Seeds of Struggle, Signs of Life
The hour is late and we have arrived at a critical moment in human history: it is a moment in which ecology, economy and ideology collide to produce the climate crisis as we know it. The battle for a livable planet is being waged everywhere: in the halls of power, in frontline communities, on indigenous peoples’ lands, upon the bodies of the world’s poor, and yes, on the internet too.
Whose struggle is it? In short, everyone’s. But it is closer to home for some. And lapping at the ankles of others. And chained to an oil rig, sometimes. Who or what is the struggle against? It is no longer easy to point to just one thing (though it was never just one thing). It is a struggle for and against many things, visible and invisible. The enemy resides not only in the economic or political system, it also resides in our hearts and minds. Accordingly, our strategy requires a radical rethinking, and our resistance must take place upon increasingly diverse stages. As for us, we play our part on this online stage as writers and curators of stories. We write in solidarity with and full of respect for those whose struggle is a matter of life and death: First Nations warriors blockading pipelines on loved traditional lands, or Nigerian activists protesting the violence of the fossil fuel industry in their communities. We write because we are tired of the big, bulky NGO approach to social change. We write because we are, as young people the world over have taken to claiming, in Decade Zero of the climate crisis. We write because we have the privilege to do so.
This collection is curated by the Tipping Point Collective, a project born of years of collaboration between young activists who cut their teeth in the weird wasteland of the UN climate negotiations, but whose political analysis and activism transcend that narrow trench. In this online space we will be wading into those uncomfortable estuaries where capitalism, colonialism and climate change meet and become inextricable.
“Unrest of spirit is a mark of life,” noted American psychologist Karl Menninger. Upholding the young person’s longstanding mantle of rebellion, this collection will feature writings by various young authors involved in the struggle for climate justice.
In dreams laced with revolution we show signs of life. But in this corner of the internet we also cultivate hope for a future we believe is possible. Like a seed holds all the possibility of an oak tree, every struggle contains the dream of its victory. Hasta la victoria siempre!
If you want to contribute to this collection, please contact us at tipping.point.coll@gmail.com.
If you want a break from your own struggle, head over to our Signs of Life tumblr for some laughs—because there is no victory without laughter.
