It’s 8.00 pm and the sun is setting on the clay-cracked banks of the Darling River, traditionally known as the Baawan, Barka River, on Ngemba Country in the town of Bourke, in far west NSW. It’s March 2019 and the river has not flowed for 230 days. It will continue to stagnate for another 134, part of a state-wide drought that will break all known records.
Earlier that day, in a high school gymnasium, full of community and government leaders a young girl stood to share her dreams for her future and her town. She looked up nervously, digging her nails into clenched fists.
“Can you please just fill up the river?” she said.
Within that one impossible wish a fundamental truth revealed itself. That the well-being of people and place are inextricably bound, and that social justice is climate justice.
This moment seeded a years-long journey to reimagine our vision for the future, to better understand how we contribute to change, and how we hold ourselves accountable to our partners and the planet.
This strategy reaches for the same outcomes we all want for our children and future generations, addressing injustice and inequity to ensure all people and places can thrive.
We look forward to sharing with you hopeful stories and lessons from our collaborations and partnerships over the coming years.
