The highlight of the week was Sunday’s Invasion Day rally and march by tens of thousands of people in the CBD.
We listened to confronting truth telling by First Nations speakers, and in all the speeches we heard the pain and hurt of the racism experienced by Aboriginal people on a daily basis. We were reminded of the impacts of the theft of land on both people and country, and also the government systems that continue to forcibly remove Aboriginal children from their families.
The speakers called for truth telling and treaties as ways to advance First Nations justice. One of the NSW Treaty Commissioners, Naomi Moran, spoke of her commitment to following in the footsteps of NSW Elders. She expressed hope that the consultations about a treaty in NSW would lead to high level treaty negotiations.
There was a really good report of the event on Nine News.
Meeting at Customs House – Friday 31 January
Our in-person meetings are a great way to meet up with the Nannas to decide if you want to join us.
Meet at 9.30am in front of Customs House near Circular Quay. Walk towards the Opera House for a photo for our social media taken on the Lower Esplanade with the Bridge in the background. Wear yellow t-shirts. Spares will be available for new Nannas.
At 10am we can access the meeting room in the Library on the second floor of Customs House where we will make a seriously fun video about preferential voting – featuring Nannas and fruit.
We’ll have a cuppa and a chat and then a discussion about the federal election and quick updates on the campaigns we are working on.
The meeting will finish by 1pm and be followed by lunch nearby.
Sydney Nannas have updated their Welcome pages for new Nannas and friends.
Nannas are doing their bit to reduce emissions
For Nannas the personal is political as we bring it all together.
Inner West climate groups
Inner West Climate Groups are planning to work together in the lead up to the federal election. The groups are already discussing the best ways to counter the deluge of misinformation we can expect from organisations and parties opposed to climate action and progressive policies.
Nannas look forward to working with the surprising number of active groups already gearing up to campaign for a parliament committed to act on climate and protecting the natural environment.
Some of the materials that will be shared include a 15-question score card on various national candidates and an explanation of preferential voting. The groups plan to cut through misinformation with positive messages about what governments, communities and families can do to protect the future.
Meanwhile, the Labor Environmental Action Network (LEAN) are encouraging everyone to ring all the Labor MPs of both Houses about making the reform of the environmental protection law a top priority when parliament returns in February. The plan is to impress on our MPs that genuine reform of environment laws should be a top priority and that we expect them to be strong advocates for reform.
Logging NSW Mid North Coast
Logging continues on the NSW Mid North Coast within the boundaries of the proposed Great Koala National Park (GKNP). Protests, forest vigils and direct actions to stop the loggers will continue until the government declares the park. Sydney Nannas support these actions to protect our forests and the native wildlife that depends on them.
Nanna Chris was in court on 23 January charged with locking on to machinery in a NSW forest targeted for logging.
Direct action is a temporary reprieve for koala and greater glider habitat but NSW residents can act to make it stick. Call Your MP! We want a Great Koala National Park! Click here for some talking points.
Nannas from Coffs Harbour and beyond were at the Friends of Pine Creek weekly vigil last week. Holiday makers deserve to know what goes on in ‘Utopia’.
Nannas are watching
Nannas are reading
Meet the young people that Climate 200 is encouraging to be the Next Generation of Climate Leaders.
The new Trump energy secretary, fracker Chris Wright, is a Koch donor and linked to the Beetaloo Basin. Both the ALP and LNP support the massive fracking projects already commencing in the region in spite of the objections of First Nations traditional owners and the climate and environment movement. (Fin Review)
Grace Tame wears anti-Murdoch shirt to PM’s morning tea. “For far too long this world and its resources have been undemocratically controlled by a small number of morbidly wealthy oligarchs,” she said after the event. (The Guardian)
Forthcoming Events