Let’s Rise: the Pacific Climate Warriors!

Earlier this year, warriors across 14 Island nations rose up to show that “We are not drowning. We are fighting.” It’s captured in this recently released three minute video summary.

To coincide with the Pacific Leaders Forum being held in the Marshall Islands, the 350 Pacific network have launched an ambitious new three year strategy to confront the fossil fuel industry. Our Climate Warriors are running local events to share our strategy and build our warrior bases. The new three year strategy recognises that it’s either up to the Fossil Fuel Industry to back down, or the Pacific Islands to back down. So it is only natural that Pacific warriors rise as they have over centuries past to protect their homes, cultures, ecosystems, oceans and islands. We are rising to show that we will not back down. The Fossil Fuel Industry is on warning: back down now, leave fossil fuels in the ground.

The Fossil Fuel Industry plans on digging up five times more fossil fuels than the world can safely handle. So in other words, it’s either up to the Fossil Fuel Industry to back down, or the Pacific Islands to back down. It is only natural then that our warriors rise as they have over centuries past to protect our homes, our cultures, our ecosystems, oceans and Islands. We are rising to show that we will not back down. The Fossil Fuel Industry is on warning: backdown now, leave fossil fuels in the ground.

This is unlike any warrior rallying cry ever made to the Pacific Islands. It’s not called for by political leaders, it’s not called for from one island, but it’s called for from the grassroots (or as we prefer, the coconut roots). In the coming months teams of warriors across 15 Pacific Island nations will enter into training and preparations for the coming confrontation.

While in the past, warriors of the Pacific have taken up arms in their fierce fights, this fight against the fossil fuel industry is fierce, but fiercely non-violent. They will fight the Fossil Fuel Industry not with clubs and spears, but with a coordinated, focused wave of non-violent direct action, coupled with ongoing local organising and diligent use of social media.

In due course, we will announce where and how we will first take the fight to the Fossil Fuel Industry, but for now we have ground work to do!