Climate change is impacting the oldest continuing culture in the world. As a young Bidjara man, I’m holding on to my culture through my connection to the land. This is why I care about climate change and this is why I’m a Seed volunteer. – Jarmarley Willet, 17
After more than a year of hard work, today I’m joined by young Indigenous leaders from across the country to launch “Seed”, Australia’s first Indigenous youth climate network. Our vision is to build a movement of Indigenous young people taking action on climate change. Seeds need to be planted in the earth in order to sprout, grow, and to produce more seeds – representing our strong connection to country as well as a cycle that’s been going on for tens of thousands of years.
We’re building this movement for our country, for our people, and for our culture.
Our plans are exciting and ambitious. In October we’re holding the first ever Indigenous youth climate summit in Australia, where we will bring 50 young Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander leaders together in Melbourne, to learn skills from some of our best climate and Indigenous campaigners and plant the first seeds of our movement.
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples have looked after this land sustainably for tens of thousands of years, and this gives us hope that we can do it again. This is why Indigenous communities need to be front and centre of our efforts to solve the climate change – and why at the AYCC it is our responsibility to ensure that Indigenous youth are leaders of our generation-wide movement.
Click here to share our Seed launch video with your family and friends.
If you would like to attend the summit you can register here.
Thanks,
Millie Telford, on behalf of Seed volunteers