JCJ is an inclusive organisation, and we encourage all members to have a say. The AGM will be held in November, and we’ll structure it to allow you to participate if you join.
Membership is $30 per year in Australia and similar countries, and $10 in Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and similar countries.
Our rules allow for participation by people no matter where they live in the world. This may present us with technical challenges doing it by skype or phone hookup, but we’ll give it a go.
Each week, a core team meets in central Melbourne. We are an Incorporated Association, and is governed by a committee. It will be up for election at the AGM.
Please email us if you would like to join, stating Joining JCJ in the subject line.
Welcome to the new website for Journeys for Climate Justice. We hope you like it. If you are in Melbourne, you are welcome to the launch at 11am on Sunday 23 November. Details follow.
Volunteers have been busy behind the scenes for months, especially Viveka, Robyn and Jim. They have done our best to make sure everything works well.
Please email us if you find a problem or have a suggestion.
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Our launch
Three great speakers with deep connections to the Asia Pacific
A big welcome to all who are interested in :
—- climate – youth – justice – development —-
Image by Constantin Ciosu – from The Guardian’s Science of Climate Change series
There will be many butterflies at our launch. Love to see you there. Please RSVP.
Prof. David de Kretser ACis JCJ patron. He was Victorian governor from 2006 to 2011, when he often spoke out about climate change issues. David has many honours to his name. He is now based at Monash University where he has resumed his long career of research into reproductive biology, infertility and endocrinology.
Dr Colin Long worked in south-east Asia for many years. He set up a small NGO in Laos. He is active in union rights issues in Bangladesh. Colin is also secretary of the National Tertiary Education Union (Victorian branch) and president of Victorian Trades Hall Council.
Dr Samanthi Gunawardana is a leading researcher at Monash University. She’s about to do field work for Oxfam in south-east Sri Lanka on the livelihoods of women agricultural workers, and how they can be made more secure. Samanthi helped to set up JCJ.
People from the Asia Pacific are participating in some fantastic Journeys around Climate Change.
JCJ is delighted, and keen to support the organisers where we can.
JCJ is working towards linking people in the countries involved. Our dream would be for individuals from one country in the Asia Pacific to take part in other Journeys, as a step towards grassroots collaboration across the whole region. Want to help make this a reality? Get in touch.
Another bike journey is happening in Sri Lanka. This time it is initiated by United Nations Volunteers. The great news is that ECO-V (Eco-Friendly Volunteers) are now participating as well as giving advice. ECO-V ran the 2011 and 2013 Journeys, and their convenor Kanchana Weerakoon is vice-president of JCJ.
Pacific Warriors from 13 nations, threatened by rising seas, brought their canoes to Australia in late October. On Friday 17th October, they blockaded Newcastle Harbour, the largest coal terminal in the world. There were supporting events in cities around Australia. Find out about their next Journey and support them.
The Climate Caravan will roll through Bangladesh, India and Nepal from 10th to the 28th of November. It includes participants from the sub-continent, Australia and elsewhere. Find out more and support them.
You can also make a contribution to any of these projects on our Donate page.
In Sri Lanka, a long bicycle journey is being organised by United Nations Volunteers (UNV), starting in November.
The group is inspired by the Kelani River and Paapedi Bike Journeys that JCJ supported.
JCJ co-founder Kanchana is providing practical advice and support. Kanchana is also president of ECO-V, or eco-friendly volunteers, which is based in Sri Lanka.
On a lovely sunny Sunday recently, we held our very first expedition with international students studying in Australia. We travelled in a convoy of cars to Daylesford, 110 kilometres from Melbourne.
The aim was to give the students some interesting educational experiences, introduce them to local students, have a good time, and test our approach to running such journeys.
The students came from China, New Zealand, Canada and Latin America – and we also joined by a high school teacher originally from China.
First stop was Hepburn Wind Farm, where we learnt so much about community-based energy projects. Debate over wind turbines was initially polarised, but with much explanation and encouraged to invest financially in the community project, 99 per cent of people swung behind it.
Second stop was a free-range piggery based on heritage-breed Large Black pigs. The pigs roam outside all year, and are fed on brewery by-products. The animals are slaughtered on-site, and the meat sold direct to people nearby and in Melbourne – delivered in a vehicle running on cooking oil and fats collected locally. They have just introduced a Community-Supported Agriculture (CSA) membership model.
Third stop was Daylesford neighbourhood house, where we met two local people very knowledgeable about the local environmental issues and their history. We learnt much about the highs and lows of various initiatives.
JCJ is exploring models for how to run these trips with Students 4 Sustainability, who ran this trip – thanks to Cath, John and Liz.
Helen and Jim recently gave a talk about JCJ aims and actions to the Dandenong Ranges Renewable Energy Association. We also showed a 13 minute DVD of the Kelani River Journey. Members of the association were very interested, and we were delighted that they came out on a wet and cold night.
We love getting the message out. Would your group like to host us? We can do short 10 minute talks or much longer. Contact us to find out more.
JCJ helped fund a part of the BGreen conferencein Bangladesh. Over 150 environmental experts, professionals, climate-concerned citizens, and 100 urban youth united to address current environmental issues at hand in their communities, brainstorm and propose solutions. The conference included speakers, educational activities, exercises, and generating action plans. The conference was a resounding success, receiving intense media attention, kick-starting several environmental projects, and successfully building community partnerships among organisations in Bangladesh and beyond.
This project was run by JCJ via our volunteer Pat Kirkby in Bangladesh. It aimed to empower and inspire the local grass-roots community to respond to the challenges of climate change. Pat worked tirelessly in Dhaka to provide free training activities on climate change, sustainability and environmental leadership for youth, NGOs, professionals and grass-roots communities. Amongst these activities were a JCJ ‘Climate Solutions Conference’, numerous youth environmental leadership workshops, and Bangladesh’s biggest ever Earth Hour event, which brought together hundreds of bike riders and concerned climate activists. These events generated mass media attention and overwhelming local support. JCJ also selected 3 aspiring youth climate activists to visit climatically vulnerable areas of rural Bangladesh, where the team worked with local grass-root organisations to develop initiatives that are driving long-lasting change in these climatically-devastated poor rural villages.
The second ECO-V run yathra, Papeedi Bike Journey, aimed to empower 25 young Sri Lankans as social and environmental actors. JCJ funded the 25 bicycles required for the yathrees to travel together for 12 days in an eco-friendly manner. They were taught to engage with the public, how to educate people based on both science and ethics, and how to lead by example. They learnt how to use interactive street theatre, formal presentations, conversation and storytelling. ECO-V taught them how to do water quality testing, air quality testing, and the importance of organic, wholesome and sustainable living. At the end of the yathra the youth pledged to protect and care for Mother Nature using their new-found skills and knowledge.
In 2013, JCJ supported teacher-training workshops on climate change and environmental education. Teacher training manuals were produced and widely distributed across the Mekong, and flyers were put up throughout local schools and universities. Daniel Bladh, an environmental professional from Sweden who JCJ met through our Mekong Climate Action Project, was the key driver in leading these initiatives. JCJ also sponsored an exhibition of sculptures made from plastic waste, aiming to raise awareness for environmental conservation.
