Perhaps, hopefully, 2025 will become a point of historical reference. While darkness hovers over our world, you can hear the cries of resistance and opposition rising up against their rulers.
Watching bits of the Trump inauguration I was reminded of Shelley’s poem England in 1819. How pertinent the line about rulers ‘who neither feel, nor see, nor know’. Shelley wrote that poem as a response to the Peterloo Massacre in Manchester, where cavalry charged into a crowd of around 60,000 people, who had rallied to demand the reform of parliamentary representation.
The continuing resistance of the people of Palestine is a modern day testimony to Shelley’s optimism, that “glorious Phantom” threatening to spring forth from the decay and “illumine our tempestuous day”.
Invasion Day
Already much has happened in 2025. In Melbourne the yearly Invasion Day Rally brought into focus the continuing struggle for Treaty and Truth-telling.
The morning of January 26, Borderlands joined in at the City of Maribyrnong’s flag lowering ceremony, in recognition that January 26 is not a day to celebrate. As Gary Foley said at the 2018 Melbourne Invasion Day Rally:
In 1972, a stupid Australian Prime Minister called “Silly” Billy McMahon … decided on Australia Day, Invasion Day January 26, 1972 — to make a big grand statement about Aboriginal land rights. He said: ‘My government will never grant Aboriginal land rights’.
On 8 February 2025, the Act on Climate collective curated the first ever Climate Adaptation Fair at Borderlands Coop. It was a huge day of bringing people together from across Victoria to share and learn from each other about the climate impacts already affecting communities and how we can keep each other safe.
Spanning across the Borderlands venue, panel discussions were held in the bluestone hall, workshops were undertaken inside and out in the garden, 25 stalls packed out another hall, overflowing outside into the courtyard. The couches in the garden, benches scattered around, bunting hanging about, and buzzing atmosphere created a festive feel, which was amplified by the lunchtime music set by Ellie Ware.
Over 200 people are estimated to have come to the event, with the well-attended opening panel discussion on Indigenous-led and community-led climate adaptation setting the scene for the day.
People learnt practical skills, and about their climate impact risks, discovered inspiring climate adaptation initiatives being implemented and made connections with others concerned about and/or working towards a more prepared world.
If you didn’t have time to on the day, please sign our petition for a Victorian Community Climate Adaptation Fund. We will be doing a big push on this over the next few weeks before the budget is released – any amplification of the campaign will be much appreciated.
Read the full recap here.
Borderlands first GATHERING FOR SOLIDARITY in 2025
In mid-February, around 60 people came to the first in the 2025 series of Forums – which we’re calling ‘Gatherings for Solidarity’ – to watch a documentary and discuss the topic of ‘Degrowth’, an idea that might be summarised as the provision of a good life for everyone, within planetary boundaries.
We were fortunate to have the director of the documentary, Alvaro Alvarez with us for a Q&A. Alvaro was able to talk about the genesis of his film. Mostly shot in Barcelona, where he spends part of each year, he had spoken at length to important academic figures in the degrowth ‘movement’ and illustrated the idea with concrete examples of degrowth in action.
In the second half of the session we discussed how the idea of degrowth might inform our local projects as well as political work at the local, state and national level.
A big thanks to all who contributed. We look forward to seeing you at future forums in 2025.
February update: Footscray Community Garden & Learning Place
Peter Gartside, Garden Coordinator
Although we decided we’d essentially be in ‘maintenance mode’ over the summer, there’s a lot to report!
Firstly, a massive thanks to the volunteers who’ve kept the garden green and pleasant – and productive – by putting their names on the watering roster. We thought about awarding a ‘golden watering can’ but as ever it’s been a great collective effort, as befits a great collective project. You know who you are – thank you!
Every Tuesday, David has harvested and delivered produce to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre and Duke St Neighbourhood House’s food programs. We’d like to give David a massive thanks, and an occasional break. Let us know if you could share this task.
We had four deluxe composting bays installed in January and, by happy coincidence (or perhaps as our earthly reward), the Composting Gods sent us their Kiwi emissary Dave to help us get the system going.
The greenhouse – which turned out to be a more complicated piece of engineering than the Eiffel Tower – has finally been completed and concreted into place. Thanks to Paul and Doc for the hours of patient work they put into it.
We held a mega Working Bee on Sat 1 Feb. A great show of volunteers shifted and laid 12 cubic metres of toppings, and Andrew and Georgia went round and round and over and over it, with the compactor. The place is transformed!
Next up: a solar pump for the water tank, some outdoor tables and seating and a covered area, plus 5 large beds to prepare and plant out. Register your interest here and get yourself on the mailing list, or keep an eye on the website and our Facebook page for events and notices.
Two dates for your diary:
Saturday 1 March 9am – 11 am Working Bee – planting seeds to go in the greenhouse, as well as some planting out in the beds.
