Friends of the Earth Australia is a national federation composed of autonomous member groups.
A decentralised federation of autonomous groups
Each group needs to meet certain membership criteria and is self-managing in terms of it’s campaigns, decision making structures and fundraising
Aims and objectives
Member groups must be working to protect and/or educate about the natural environment, and align themselves with the aims and objectives of Friends of the Earth Australia.
Protect, and educate about the protection, of the natural environment
To preserve and protect the natural environment in Australia
To promote public awareness of environmental issues in Australia through public awareness activities and the production of leaflets, booklets, videos and other educational materials
To assist other people and organisations interested in these objectives to carry out their tasks through the maintenance of resource centre’s, newsletters, magazines and communication with like-minded national and international bodies
Operate in an environmental justice framework
The idea that environmental and social justice issues are intrinsically linked
Support First Nations struggles
Sovereignty of the lands now called Australia were never ceded.
Build movement towards a self-managed society
To stimulate a movement of social change towards an ecologically stable and self-managed society
Centring front line voices and empowering communities to defend and transform themselves
Work for human rights and dismantling oppression
The development of a society that recognises the need to protect the natural environment and the frontline communities caring for the environment. Where climate justice is centred in a society that is free from racism, sexism, ageism, economic exploitation and discrimination based on sexuality, gender or disability, and that supports the rights of women, First Nations people, people of colour, minority ethnic groups, the young and the aged, LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, the working class and the unemployed
Work for gender justice and dismantling patriarchy
Friends of the Earth recognises that the environmental and social justice problems facing the Earth will not be solved by incremental reform of oppressive, exploitative structures, and therefore FOE supports activities and organisations, which seek to dismantle and bring about an end to oppressive and exploitative structures such as environmental extractivism, capitalism, colonialism and patriarchy. The attainment and implementation of these objectives will be carried out in accordance with a recognition of the need to abolish all forms of oppression and environmental and social exploitation including those based on class, gender, ethnicity, sexual preference, age or disability.
Work for economic justice and dismantling capitalism
Friends of the Earth Australia Committee of Management
A Committee of Management is appointed at the national meeting held in the fourth quarter each year and is composed of representatives of at least three member groups.
Committee of Management 2020/2021
| Claud Gallois Chairperson Friends of the Earth Melbourne |
Katherine Cunningham |
|
Sam Castro |
Aimee Bull-McMahon |
| Zianna Fuad Committee Member Friends of the Earth FNQ |
Alana Mountain |
|
Aleesha Hanczakowski |
|
Secretariat
These individuals are employed to provide administrative and other support to the Federation. The Secretariat is currently housed in the Friends of the Earth Melbourne office.
| Sam Castro Operations Coordinator [email protected] |
Tara Stevenson Finance Coordinator [email protected] |
| Cam Walker Campaigns Coordinator [email protected] |
Beata Szinyi Human Resources Coordinator [email protected] |
|
Jess Tran |
Lisa Arnold Finance Worker [email protected] |
|
Sam Galvin |
National Liaison Officers
Communication between member groups is facilitated by the National Liaison Officers.
National Liaison Officers are nominated by member groups, and then elected annually via a consensus ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
Internal and external communication is largely coordinated by this group, including internal email lists, social media, website etc.
A convenor of the National Liaison Officers' collective is appointed by those elected and serves as part of the Secretariat of the organisation.
The NLO collective can be contacted via [email protected]
International Liaison Officers
Friends of the Earth Australia is a member of Friends of the Earth International in the Asia Pacific region. Communication Friends of the Earth Asia Pacific and International is facilitated by the International Liaison Officers.
International Liaison Officers are nominated by member groups, and then elected annually via a consensus ballot at the Annual General Meeting.
The International Liaison Officers' collective can be contacted via [email protected]
Friends of the Earth International
Friends of the Earth Australia is a member of Friends of the Earth International which is the world's largest grassroots environmental network, uniting 77 national member groups and some 5,000 local activist groups on every continent. With over 2 million members and supporters around the world, we campaign on today's most urgent environmental and social issues. We challenge the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalization, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.
The Asia Pacific region of Friends of the Earth is the most diverse region, encompassing groups from the global North and the global South. Member groups from the region are very active in community-based struggles against mining and other extractive industries. They work hand-in-hand with indigenous peoples, peasant farmers, and fisher folk to secure sustainable livelihoods and fight against vulnerability to "natural disasters".
Funding
All Friends of the Earth member groups are responsible for managing their own funds.
Membership fees from individuals, donations, regular giving programs, foundations and fundraising ventures are the main income source of most local groups. Please contact the relevant group to get a copy of their annual report.
National campaigns and projects, such as the magazine Chain Reaction, rely on the following sources of income: individual donations, foundations, merchandise, and bequests.
Any offer of financial support from business and corporate interests is carefully screened.
Financial reports are found in the annual reports which are available here.
All institutional and philanthropic donors are acknowledged in our annual reports. We generally do not name individual donors in our reports in order to protect their privacy.
According to our international membership criteria, national Friends of the Earth Australia member groups must be independent from political parties, economic interests, state and religious organisations.
Did you know that Friends of the Earth Australia was founded protesting against a proposed nuclear facility in Victoria?