JOINING THE FOREST REBELLION - WHAT DOES IT MEAN?
The Forest Rebellion is a grassroots movement uniting both Sámi and non-Sámi activists. The only thing needed to join is your agreement to our basic principles of non-violence.
Every activist lives in different circumstances. Some can contribute an hour a week, others can be on site for weeks. But everyone is needed! You decide how you want to be involved. You are the one who knows best what you like to do, what resources you have, whether you want to help from home or be at the center of events.
HERE IT IS: OUR WORKING GROUPS
The Forest Rebellion has a decentralized structure, with no board or leadership. Everything we do is done together in our working groups. The groups meet regularly or as needed, usually online. So everyone can participate, no matter where in Sweden they live. The language is Swedish or English, depending on the participants.
Right now there are groups working on:
- Media (social media, press contact, website, ...)
- Outreach (contact with Sámi villages, other organizations, ...)
- Finance (keep track of finances, fundraising)
- Regenerative culture (support to activists, facilitation of meetings, prevention, etc., ...)
- Logistics (equipment, housing, technology, ...)
HOW WE WORK TOGETHER
In Forest Rebellion, we strive for a regenerative culture. What does this mean? Quite simply, we don't want our activists to hit the wall or feel bad. When you're passionate about something, it's easy to take on too much. That's why we want to create an atmosphere where it's okay to say no, where we can be honest with ourselves and others, and where we can take care of each other.
In a broader context, we want to work against harmful norms in society that silence certain perspectives. It is about listening, being humble, and reflecting on our own behaviors and privileges.
It also means that we accept and respect each other as we are, regardless of gender identity or expression, ethnicity, religion or other beliefs, disability, sexual orientation or age. Discrimination has no place in Skogsupproret. If you experience discrimination, sexual abuse or other inappropriate behavior, you will receive prompt support from our ReGen team.
SHARE YOUR KNOWLEDGE!
There are always skills that are particularly good to have if you are involved in activism: curiosity, questioning, listening. Beyond that, we look for people with specific skills. But even if you don't find something you know in the list below, you are more than welcome! There are always opportunities to develop and learn from each other (we call it "skill-sharing").
Share pic and narrative are not unfamiliar words to you? Great! We are looking for you to support us with our media work. It would be particularly good if you can write press releases / create social media posts / work with WordPress / create images and videos. But we are also open to your ideas and suggestions!
Minus 30 degrees in winter, remote areas: Protecting the forest in these conditions can be a challenge. Therefore, it would be great to have people who have experience in winter camping / can assess risks in the wilderness / have climbing skills / know how to handle skis, sledges etc.
Do you enjoy dealing with numbers? Fun! We need you to help keep track of the budget and/or even find ways to reach out to even more people who want to support our work financially. The more financial resources we have, the more opportunities we have to fight against forest abuse and for the decolonization of Sápmi.
You know how to inventory a forest area or how forestry works? Knowing about key habitats and the natural value of forests helps us to better protect forests and communicate to the public why we do what we do.
The colonization of Sápmi is not only Sámi history but Swedish history. We want to increase knowledge about Sweden's role as a colonizer and how this still affects society and the lives of the Sámi today. If you have knowledge, own experiences or thoughts you want to share, you are welcome to use Skogsupproret as a platform.
We want to create an inviting and energizing atmosphere where everyone feels welcome. Get in touch if you have experience in preparing and conducting workshops and meetings / you are interested in meditation / you want to work on the prevention and management of discrimination. Let's create the basis for long-term and sustainable activism!