Pasifika Youth speak on the SS4C Auckland Disbandment
On Saturday 12th of June 2021 the School Strikes 4 Climate Auckland chapter publicly announced their disbandment due to internal issues with racism.
In the statement released in the weekend, School Strike 4 Climate Auckland said it had been a "racist, white-dominated space" and that it was dissolving the group. "School Strike 4 Climate Auckland has avoided, ignored, and tokenised black, indigenous and people of colour voices and demands, especially those of Pasifika and Māori individuals in the climate activism space," it said.
Maori and Pasifika climate activists have long spoken out about the racist tendencies of SS4C and the climate movement in Aotearoa.
"School Strike 4 Climate Auckland has avoided, ignored, and tokenised black, indigenous and people of colour voices and demands, especially those of Pasifika and Māori individuals in the climate activism space," the statement goes on to say.
This announcement closely follows the recent screening of “High Tide Don’t Hide” at the Doc Edge Film Festival in Auckland. A documentary about the 2019 Aotearoa School Strikes. The film captures some of the bad experiences that Pasifika climate youth group 4TK (4 The Kulture) experienced while working with SS4C Auckland. Leader of 4TK Aigagalefili Fepulea'i-Tapua'i is shown in the documentary experiencing censorship and tone policing by some of the members of SS4C Auckland.
The reaction to the disbandment news has varied and many people have expressed shock with the announcement. Samoan climate activist Helena Fuluifaga Chan Foung took to Instagram to express her shock and disappointment in the language used in the announcement.
The writer of the above post, Helena expressed her fustration with the wording of SS4C Auckland's post. She emphasised the importance of languaging and how narratives can be shifted when words are intentionally ordered a certain way. “The priorities written by SS4C was to centre themselves in a situation where they had done wrong, chose to reveal that information after you were made to pity them, and then apologised to the communities they hurt. That’s the order it was delivered in and intended to be understood", she said.
Helena is also a member of the Climate Justice group PCW (Pacific Climate Warriors) Auckland who released a public statement today regarding the disbandment. In their five point statement the group commended SS4C Auckland on taking the first step towards accountability for their racism. Unlike other groups and individuals who have celebrated the disbandment, PCW Auckland have expressed their encouragement for SS4C Auckland to resemble when they are ready and willing to change their processes of inclusivity.
“We encourage the reestablishment of SS4C Auckland if possible, as this fight for Climate Justice requires all hands-on deck… Allyship is crucial for the climate movement and the work requires all people in this fight”, the group said in a collective statement released today", the group wrote in their joint statement.
Coordinator for PCW Auckland, Christopher Tenisio explained the stance behind their statement by saying "its progress but not a long term solution as the movement needs everyone, even those who have done wrong but are willing to learn and change". Mr Tenisio expressed his hope for SS4C Auckland to be using this time disbanded to learn from past mistakes and grow as allies. He also mentions that although SS4C may be able to take a break, Pacific people will continue to do the work and fight for climate justice.