Here are some photos from the last few weeks:

at the environment collective cake stall at sydney university:

In the SRC:

The ties that bind

This advertisement in today's Weekend Australian illustrates the uncomfortable ties that the mining industry forges between itself and affected communities.

In this case, it is art: one of the main alternative sources of economic development for remote Aboriginal communities other than mining that does not compromise the integrity of Country, and often encourages self-determination.

Note the language used: "Emerging young artists": does this fit into the cultural role of art in Aboriginal communities? who is emerging, and who are they being judged by? Is it the Western Romantic figure of the unique and inspired artist-individualist, detached from their communities, and climbing that precarious ladder to fame?

For me, its funny that the word 'emerging' carries associations of 'entering into the light': like a miner does at the end of a shift (the old fashioned form of board and pillar coal mining, that is). Funny that a coal company is doing this.

Like so many other 'community projects' that mining companies facilitate, the prize increases the dependence of Aboriginal communities on mining companies. (to play on words, it binds them to the mining underworld, and prevents their emergence into other more diverse and sustainable economies).




(graphic from the Sydney Morning Herald, 2006)






When I studied the role of companies such as Coal and Allied in Muswellbrook in the Upper Hunter Valley, I saw the role of the companies in 'conspicuous generosity'- sponsoring the local sports teams, the local school gifted and talented program, the local rotary branch- and before long, the company has created a dependent relationship- at least, psychologically- in which it is unthinkable to imagine the town without the donations of the company- all the institutions would collapse, because they have forgotten how to sustain themselves independently!

Such dependence presents extra challenges for planning just transitions towards more sustainable economies.