The Land Defenders' Call

The author contends that direct action and civil disobedience by land defenders are critical for challenging the 'mindset of dominion' that drives environmental destruction. The text highlights the disparity in risks faced by protestors—ranging from simple citations in the US to assassination globally—and criticizes Western climate spaces for prioritizing policy and electrification over the radical systemic change and decolonization necessary for survival.

• Direct action and civil disobedience are described as part of a 'movement ecosystem' used to delay extractive projects and pressure decision-makers, though the risks vary significantly by location, ranging from citations to 'domestic terrorism' charges and assassination.
• The author criticizes Western-led climate spaces for focusing on 'real work' such as climate policy and grid electrification while ignoring the roles of consumerism, decolonization, and the physical risks taken by land defenders.
• The document asserts that the climate crisis cannot be solved using the same 'mindset of dominion' that caused it, arguing instead for a 'radical repair' of the human relationship with nature based on Indigenous values.
• The text notes that Indigenous land stewardship is responsible for maintaining eighty per cent of the world's biodiversity.

APA

Houska, T. (2024). The Land Defenders' Call. Green European Journal. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-land-defenders-call/

Chicago

Houska, Tara. The Land Defenders' Call. Green European Journal, 2024. https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-land-defenders-call/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Houska |first1=Tara |title=The Land Defenders' Call |publisher=Green European Journal |date=12 June 2024 |url=https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-land-defenders-call/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{houska2024land, author = {Houska, Tara}, title = {{The Land Defenders' Call}}, publisher = {Green European Journal}, year = {2024}, month = jun, url = {https://www.greeneuropeanjournal.eu/the-land-defenders-call/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }