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Well, that didn't go to plan hey?

Kaya <<First Name>>

I started writing this email a few weeks ago as a wrap up and reflection on the work I and the team have been involved in since last September.  I was going to share our progress, our plans, and thank those of you who have financially contributed to this work… and of course, being the end of the financial year, and being a crowd funded campaign I was going to ask you to consider making an end of year contribution or becoming a monthly donor (unless you already are in which case thank you – and would you ask a friend 😊)
 
However, like so many of my writing projects this email took a backseat as I organised, attended events, trained and mentored folk, managed never-ending emails and organised some more… and then there was the election.
 
So, this email has adapted.
 
It still includes the wrap up (at the end of the email) and it points to our new direction and upcoming projects.  However, I’m also going to use it as a chance to reflect on the election result and the process that bought us here, sharing some of my thoughts about what this means for our work and the unending task of working for climate justice.*
 
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If you don’t have time to read to the end of this email I do ask that you consider making a contribution to our work at It’s Up 2 Us. Within 6 months we will have dramatically scaled up our work focusing on WA being net zero emissions (including our exports), and throughout this we will have justice, decolonisation and adaptation at the forefront (more of this below and to come).  If you are able to contribute monthly or one-off (or could ask a friend or family member to do so) please use this link.  All contributions are tax deductible and massively appreciated.
 
And, if you already contribute thank you. Please read below to see what you have been funding.
 
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Firstly - the election result:
 
Tuesday night a small group of us came together through the Perth Community Organising Collective to reflect and debrief the election outcome.  It was an event scheduled before the election. 
 
In setting up the event we had assumed (along with so many others) we’d be working under a new Government.  Whilst colleagues had been certain of the result, I had been more cautious, the memory of Trump’s election in the US being fresh in my mind.  And whilst I wasn’t surprised at the result of the election, I was shocked. As shock turned to grief I and others began to process where we found ourselves.
 
I (along with many) took to social media and our communities to share, grieve and reflect. I read articles, cried in cafes whilst on the phone to friends in rural towns and watched the political and media ‘elite’ tie themselves in knots as they sought to explain what had happened and why. And, as those who ‘work in the space’ took time to reflect and debrief people in our communities started standing up.
 
Those who had been thinking a Labor Government would ‘fix’ things realised there was little time to waste and those who had been sitting on the sidelines chose to pick a side. Membership into political parties increased, people put their hands up to volunteer and dozens if not hundreds of small community groups began to establish.
 
But it was in that small workshop Tuesday night that I felt we really began to unpick effectively what had happened (or rather what needed to have happened). Not because any of us were particularly insightful or intelligent in our response, but due to the process we participated in and the attendees of the event.
 
One of the delightful aspects of Tuesday night was that although we were a small group we came from many different spaces. We represented different campaigns, geographical locations, socio-economic groups, cultural backgrounds and ages and this led to a nuanced and rich conversation.  We were communicating outside of our silos and beyond our immediate experience.  We shared authentically and listened to learn and support each other.
 
Through this process we built solidarity and understanding.
 
It took vulnerability to share with people we didn’t know, for those with less ‘campaigning’ and ‘professional’ or ‘political’ experience to share their wisdom and for us to share across cultural differences. We didn’t always agree, yet there was a foundation of respect and we shared a deep desire and willingness to work for justice.
 
By sharing in an intergenerational group we didn’t forget our past and we didn’t lose sight of our responsibility for the future.  By sharing with those who had campaigned for decades we were able to reflect on the legacy of previous campaigns, learning from our victories and asking ourselves what it would look like to be responsible for our mistakes.
 
By sharing with those new to campaigning and political action we were called to be ‘real’ and challenged on our use of jargon.  Our assumptions about ourselves, our work and ‘others’ were more obvious and therefore able to be challenged. By participating with people from different ideological backgrounds we could reflect on the roles of media, social media, marketing, neo-liberalism and capitalism whilst using language and imagery that could be understood by all. And, by working with and listening to those who work with (and for) the most marginalised in our society we were forced to face the urgency and complexity of our circumstances.
 
By holding our ‘truths’ (and theories of change) lightly we were able to reflect on plurality and build the strength of the collective and through all of this we knew that there was no one solution.  It was clear that each circumstance/challenge/struggle and community would need its own responses and solutions, and that for these to be effective they needed to come from those very same communities. That these solutions need to address people’s real lives (and their future lives) and they need to be accessible.
 
We spent 2 hours together reflecting, listening and learning. My intention is we spend many more hours planning, organising and building our communities together.  It’s a cliché but together we really are stronger.
 
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The day after the election I wrote to a colleague: I think the main problem is we didn’t and don’t have a sufficient ground campaign that could build consensus and vision in the community whilst countering the Murdoch/Palmer/LNP scare campaigns.
 
Given all the analysis I have read and all the conversations I have been a part of I still think this to be the case. And whilst much can be said of the climate campaign in the lead up to the election one thing is clear: if it’s not about justice and people, and we don’t engage authentically with those who will be impacted by the transition to a net zero society we won’t succeed.
 
And luckily for us, that’s the work we have been focusing on.
 
So whilst it’s bitter sweet, the election result hasn’t significantly changed our work or our plans for the future.  What it may have done is bought a few more powerful allies on board sooner rather than later and provided impetus for many to take matters into their own hands at a local, immediate and grassroots level.
 
Whether that’s local governments like the Shire of Augusta and Margaret River working on their community climate action plan, the WA Health Department working to reduce it’s emissions and develop climate adaptation plans, people training in creative protest and civil disobedience, school children striking or friends holding their community meet ups it’s all a part of the web of solutions.

