As the entire continent reels from what may be the worst fires in recent human history, and East Coast capital cities and regions gasp for clean air, we can see huge generosity and gorgeous acts of caring to bring a small piece of hope … a little blue sky amidst the grey.
Direct action is happening all over the place. You can read about Mutual Aid and Direct action to understand it more here – and we will update when we have the most recent Oz based groups. This is a great local example – volunteers sharing skills and resources to crowdsource temporary accommodation – what legends! There is also this new app to direct people to resources they may need in fire impacted regions.
In the coming weeks our team will be working out how to best support the emergent movement that is responding with understandable fury around the country, and link up resources for climate and psychological grief, but in this crisis period, people from all over the world want to help.
And are. Many tens of millions have been donated from people in Australia and all over the world. From Pink to Better Midler, to Kardashians to women donating topless selfies!
It is generosity that puts the paltry support for volunteer firefighters and $1000 emergency funds to climate refugees from this incompetent band of carbon mercenaries passing for a government to shame.
It is understandable that people want to donate to known and trusted charities, so if that’s your thing, at least ask them where its going, but please avoid the Salvation Army if you care about queer people in your life. Also, whilst groups like WIRES do wonderful work – they are NSW based only and have received significant income already. Think First Nations, grassroots and other locations.
Or DONATE TO GRASSROOTS GROUPS INSTEAD
Why?
- Less funds for admin and CEOs on 6 figure salaries
- The money gets straight to the cause quicker
- More bang for buck … $10,000 can make a huge difference to a grassroots group, whereas its just 1/20th of a CEO salary in some places
- Its often volunteer led, with less access to resources & infrastructure
- It is often “direct action” … Direct Action is doing something for yourself, not charity
Here are some we reckon are pretty rad. This is a collection of organisations working directly on ground with impacted people and communities. We have checked and vouched all of these funders.
- First Nations groups … they have warned us for decades about what we are doing to country, and they know best how to care for it – so cultural burn and knowledge initiatives plus money for First Nations people displaced, who often suffer discrimination through charities
- Indigenous Crisis Response and Recovery
- Mogo Aboriginal community
- Fire relief for First Nations communities
- Firesticks Alliance
- Check these legends – all women, all sovereign firefighters – we are trying to find out where to fund them.
There are also concerns about scams and money not getting to impacted communities so they are self organising.
- Here is one for the town of Cobargo.
- This is for Ewingar community
- And one for Wytaliba community
- This awesome collection of grassroots wildlife groups in Victoria (with handy info about feeding wildlife, curated by our lovely mates at Eco Shout) The other awesome thing about supporting the communities in East Gippsland is that they are filled with people that have defended Victoria’s old growth forests for decades – pay it back, and pay it forward!
- Kangaroo Island Koalas
- Mallacoota Wildlife shelter
- Place of Peace sanctuary
Another thing you can do is support individuals crowd funders – people have had their lives shattered, some won’t have insurance, and many have lost livelihoods. Ask in your personal networks, especially if you live in Australia. If you know people who need help setting up a crowdfunder we have some lessons on our website also.
Here is an example to support – a traditional custodian on Yuin country.
Another here for the Duncan family and Rappville community.
And another thing you can do is support us. Whilst all these causes are worthy and urgent, so too is training and supporting a newly energised, defiant and disobedient climate movement. We have been working for seven years to provide resources, training, legal information to climate activists, people working for racial justice, and emerging movements such as School Strike and other large climate justice movements. People need to know their rights, and be prepared for the kind of civil resistance that is our only option due to political failure.
Hundreds of thousands have been turning out around the country – they need support to step into deeper activism.
You can chip in to super charge this momentum here.
Our ABN is 62 316 978 726.