to environmentally destructive, greedy, powerful corporations.

What upset me the most about this issue was the secrecy and hidden agendas, and the public’s need to act like investigative journalists just to uncover half of the truths to what actually was and is going on behind closed doors between people in power and mining corporations. How is that a democracy??

One of the pillars of democracy is in fact transparency, otherwise when we vote we’re simply making an informed decision based on secrecy, lies and misinformation…which really just makes it an uninformed decision. That makes me feel pretty ripped off and really desperate about my ability to be a champion of change. I wondered what power we, the everyday people, actually have if our government doesn’t stand for us and our future, and puts the interest of a few above the interests of the many? What chance do we have when economic growth (no matter the cost) is put above the environment, water security, farming and food production? And as we’ve seen a few months ago, what chance do we have when the government is attempting to diminish the rights of businesses and everyday folk to make decisions such as boycotting in order to ensure the mining corporations have a clear path for further development. Find article here.

So I did what I thought was the last resort and something I thought would have a huge impact…I signed up to go on the Stop Adani Convoy.

We began our convoy journey at the Mullumbimby protest on the far north coast of NSW, and afterwards hit the road joining Bob Brown and his team and many other convoy participants. We headed to Brisbane joining Brisbane locals for a protest and walk through the streets to Adani Headquaters. We then headed further north participating in protests at Yeppoon, Airlie Beach and Mackay.

Tensions were increasing the further north we travelled. Pro Adani supporters were coming to protests, standing on the edges of the crowds, yelling out and heckling the crowds, and cars on the highway were increasingly hostile, giving us the finger, yelling out car windows etc.

Before heading out west to the small mining town of Clermont, where we were attending a celebration of water in conjunction with the Wangan and Jagalingou People, we were warned about what may happen as the town peoples had made it pretty clear they weren’t happy about our impending presence in their town.

Now, 8 months later, I truly don’t want to discuss the negative things that happened out there or anywhere else. People were angry, and I now question my true motives, my expectations of the outcomes, and my participation. I wonder if we can call a protest peaceful if it incites anger, angst, fear, and hatred in ‘the other’. How peaceful is it if what I am doing is done with a sense of rightness, and because of that ‘rightness’ I make someone else wrong…me ‘good’ and the other ‘bad’, me ‘educated’ and the other ‘dumb’, me ‘righteous’, them ‘immoral’, me ‘peaceful’, them filled with violence and hatred.

At the time I thought I was putting my effort and energy into something positive that would create positive change (and mostly it was…spending a week with a group of peaceful, well meaning, passionate, environment loving people was an amazing experience filled with spontaneous music and dance, sharing stories, creating friendships, caring hugs and laughter). But the emotional toll it took on me, particularly afterwards was far too overwhelming. It was intense. The tension I felt within me, the negative energy, the feelings of us vs them, the total immersion in a political battle, and the blame and anger afterwards when the Liberal Party won the Federal election…it was all too much for me. It now doesn’t feel like this is the right way forward for me. Peaceful protest or not, I feel if I participated in something that caused the ‘other side of the argument’ to be hostile and agitated, and cause division in communities and across the country, then that’s not an honorable or legitimate way to achieve something. And surely if it created unease, tension, a feeling of division and disconnection, overwhelm and angst in me, it was never going to create peace or change for anybody.

So, I’ve come to the conclusion, I need to find another way…a more peaceful and connecting way. I want to listen to people who think and act differently to me and not feel like I have to make them wrong in order for me to be right, superior, more educated, or more ‘woke’. I want to seek authentic connections where people feel at ease to share and discuss and get creative with ideas. I want my actions to show hope for the future, and what I hope and dream for the future. I want my actions to be an example, and I want to engage in actions that invite joy, peace, harmony and connection and inclusiveness….because I want to feel that for myself.

P.S. Clearly, we can’t rely on those in power to provide transparent, honest information or to make hard, but obvious decisions to protect our future. I believe it is up to us to get informed, connect with our communities, get creative, and take action locally to change the way we do things in our own homes and broader community.

P.P.S. While on the convoy I met Lindsay Simpson, a previous investigative journalist for the Sydney Morning Herald and author of the book “Adani: Following It’s Dirty Footprints, A Personal Story’. I highly recommend her book if you’d like to know more about Adani Mining Pty Ltd and their operations in both India and Australia and their relationship with the Australian government.

Daniela