February 24, 2013

This afternoon, as students take action at Swarthmore College we will be wearing orange squares pinned to our chests. We have chosen to wear this symbol today in solidarity with other student power movements internationally — most notably the Quebec Student Movement.

The red square of the Quebec Student Movement draws its origins from “carrément dans le rouge,” meaning “squarely in the red,” and refers to the condition of students trapped by immense debt. The red square was embraced by the 2005 student strike in Canada and became a symbol of solidarity for the student movement globally that signifies a belief in free education. “Institutional memory is critical to cultivating a lasting student power movement with graduation an ever present reality; sharing this symbol and the story of how this has grown is deeply a part of building that”, reflects Anthony Garoufalis-Auger a student from Concordia University, in Montreal.

In Quebec in 2012, as students marched through the streets, businesses would hang red squares in their front windows and many community allies wore them publicly. It is a powerful visibility tool that has become nearly ubiquitous in Canada. Quebec students emphasize that it requires few resources to produce and is comprised of readily accessible materials. That being said, last year Quebec stores ran out of red fabric and cloth as the movement spread from classrooms to community spaces. It fostered a sense of collective identity.

We have chosen the color orange, rather than green, to reframe our movement’s scope as much larger than an environmental issue. This is not a single-issue movement. This is a space where environmental justice, climate justice, and economic justice have come into contact. We understand that we will not win the fight against the fossil fuel industry without confronting racism, classism, homophobia, and other systems of oppression in our movement spaces. At this convergence we have begun conversations about intersectionality and historical responsibility on an international scale.

“When we talk about the 11 or so million people who are undocumented, we need to remember that they’re mostly from the Global South. They have been divested of their language, their land, their wealth, and their climate by the global north. Migration under those circumstances in normal. Global south migration to the global north is the direct consequence of climate debt,” said Aura Bogado, one of last night’s keynote speakers.

One of the core intentions of this convergence was to elevate the voices of those who have been systematically pushed to the margins. We acknowledge that the history of the environmental movement has been one which is primarily privileged and white. If we are to create structures for true justice, we must put the voices of those who have not had the opportunity to speak from their experience of injustice at the forefront. But we must also recognize that we cannot treat anyone individually as tokens for the varying aspects of their marginalized identities.

The collective movements we are building thrive when there is a wide range of individual identities. We cannot win in the ways that we want to win if this is not a representative group of the true diversity which is present in our schools, families, communities, cities, etc.

In light of this, we make a call now and proclaim that the National Solidarity Divestment Movement is one which is ideologically anti-racist and anti-oppressive. We refuse to build a movement that does not highlight the real diversity of our world. While we cannot promise to be perfect, we encourage all criticism to keep us true to our ideals and our desire to be inclusive of all types of people.

If you resonate with this symbol of the orange square we have chosen to use, we encourage you to take this as your own. We acknowledge the many differing identities of peoples involved in movements and we hope to share with you our solidarity in this action. However, if this is not a symbol that you feel drawn to, we encourage you to choose your own symbol to express solidarity with.

Students rally in Swarthmore’s Administration building calling for fossil fuel divestment

Hello from Day 2 of the Students Divest Power Up Convergence!

Our first all-group panel discussion just finished to a standing ovation from all students and staff in attendance. This panel, “Resisting Fossil Fuels: Voices from the Frontlines” featured six activists all from front line communities oppressed and endangered by fossil fuel industry operations. Each of the panelists shared a brief anecdote of their experiences living in these communities and explained how they’ve been working and organizing for better situations. We heard first-hand accounts of the inconceivable medical dangers that these people face everyday inside their homes and neighborhoods, and got a new perspective on why divestment is necessary.

The panel was the first powerful example of how this convergence is posturing to redefine the aims of the environmental movement towards greater inclusivity. All weekend Twitter and Instagram posts have been hash-tagged with “solidarity”, and students have been discussing and pondering what solidarity, environmental justice, and owning our history means to our movement. This panel gave us a concrete idea of what it means to show solidarity with front-line communities affected by fossil fuel operations: Speakers suggested that college students come down to West Virginia and lock themselves to something, or spend some time in a tree in Pennsylvania, or, if direct action makes you nervous, make a campaign donation, share your skills, and invite community members to come speak at your schools. There is no lack of ways in which college student activists can show support for these front-line activists.

But the discussion ended on a different note. Attendees were reminded that while solidarity is crucial, these problems are not confined to community boundaries or county lines. Exacerbated climate change and the destruction of the environment by fossil fuel companies is “a human problem,” as panelist Crystal Lameman emphasized.This movement is one collective human cry for self-preservation, and solidarity with front-liners is only natural. Unfortunately, the environmental movement hasn’t always been hip to this, so this panel and moreover this convergence are here to refocus us.

