THE PROBLEM
We want to create ways to use our facebook group 'Indigenous Rise' to help fund grassroots Indigenous activism & land protection. We're a group of passionate urban & remote volunteers, both Indigenous & non-Indigenous.
We use our resources, capacity, & skills to raise awareness, & cheer on First Nation's sovereignty, & self-determination. We're committed to working together online to help create momentum, education, & support for First Nation's Peoples, & this time WE NEED YOUR HELP....
THE SOLUTION
We want to launch an 'INDIGENOUS RISE' website as a way to create an online 'International Indigenous Business Directory', as well as sell Indigenous art (we have some very talented artists in our facebook group) & other items to raise funds for activism.
To do our launch event well, we want to fly 2 of our Admins. over to Sydney from Perth & Canada. Our plan is to host a very special gathering, with a group of amazing Indigenous activists as speakers. We also need to cover food/drink costs, & the international postage for donor rewards! This will cost approx. A$3,500. Please help us make this happen by donating anything from $10, $25, $50, $75, $100, $150, etc!
*ALL DONORS ARE INVITED TO ATTEND OUR EVENT IN SYDNEY
(Currently planned for July 2018).
HISTORY
In 2015, I set up a facebook group & named it 'Indigenous Rise'. At the time I didn't realise how many people were interested in supporting First Nation's People's global cry for justice.
So many great people have joined us in helping to forge the dynamic online community we are today!!
Today we have over 4,000 international facebook group members, & 7 hand-picked volunteer Admins., based in Australia, Turtle Island (Canada), & the U.K. Our website launch event will be a significant opportunity for our international Admin. team to finally meet in person, for the first time!
Melinda Shobrook - Founder & Facilitator - Copt (Wollongong)
Candyce Paul - Group 'Aunty' - Dene (Saskatchewan, Canada)
(doing some online activism/land protection here in this photo!)
As we grew we began to realise that facebook had the power to shut our group down, as had happened with some other activist groups.
A Maori member of our group, Web Designer, Damion McKinnon
(from NeverNeverNet, Brisbane) suggested we consider creating our own space online, one that we had more control over to help raise funds for our activism. He kindly offered to create an Indigenous Rise website at no charge.
In response to our call out for a pro-bono logo design, group member Lani Balzan, a proud Wiradjuri artist (Nowra) generously created our logo (see below) with her husband John (below).
Lani & John Balzan
Our group's purpose is to bring First Nation's & non-Indigenous people together to :
- Support Indigenous justice
- Declare sovereignty
- Learn from one another
- Decolonize
- Laugh
- Listen
- Honour First Nation's People
- Share culture
- Strengthen language
- Affirm identity
- Promote our goals
- Coordinate activism
- Fund activism
Tara Penales - Former Admin - Ojibwe & Filipino (Wollongong)
Sandra Kelly - Admin - Irish Celtic (Sydney)
Arika Biara - Admin - Waka Waka & Wulli Wulli (Canberra)
Chris De Souza (with group member, Josh Peachey, Wiradjuri) - Admin - Konkani (South India) & Irish/Scottish (Wollongong)
Uncle Brett Derschow (& his son) - Admin - Nyungamarta Pitjikali (Perth)
Ivan Noke - Admin. - English (U.K.)
Artist - Marius Paul (Candyce's husband)
Album by talented musician, Chris DeSouza
(2 examples of the 70 incredible rewards we have for donors!!!)
https://www.facebook.com/groups/IndigenousRise/
Please give generously.
EVERY donation is appreciated.
Thank you for your support!!
x Melinda & the Indigenous Rise Team,
Candyce, Sandra, Arika, Chris, Uncle Brett, & Ivan
