Open Letter: Noam Chomsky, Peter Tatchell, Benjamin Zephaniah, Jeremy Corbyn, George Monbiot and others give their support to the Green State Vision

Below is an open letter signed by over 140 organisations and individuals in support of the ULMWP’s Green State Vision, which was unveiled last year at COP26. 

We, parliamentarians, environmental organisations, academics and others recognise the importance of protecting one of the largest and most biodiverse rainforests in the world: West Papua. To address the climate emergency, we must support the solutions coming from indigenous people in West Papua.

Currently, gold and copper mining, oil and gas extraction, palm oil plantations and highway development projects, promoted and permitted under Indonesian colonial rule, are destroying West Papua’s natural environment and contributing to global climate collapse.

West Papuans envision a new ‘Green State’ based on environmental and social protection, indigenous environmental management and respect for the natural world. This new social order will restore and protect the environment, and maintain balance and harmony in and amongst people and the environment. West Papuans intend to sustainably manage New Guinea’s rainforests and its biodiversity for the good of the global community.

We give our whole-hearted support to West Papuans’ right to self-determination and their move to create the Earth’s first Green State.

Signed:

Organisations/Movements:

• Global Justice Now
• Indigenous Environmental Network
• Green New Deal Rising
• No White Saviors
• Stop Ecocide International
• Extinction Rebellion UK
• Fridays For Future Scotland
• Students Organising for Sustainability International
• UK Youth Climate Coalition
• National Union of Students (UK)
• Pacific Islands Climate Action Network
• Young Labour UK
• Momentum
• Open Labour
• The World Transformed
• Peace and Justice Project UK
• Tipping Point UK
• Fridays For Future Glasgow
• Fridays For Future Nederland
• Labour for a Green New Deal
• UK Student Climate Network London (UKSCN London)
• BP or Not BP?
• Pacific Climate Warriors
• Lawyers for Nature
• PlanB.Earth
• Women Defend Commons Network (PSIDS and Global)
• Rettet die Naturvölker e.V. – RdN (Friends of People Close to Nature)
• Extinction Rebellion Internationalist Solidarity Network
• Students Organising for Sustainability UK
• Stop the Maangamizi: We Charge Genocide/Ecocide Campaign
• Extinction Rebellion Mexico
• Extinction Rebellion Africa (representing 57 groups in 17 countries)
• Extinction Rebellion Australia
• Extinction Rebellion Ireland
• Extinction Rebellion Argentina
• Extinction Rebellion Netherland
• Jongeren Milieu Actief (Young Friends of the Earth Netherlands)
• Free West Papua Campaign
• Grassroots for West Papua
• West Papua Action Aotearoa
• Merdeka: West Papua Support Network
• International Lawyers for West Papua (ILWP)
• West Papua Support Dunedin (Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Qaqa Fiji Grassroots Feminist Young Women’s Network
• Pacific Islands Students Fighting Climate Change
• Save America’s Forests
• Youth Advocates for Climate Action Philippines
• Alliance for Future Generations – Fiji
• Center for Environmental Concerns – Philippines
• Pacific Partnerships on Gender, Climate and Sustainable Development (PSIDS)
• Asia Pacific Network of Environment Defenders
• Sinchi Foundation
• Tenkile Conservation Alliance
• Peace Movement Aotearoa
• Australian Centre for International Justice
• Diverse Voices and Action (DIVA) for Equality
• Land in Our Names
• Intersectional Environmentalist
• Huerto Roma Verde
• Royal Forest & Bird Protection Society of New Zealand Inc
• Young Friends of the Earth Europe
• No Borders in Climate Justice
• Labour Friends of West Papua
• ONCA

Parliamentarians:

