By Francesca Davidson
MELBOURNE — An extremely successful World Environment Day rally was held in the city square on June 6. Weeks of hard work paid off as about 300 young people, mostly from high schools and on their first rally, turned up to show their commitment to the environment.
Environmental Youth Alliance members, who organised the day's activities, set up a stall at 9 a.m. while a community chalk-up took place. As more and more young people arrived, the city square was covered with a colourful rainbow serpent made of trees, leaves, flowers and people.
Sculptures by primary school students made of recycled materials attracted a lot of attention. Trams covered with environment posters designed by high school students rattled past.
EYA member Francesca Davidson's opening speech to the rally at noon identified some issues crucial to solving the environmental crisis: the inequality between the First and Third worlds, the role of the IMF and the World Bank, Third World debt, democratic rights and the rights of indigenous peoples. She condemned the Earth Summit and government leaders for not addressing these adequately.
She urged young people to step forward and take up these issues: "We are not going to sit around and wait for the next conference — we don't have time. The Earth Summit has shown us that governments have no serious commitment to our future. From now on, our future is our responsibility."
Five Hundred Years Committee representative Roque Grillo traced the divide between North and South to its origins in colonisation. He described the ecocide and genocide in America after its "discovery" by Columbus.
Vanessa Hearman from the Indonesia solidarity group AKSI said that the destruction of the rainforest and rights of the indigenous people on the island of Siberut, and the devastation of the environment caused by the war against the East Timorese, demonstrated the link between democratic rights and protection of the environment. Yet Australia continues to support the Indonesian dictatorship in return for East Timorese oil.
Urban pollution came under scrutiny from Paul Adams of the Hazardous Materials Action Group. He attacked the location of dangerous chemicals and industries in residential areas, and pointed to the role of multinational companies in global pollution.
EYA speaker Rachel Evans said that young people represented an "amazing potential" as a force for change. They could no longer be excluded from discussions about their future and the environment. She urged people to join EYA and participate in its national campaigns, which included saving the rainforest and people of Siberut, stopping the greenhouse effect and improving public transport. She encouraged high school students to set up EYA groups at their schools.
The colourful, vocal march through the city displayed an energy and enthusiasm that took many by surprise. As it progressed, young people shopping or hanging about in the city joined in and encouraged other bystanders to participate. The procession returned to city square, where participants settled in to hear the band Earth Reggae, continue chalking, buy World Environment Day T-shirts, and join EYA.