The perspectives that the panelists shared are visceral and urgent and their stories need to be re-told everywhere. This afternoon we’ll be in trainings to develop campaign strategy and a key part of that will be learning how to create and implement the important narratives that are all around us.

We write to you from the front lines. Some of our communities have been fighting the fossil fuel empire for generations. Others have only recently joined this struggle. We send our support and gratitude for leading this fossil fuel divestment campaign. This is a mighty cause you are joining: challenging some of the biggest threats humans have ever seen and committing to what must become a global movement.

We support your mission to hold your universities accountable. Institutions of learning must challenge systems that endanger the future of younger generations. We believe that colleges and universities divesting from fossil fuels and reinvesting in clean energy will deliver a powerful political message. And yet, we—as frontline and indigenous leaders—encourage you to dig deeper. We encourage you to understand your campaigns as part of a much longer struggle, one that has been going on for generations, for justice and health, and the environment.

The corporations you are targeting have pushed our people up against the edge of survival. We live in the land coal companies have stolen and destroyed. We live in the land the oil, fracking, and uranium industries have poisoned. As the climate crisis worsens, it is frontline and indigenous communities who are hit hardest. When you demand that your colleges cut financial ties to ExxonMobil or Peabody Coalʼ s latest projects to pillage the earth – itʼ s our land and communities youʼ re acting in solidarity with. Our work is deeply tied together.

Please join us. From the indigenous peoples, to the coal fields, fracking wells, refineries, and communities facing all manners of extreme energy production. Fight the fossil fuel industry on campus, but not only on campus. Join us in our communities and our fights and bind your struggle to ours.

We welcome you to this movement with open arms. Together we can defeat the dirty energy industry and build a healthy, sustainable, and just world.

In solidarity,

Robert J Thompson, REDOIL (Kaktovik, AK)
Kirby Spangler, Castle Mountain Coalition (Palmer, AK)
Veronica Coptis, Center for Coalfield Justice (Greene County, PA)
Janene Yazzie, Sixth World Solutions
Chief Gary Harrison, Chickaloon Tribe Alaska
Dustin White, Ohio Valley Environmental Coalition (Southern West Virginia)
Iris Marie Bloom, Protecting Our Waters (Pennsylvania Marcellus Shale Region)
Blas Espinosa, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Victoria Corona, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Liana Lopez, Texas Environmental Justice Advocacy Services (Houston, TX)
Theresa Dardar, Pointe-au-Chien Indian Tribe (Louisiana)
Meagan Dochuk, 1st Nations Aamjiwnaang
Ron Plain, 1st Nations Aamjiwnaang
Elandria Williams, Highlander Center (Knoxville, TN)

What happens when you try to silence an important issue? Well, as the members of Swarthmore’s Social Responsibility Committee found out today, someone will be there to turn up the volume. Today, students participating in a march at Swarthmore College did just that–with silence.

Armed with a banner, signs, and orange patches to show solidarity with divestment, students from Swarthmore and several schools across the nation, coalition members, and supporters marched to protest Swarthmore college’s refusal to even so much as discuss fossil fuel divestment and show solidarity with Swarthmore Mountain Justice (MJ), the group spearheading the divestment campaign. Throughout the entire march, everyone remained silent, mirroring the silence with which the college has treated efforts to divest. Marchers walked from Sharples dining hall, passing through buildings and crowds and even a tour for prospective students and parents, all the way to the committee meeting displaying loud, bright signs stating “Divest Climate Destruction” and “Our Silence is Political.”

When marchers reached the site of the meeting, they lined the halls to greet all the committee members as they arrived for the meeting, offering fliers and orange solidarity patches to everyone. Some people eagerly the accepted fliers and patches, but others seemed less than enthused. There were definitely a few exasperated sighs, head shaking, and “I’m judging you right now” looks. But regardless, students kept up their silent support and solidarity with Swarthmore’s efforts.

When the two students with MJ, Maria Elena and Ben, went to take their seats at the meeting, a chorus of “solidarity snaps” broke out as marchers showed love and support, the only deviation from the silence yet. And when the door closed and the meeting began, marchers applauded each other and their supporters in honor of an action well done.

As marchers gathered their things and filed out of the building, one thing was definitely clear: some things can never be silenced.

Wow!

What a wonderful opening day to Power Up! Divest Fossil Fuels: Student Convergence 2013! We have almost 180 students from 70 different schools represented at this Convergence! They come from all different backgrounds with many different entry points into climate activism, and show that in building a powerful student solidarity movement, we can use our differences to grow in so many ways.

