Friends of the Earth Australia

Who We Are

Friends of the Earth Australia is a community based grassroots organisation that is actively working towards an environmentally and socially just world.

We believe that social and environmental justice are inextricably linked and we have a strong focus on working in alliances with others in the environmental and social justice movements and with organisations in the broader community. We approach our work from a climate and social justice frame; organising in a way that empowers individuals and communities.

FoE Australia recognises climate justice requires social justice, gender justice and economic justice. We understand that system change cannot be achieved without dismantling patriarchy and mutually reinforcing systems of oppression such as racism, sexism, ageism, class, capitalism and discrimination based on sexuality, gender or disability.

We are proudly anti-patriarchal, anti-oppression, anti-capitalist and anti-hierarchical.

We actively support the rights of First Nations people, people of colour, minority ethnic groups, the young and the aged, women, LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, the working class and the unemployed.

We strive to reflect our values in the way that we work together by operating on a collective basis and utilising the consensus decision-making model.

We are politically non-aligned and seek to develop working relations with a range of parties, businesses and others in civil society.

Friends of the Earth Australia’s federation structure means that groups work in ways that are most appropriate to their local circumstances. Our grassroots focus and strong volunteer basis means we are able to work effectively with a vast range of community groups and other like minded organisations.

FoE Australia Federation aims to:

Work to protect and conserve the natural environment
Operate, organise, educate and campaign from an environmental and climate justice framework
Build and stimulate a movement of social change towards an ecologically stable and self-managed society
Support First Nations struggles and justice – Read More
Centre and amplify frontline voices, and empower communities to defend and transform themselves and their local environments
Strive for system change by working for gender justice and to dismantle patriarchy within our work and our struggles - Read More
Work for economic justice and to dismantle capitalism and class oppression - Read More
Work for environmental and human rights and to dismantle all forms of oppression - Read More

GLOBAL CONTEXT AND CONNECTION

FoE campaigns from the local to the global level. FoE Australia is a member of FoE International, which is the largest grassroots federation of environmental activists, with 73 national member groups and currently active in more than 70 countries.

As part of the Asia pacific (APAC) regional block of of Friends of the Earth International, we are part of 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 and the increasing impacts of climate change. Collectively we campaign on today's most urgent environmental and social issues. We challenge the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalisation, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

FoEI's mission

To collectively ensure environmental and social justice, human dignity, and respect for human rights and peoples' rights so as to secure sustainable societies.
To halt and reverse environmental degradation and depletion of natural resources, nurture the earth's ecological and cultural diversity, and secure sustainable livelihoods.
To secure the empowerment of indigenous peoples, local communities, women, groups and individuals, and to ensure public participation in decision-making.
To bring about transformation towards sustainability and equity between and within societies with creative approaches and solutions.
To engage in vibrant campaigns, raise awareness, mobilise peoples and build alliances with diverse movements, linking grassroots, national and global struggles.
To inspire one another and to harness, strengthen and complement each other's capacities, living the change we wish to see and working together in solidarity.
To challenge the current model of economic and corporate neoliberal globalisation, and promote solutions that will help to create environmentally sustainable and socially just societies.

Always was, always will be aboriginal land.

No bosses! Equal say & equal pay!

We do things differently

Who We Are

We are proudly anti-patriarchal, anti-oppression, anti-capitalist and anti-hierarchical.