While I have been tapping away on my keyboard, getting info up on the StopLynas.org website, plugging the petition to call for a Green Ban on all Rare Earth Exports to Malaysia and working out ways to get more Australian voices to speak out against Lynas I have actually been sitting in Jaipur, India. Amazing what we can do with the internet these days!
But my story has only just begun, today I went to the Elephant festival in Jaipur, a day of colour, dance, music and extraordinary elephants. I sat pinned to the front of the stage stage to get my share of photos and footage of the gypsy dancers and tribal musicians. There were many people around me from many different nationalities in fact there must have been about 5,000 people at the festival. Suddenly my partner tapped me on the shoulder and pointed to the guy next to me, he was wearing a Save Malaysia, Stop Lynas t-shirt! I was sooooooo excited, out of thousands of people we ended up right next to each other. I immediately started talking to him. Of course he was from Malaysia, I was so proud of him for wearing the t-shirt in India and ashamed I hadn’t brought mine with me to wear proudly.
Here is a photo of my new Stop Lynas friend in India. In my excitement I didn’t get his name, but he said it was fine for me to use the photo. We chatted about the campaign and how so many people had come out on 25 February against Lynas and how bad the whole Lynas situation is. It felt so good to be sharing this with someone in India, complete strangers drawn together by a common cause.
All Malaysian’s fighting to stop Lynas should be so proud of the vibrant campaign and movement you have built, we have much to learn from you in Australia. This has made me even more determined to get more and more Australian’s on board. We need more voices like Marcus from ANAWA who are standing proud against Lynas, but don’t forget that there are some of us that are not going to give up. As Margaret Mead said:
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.”
Happy Holi from India … Let’s Stop Lynas Now!