The opening plenary highlighted the nature of this growing student solidarity movement and the principles behind the work we are doing together. Its amazing to see how engaged all of the students/staff/organizers/frontline community members here are. And, so exciting to begin our work together here this weekend.

Lilian Molina, a wonderful environmental justice activist and community organizer shared her deep and personal struggle with environmental racism and its implications in her life and community. It was made all the more clear that divestment is not the only tactic which we need to create true Climate Justice.  In her words of wisdom, this is not a single issue movement, and we do not live single issue lives. There cannot be a truly successful movement without intersectionality. We must always be aware whether or not the movements we make as environmental activists are creating or dismantling oppression. We must continue to find ways in which we can leverage our privilege to act against that oppression and in true solidarity with those on the frontlines. People on the frontlines of extraction and burning of fossil fuels do not have the luxury to see environmental activism as a single issue movement, because climate injustice it is affecting their lives now in so many different but interconnected ways.

Here today, we can start to leverage the privilege we have as students and let the voices of frontline activists be heard. We must push our college administrations to act now, divest from fossil fuels, and take one more step towards climate justice.  What this really comes down to is the necessity to make real and genuine moves towards change in our energy system.  Towards a system that is not racist and does not poison our water, air, land, people, and all living creatures on this planet.

But, why divestment? Divestment is one tool which we can use to leverage the power we have as privileged students.  The energy crisis is a problem that we as students can help solve. We don’t need to wait for the “authority” to tell us that this is right. We are the authority, and we have the ability to demand the changes we need to continue living in this world. Our administrators may say they “can’t” agree to divestment. But isn’t the point of education to teach you that you can do anything? I can’t speak for everyone, but I didn’t go to college to be put in a “cookie cutter” outline of what a person in America is supposed to be. I went go to college to learn from my peers, engage in discourse about the world around us, and create a society in which I actually want to live.  And, the society I want to live in is free from oppression. In order to truly act in solidarity with those that are negatively affected by the fossil fuel industry everyday, we need to use the privilege that we have as students to create change.

Thank you to all of the amazing people who are present this weekend at Swarthmore College. The administration did not want us to be here, but we came anyway. From all over the country (and even a few from Canada!), we have Converged here this weekend to build a national movement of solidarity that can win. And we are willing to put in the time and energy it takes.

So talk with your peers; talk with your family members; have the uncomfortable conversations about environmental racism and the oppression embedded in our society at every level.  We must use all our resources to fight oppression and build a world without privilege.

Hundreds of students leaders from over 77 campuses are converging at Swarthmore this weekend, just as the Board of Trustees is meeting to consider divestment, so Swarthmore Mountain Justice decided to kick-off the weekend with some action!

The march started at Sharples Dining Hall, marched through the Parrish admissions office, and wound up at Kohlberg Hall where a committee of the Board was meeting to consider divestment.  Students lined the hall with signs that read “Divest from Destruction” and “Silence is Political” as they waited for Board members to arrive.

As Board members arrived, a number of them smiled and waived, and one of the most senior ones went as far as to say “This is great! I’m so glad to see you all. Congratulations on your commitment.

Check out some of the photos below, head to our Flickr page to see more, and stay tuned for video! This was an exciting kick-off to the Convergence!

Swarthmore students, faculty & allies silently march across campus to demonstrate that silence on climate change is not acceptable.

Students line the hallways to greet the Board of Trustees as they enter a meeting to consider divestment.

Right now our movement has some serious momentum. Last weekend 50,000 of us converged on the National Mall to demand we move Forward On Climate. And this weekend, momentum will continue to build at Swarthmore College.

On Friday hundreds of students from 77 campuses are coming together for the first-ever fossil fuel divestment convergence just as Swarthmore’s Board of Managers meets to consider divesting fossil fuels.

While we can’t bring 50,000 of us there, it’s a huge opportunity to bring that beautiful spirit of solidarity we felt last weekend.

 Join the call for divestment! Call on Swarthmore and all colleges & universities to divest from fossil fuels and move to 100% clean energy.

It’s in this spirit of solidarity that we relaunched the Campus Climate Challenge. Youth and student leaders across the country are demanding bold action on climate from their campuses — and together we can support one another and take collective action to win our campaigns. Let’s make sure Swarthmore hears loud and clear that people across the country are watching and want to see them divest from fossil fuels.

The economic and political power of the fossil fuel industry can only be countered by people power. When we divest from fossil fuels, we take one crucial step towards building the people power needed to achieve climate justice. Let’s take that step together.

In solidarity,

Mary Schellentrager
Divestment Campaign Coordinator
Energy Action Coalition