• Jeremy Corbyn MP (UK)
• Cllr Carla Denyer (Co-Leader, Green Party, UK)
• Adrian Ramsay (Co-Leader, Green Party, UK)
• Amelia Womack, (ex-Deputy Leader, Green Party, UK)
• Caroline Lucas MP (Green Party, UK)
• Nadia Whittome, MP (Labour, UK)
• Alex Sobel MP (Labour, UK)
• Richard Burgon MP (Labour, UK)
• Alan Whitehead MP (Labour, UK)
• Lord Richard Harries of Pentregarth
• Jonathan Edwards MP (UK)
• Patrick Grady MP (UK)
• Lord Lexden, Alistair Cooke, (Conservative, UK)
• President Carles Puigdemont (MEP, Catalonia)
• Baroness Jenny Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green Party, UK)
• Baroness Helena Kennedy QC (Labour, UK)
• Baroness Natalie Bennet of Manor Castle (Green Party, UK)
• Baroness Ruth Lister of Burtersett (Labour, UK)
• Mercedes Villalba MSP (Scottish Labour, UK)
• Lord John Kilclooney (Northern Ireland, Crossbencher)
• Senator Gorka Elejabarrieta (Basque Country)
• Marama Davidson MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand – Co-leader)
• Ricardo Menendez March MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Teanau Tuiono MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Jan Logie MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Dr Elizabeth Kerekere MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Eugenie Sage MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Golriz Ghahraman MP (Green Party Aotearoa New Zealand)
• Senator Lidia Thorpe (The Australian Greens)
• Senator Janet Rice (The Australian Greens)

Individuals:

• George Monbiot, Author, Writer and Campaigner
• Professor Benjamin Zephaniah, Poet, Writer and Musician
• Mikaela Loach, Climate Justice Activist
• Ryan Phillippe, Actor
• Noam Chomsky, Philosopher, Writer, and Activist
• Dalia Gebrial, Writer and Activist
• Scarlett Westbrook, Climate Justice Activist
• Peter Tatchell, Director, Peter Tatchell Foundation
• Jay Griffiths, Author and Writer
• Mitzi Jonelle Tan, Climate Justice Activist
• Joseph Corré, Activist and Businessman
• Dr. Keir Milburn, Author and Lecturer
• Guy Shrubsole, Environmental Campaigner and Author
• Nick Hayes, Author, Illustrator and Printmaker
• Esther Stanford-Xosei, Reparations Specialist, Legal Advisor, International Advocate
• Leah Thomas, Climate Justice Advocate
• Andrew Feinstein, Writer and Campaigner
• Dominique Palmer, Climate Justice Activist
• Most Revd Dr.Thabo Makgoba from the Anglican Church of Southern Africa
• India Logan-Riley, Climate Justice Activist
• Adam McGibbon, Climate, Union and Electoral Organiser
• Joseph Sikulu, Pacific Managing Director of 350.org
• Stephen Corry, Former CEO of Survival International
• Eleanor Penny, Writer and Activist
• Polly Smythe, Journalist
• Amardeep Singh Dhillon, Writer and Organiser
• Lavetanalagi Seru, Pacific Climate Justice Activist
• Hugh Warwick, Ecologist and Author
• Jean Thomas, Award-winning Conservationist
• Amy-Jane Beer, Naturalist and Writer
• James Schneider, Writer and Campaigner
• Paccha Turner Chuji, Indigenous activist and artist
• Julie Wark, Writer and human rights activist
• Jean Wyllys, Journalist, Writer, and former Member of the Brazilian Parliament
• Nabeela Mowlana, Chair of Young Labour

Lawyers: (International, Human Rights and Environmental/Climate):

• Jennifer Robinson, Human rights lawyer and ILWP Co-founder
• Farhana Yamin, Climate Lawyer, Visiting Professor, UAL
• Harpreet Kaur Paul, Human rights lawyer and activist
• Paul Powlesland, Barrister, Garden Court Chambers
• Matthew Happold, Barrister and Professor of Public International Law
• Elizabeth Evatt AC, Lawyer and Chief Justice (retired)
• Fadjar Schouten-Korwa, Human Rights Lawyer

Academics:

• Professor Charles Foster, University of Oxford
• Professor Keith Hyams, University of Warwick
• Dr Siobhan McDonnell, Australian National University
• Dr James Elmslie, West Papua Project, University of Wollongong
• Dr Cammi Webb-Gannon, University of Wollongong
• Dr Lisa Tilley, SOAS University of London
• Dr Will Lock, University of Sussex
• Associate Professor Katerina Teaiwa, Australian National University
• Associate Professor Rebecca Monson, Australian National University