If you're looking for some inspiration check out this article here.
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We know we need to scale up quickly, but we also know the real work of organizing is not easy. It is messy. It is incredibly time-and-energy-consuming.   
 
At the end of my report back in September I mentioned I was going to start a PhD.  Well, that didn’t quite go to plan (long story for another time and not yet finished 😊). However, the question “how do we effectively engage in transformative adaptation and radical transformation here in Western Australia in response to the climate crisis” was a question we needed to answer. 
 
As we explored that question it became obvious that we knew where we needed to go – net zero emissions across all sectors (including exports) whilst leaving no-one behind and adapting to the impacts already locked in. And the timeline for this grand plan is now and as soon as possible.  Instead of dismissing this plan we began to look at what it could look like.  We explored from different sectors and discussed where progress was already being made.  We discussed what it would take, what strategies we’d need to employ and our #allthethings campaign began to take shape. Whilst a long way from our current political and societal reality it began to look possible.
 
What was clear though is it would take organising on a scale we have not seen. The more we discussed the goal the more projects came into view; the more campaigns arose and the more communities we could connect and collaborate with. As we spoke with colleagues and friends, after their initial gulp of disbelief they too began to see the possibilities and it captured our collective imagination.
 
We began discussing this with colleagues in the regenerative agricultural space, activists, academics in water sensitive cities research and regenerative urban design.  We started exploring concepts of a Green New Deal and workers solutions.  Bold as it was, it was something people had an appetite for, and we knew we couldn’t step away.
 
So next came the question of how we resourced the core work. It’s clear that upscaling our organising is urgent and necessary, and this is where we have turned our attention.  We’ll share more in coming weeks and months as new funding and organising plans are developed, we’re not quite ready to spill the beans yet…
 
Report back and projects in the pipeline:
 
It’s late and this communication is about the length of a PhD (sorry about that) so I’m going to do this last section in note form.  If anyone wants to know more feel free to email or we can have a chat in person or over the phone.
 
The Sustainable Health Review was finally released and whilst I would love to say that project is done, now comes the work of turning some great recommendations into practical reality.  You can read more here.
 
Climate and Health Working Group – with others I have been supporting the establishment and facilitation of this working group enabling cross sectoral/departmental climate action.
 
School Strike 4 Climate – Since the November event I have been working behind the scenes to support these inspiring and courageous young people and will continue to do so in the lead up to the Global Strike on the 20th September. They are currently striking weekly on Fridays at Parliament House in Perth – they are inviting everyone to join them.
 
Tenancy Conference – I co-presented a climate justice workshop at the Tenancy Conference in April and working with advocates and campaigners in the sector we are working to support those in the social services sector and housing sector to see and act on the links between housing justice and climate justice.
 
Make Renting Fair WA – Through advocacy and collaboration we have been able to include Climate Change Readiness as one of key 10 asks of Make Renting Fair Alliance.  See more here and get involved, this is an incredible campaign.
 
Perth Community Organising Collective – We have continued to provide training and mentoring to activists, campaigners and local community action groups working for social and environmental justice.
 
Future of Work - Future for Workers - Through a small grant last year we co-designed and facilitated a forum in partnership with Unions WA exploring disruptions and opportunities (including the climate crisis) for workers. With over 30 people in attendance from a broad range of organisations and blue-collar unions we established consensus to continue working to address these issues and have since secured another small grant which we will use to continue this important work.
 
WA Climate Network – We continue to support and broker relationships for climate justice across WA including facilitating the WA e-list and hosting semi-regular gatherings and workshops.
 
Community Transitions ­– We have been supporting the development of a place based just transition report and will be working to support its release later this year.

Decolonising  - We continue to work with Noel Nannup and other Nyoongar leaders to care for Moort and Boodja (People and Country) and to engage thoughtfuly and deliberately in the decolonisation of our own work, educational providers and campaigns.

Everything Else - Whether it's speaking at events, mentoring campaigners, providing strategic advice or facilitating processes and meetings, supporting community action groups and local organising within schools and communities there are a plethora of other activities I and the small team have been involved in. 

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So for now that’s it. If you read this far thank you. And if you have gotten this far and you've misplaced the contribution link it's here :)

In solidarity and compassion for a better world

Jaime and the team at It's up 2 Us 
 
*On the unending task of working for climate justice - as I type the emotion wells and tears fall on my keyboard as the enormity of what we face is exposed in those 2 words – climate justice.  I hear the young people at the start of the school strike meetings sharing their acknowledgement of country where they state with clear certainty that there can be no climate justice without justice for First Nations Peoples and I again feel the responsibility to care for moort and boodja (people and country).  I reflect on those in Manus and Nauru who are in such deep despair that many are attempting suicide whilst the Labor Party join in lock step with a Government that enacts policies that see people locked up indefinitely for seeking safety. I reflect on those without stable housing, those who were budgeting on the reversal of penalty cuts and those hopeful of a potential increase to Newstart. I reflect on the hundreds of children in detention, the families who will be making the choice between eating and medical tests and the women being killed each week, usually by a male known to them, and know in my heart of hearts we could have done better.
 
And right now, I shudder as I read about the AFP raids of journalists’ homes and the ABC headquarters and along with many in the community, I’m frightened by what this means for our ‘democracy’, our communities and our society.
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Ngaala Kaaditj, Whadjuk Nyoongar Moort, keyen kaadak nidja boodja.
We acknowledge the Whadjuk Nyoongar people as the original custodians of the land on which we work and live.  And we pay our respects to their elders past, present and future.






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