At Friends of the Earth we believe that social and environmental justice are inextricably linked and therefore we approach our environmental work from a climate and social justice frame; organising in a way that empowers individuals and local communities. We campaign for a world where environmental justice, climate justice, social justice, gender justice and economic justice go hand in hand.
We actively support the rights of women, First Nations people, people of colour, minority ethnic groups, the young and the aged, the LGBTQIA+ community, people with disabilities, the working class and the unemployed, who are on the frontlines of both social and climate justice struggles. We seek justice and liberation from all oppressive systems that devalue and exploit people and the environment, including patriarchy, colonialism, class oppression, capitalism, racism, ableism and heteronormativity.
SOCIAL & ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE
It’s about people and planet. In our work, we challenge the notions of ‘untouched nature’ and ‘wilderness’ and instead view the natural world as a rich cultural landscape, nurtured through a deep and ongoing connection with First Nations peoples as caretakers of Country and whose sovereignty has never been ceded. We work to dismantle the violent legacy of colonialism and extractivism on the environment and on communities and seek to cultivate a sense of stewardship through an intersectional lens.
We further acknowledge that the dominant discourses of ecology have roots in heteronormativity and binary notions. Biological and reproductive ‘naturalness’ is a sexist and queerphobic ecological discourse, as is the notion that positions humans and nature as binary opposites and posits not only gender stereotypes but uses such notions to control women’s and the queer community's bodies and interaction within society. FoE will continue to learn from the philosophy of queer ecology to sublimate the dominant discourse through our intersectional work towards environmental and social justice.
As we create a world beyond extractivism, we understand that livelihoods and employment will be lost by workers whose labour has been appropriated and exploited by big industry. We support a fair and just transition for workers in extractive industries and stand in solidarity with workers who are leading the way in creating secure climate jobs for the future.
ANTICAPITALISM
Free market capitalism has failed both people and the planet. Organising society around the market and for the economic benefit of the few, rather than the sustainability of life, has led us into a systemic crisis with clear ecological and social impacts. We must look instead to systemic and transformative solutions. While we campaign for big-picture solutions that challenge capitalism, we are transforming our own institutions and building the economies of care and resilience that we want to see.
The Food Co-op and Cafe supports alternative forms of production, ownership and consumption and is severing ties with multinational control over our food systems. As a result we are proudly palm oil and GMO-free and (almost) plastic free, and we contribute to a thriving local economy by sourcing only from local and small suppliers.
As a not for profit enterprise, the Friends of the Earth Food Co-op and Cafe income supports our grassroots campaigns for social and environmental justice. That means every cent you spend goes straight back into keeping the co-op and our campaigns running.
Friends of the Earth Melbourne is a proud member of Cooperative Power, a not-for-profit, member-owned energy retailer championing a new way for people to buy clean, sustainable & affordable energy. The revenue generated from electricity goes to supporting the Cooperative Power mission of fighting poverty, tackling the climate crisis and supporting communities. Our campaigns office, Food Co-op and Cafe are powered by the Cooperative Power Network and Friends of the Earth Melbourne members can make the switch to the Cooperative Power network too!
Friends of the Earth Melbourne currently does not accept donations from:
- Large multinational corporations
- Banks or financial institutions invested in fossil fuels
- Mining corporations or those invested in the sector
- Companies involved in non-renewable energy
- Companies involved in logging of high conservation value/old growth forests
- Companies involved in producing or selling armaments
- The chemical industry
- The tobacco industry
- Firms with poor labor relations or exploitative workplace practices
- Large-scale media conglomerates
- The GMO (genetically modified organism) industry
- Any corporation involved in the refugee-detention industry or the prison industrial complex
- The gambling industry
Instead, we prefer to source funding from:
Donations from individuals just like you (Members, one-off contributions, and bequests)
- Grant income through a range of philanthropic bodies
- The Friends of the Earth Food Co-op and Cafe social enterprise.
- Fundraising events
- Companies engaged in activities that align with our values and campaigns.