Saturday 26 April 11am – 2pm Grand Open Day – by then we’ll almost be at the end of the funding period and works will be pretty well complete. Come and marvel at the transformation our volunteers have made happen. Food, Music, Coffee and…things still to be arranged!
Gatherings for Solidarity @Borderlands
What next for Climate Activism?
Thursday April 10th, 6.30pm
2019 marked the high water mark of the School Strikes 4 Climate. But post-Covid, mass climate action seems hardly to have re-appeared.
In 2021, climate scholar Andreas Malm asked why, given an escalating climate crisis, climate activism hadn’t moved beyond peaceful protest to organised sabotage.
Now in 2025, emboldened by Trump, governments and corporations are stepping away from even the mildest environmental commitments. At the same time, we are seeing a crackdown on the right to protest with climate activists in particular facing lengthy prison sentences.
This event brings together a panel of scholars and activists to take stock and discuss where Climate Activism could or should go next in our current hostile political environment.
Speakers:
- Eve Mayes (researcher with school student activists about climate justice education)
- Vicky Rae Ellmore, (Friends of the Earth Action on Climate Collective)
- Anisa Rogers (Degrowth Network Australia and veteran climate activist)
- Cath Strong (XR West)
Join us for this conversation, facilitated by Peter Gartside, Manager Footscray Community Garden & Learning Place & Board Member Borderlands Co-operative.
Religious faith & social justice
Thursday May 1, 7.00pm
Speakers:
- Reverend Canon Nigel Pope (St John’s Anglican Parish Footscray)
- Sarah Barini (Activist & Organiser)
- Nick Wight (Indigenous Ministries Australia Coordinator)
- Reverend Prashant Bhonsle
Politics and religion have invariably been fellow travellers in shaping the world we live in and the values we aspire to. Throughout this complicated history, religious institutions and the faithful have been challenged to take sides: with the powerful and privileged, or with the suffering and oppressed. As our world grows in social inequality and ecological despair, religion must face this challenge: support the “gospel of prosperity and wealth” or, as the Catholic liberation theologist Gustavo Gutierrez said, “take sides frankly & decisively with the poor and exploited”.
Join us for this conversation, facilitated by Jorge Jorquera, Coordinator Borderlands Co-operative.
Campaign to support nature strip planting
Campaign meeting Friday February 28, 10am @ Footscray Community Garden & Learning Place.
Numerous Councils allow residents to plant their nature strips without a permit but within set guidelines. Our next door neighbour (Moonee Valley) is one example.
Maribyrnong Council does not allow this.
We have to campaign to change Maribyrnong’s General Purposes Local Laws.
A group of residents have been campaigning on this for some 3 years.
This year Maribyrnong Council is reviewing its Local Laws. This is the year to change Maribyrnong’s nature strip policy!
Other up coming events …
Creators of Peace is coming to Borderlands! We are a network of women volunteers working to build peace in our homes and local communities across more than 40 countries. Creators of Peace Circles bring women together in groups of 8-12 participants. Together we work through a series of creative and reflective activities designed to elicit new ideas and intentions for how we can choose to create peace in our world. Every Creators of Peace Circle includes time for participants to share stories of their own formative experiences, as the basis for building new friendships and alliances.
To know more, come to our Creators of Peace taster event on Tuesday 4 March, 7 pm at Borderlands. You’ll be able to try out a couple of activities and decide if you’d like to take part in a full Peace Circle.
Find out more about Creators of Peace on our website.
If you can’t make it on the day, but you’d like to take part in a Creators of Peace Circle, check out the details of our next Circle here. We plan to start a new Circle on Tuesday 18 March, which will meet weekly over five weeks. To save your spot, contact Delia Paul at deliaruthpaul@yahoo.com
Beyond Colonialism Workshop organised by Justice Action Maribyrnong
This workshop is suitable for First Nations allies, policy makers, managers, boards, executives, psychologists, educators, health and social workers, community services and justice services staff.
For details go to Justice Action Maribyrnong.
Migrant Women’s History: A Borderlands and Angliss and Duke Street Neighbourhood Houses Project
Migrant Women’s History is a story-telling project aimed at giving public voice to women in our communities, celebrating diversity, preserving cultural heritage, and helping promote understanding and empathy across communities.
The project aims to capture experiences, perspectives, and memories. Exploring topics such as migration journeys, cultural traditions, challenges faced, and contributions to new communities.
It’s hoped that the project can increase awareness of the specific contributions of women to the multicultural fabric of our communities, and the challenges faced by old and new generations of migrants.
In addition to celebrating and honouring these experiences, the project hopes to generate reflections and resources for local community organisations and educational settings.
What’s On & Space Bookings
To check out everything happening at Borderlands and if your community group is interested in organising small meetings in our upstairs or downstairs Borderlands office spaces, go to our WHAT’S ON page. If you would like to make a Hall Booking contact St John’s.