Climate: listening to an Indigenous perspective

Wednesday, July 29, 2020 7:30pm - 9:00pm
Location: Zoom and Facebook Live

Join us for an honest look at the relationship between the climate movement and Indigenous Australians. Do we walk the talk and, if not, how can we do better?

Recent police murders of African Americans in the US and the Black Lives Matter movement are causing Australians to reflect on the systemic racism that forms part of our society. The climate movement is not immune and we can learn from the values connection between environmental degradation and inequality. Lidia Thorpe - former MP for Northcote, soon to be Victorian Senator, Gunnai-Gunditjmara woman and long-time champion of Indigenous rights in Victoria and Australia will explore these confronting issues with us.

We’re eager to find out how we at Lighter Footprints can be better allies to First Nations people in caring for the land we live in. How does the intimate care of our country by Indigenous people compare with white settler perspectives? What success stories are there and how can they be built upon? What can we do at a personal level to support Indigenous people within the climate movement?

To help us better understand these complex and confronting issues we’re excited to be able to welcome Lidia Thorpe. Lidia is a mother of three and grandmother living on Wurundjeri country. She was the first Aboriginal woman in the Victorian Parliament and, due to a Senate vacancy, will soon be the first Aboriginal woman to represent Victoria in the Senate. Lidia is currently the Indigenous Program Lead for Amnesty International. A lifetime advocate for the First Nations, Lidia is one of Australia’s leading Aboriginal activists and commentators.