Building Hope That Another World is Possible – SOS

SOS is Students of Sustainability, a unique, social and environmental justice gathering held every July by the Australian Student Environment Network (ASEN). It started in 1991, in Kamberra (Canberra) with a small group of ANU undergraduates. Since then it has taken place every year and has grown and evolved over the years. It is an event that continues to inspire people that ANOTHER WORLD IS POSSIBLE. It is more than a conference with workshops. Participants generally camp over the five days at the host university or TAFE or, in the case of the 2014 SOS, at the Canberra Aboriginal Tent Embassy. This allows the students to experience not only what it’s like to learn together, but to live with each other, with all the challenges and joys that encompasses.

Let me take you to the SOS Conferences of my memories. You arrive on the site (often a university or TAFE) to find cars packed to the brim with camping gear. Some people have even made the journey on bikes! It’s winter so there’s usually people milling about with hot drinks, dressed in lots of colourful knitted wear and beanies. Maybe you’re excited to see friends from around the country you only see once or twice a year. Or perhaps it’s your first year and you are feeling a bit overwhelmed by all the new people and experiences.

You are greeted at the registration desk by a fellow participant who has elected to do a volunteer shift and pick up a program before heading to set up your tent. Then it’s dinner time: a hearty meal prepared by volunteers and the kitchen legend, Bretto. Maybe you’ll listen to some announcements or talks or music as you mingle and feel sleepiness slowly greet you over a cup of chai. Eventually you head to your tent for your first night at camp.

The next morning is one of the most important events—the welcome to country by the traditional custodians of the land on which we are meeting. There’s a smoking ceremony. People often remove shoes and socks, connect their body with the earth, take the time to feel respect and gratitude to the people who are welcoming us. Green gum leaves create smoke that cleanses as we create a line and wash ourselves in the smoke and make connections with the elders and other First Nations people we are meeting and being welcomed by. Birds often fly overhead; the quiet silence of the ceremony encouraging reflection. The next five days are full. Everyday there are workshops (on everything from uranium mining, environmental activism, mental health, gender, feminism, queer politics, critical race, disability activism, political economy, campaign skills, dumpster diving and so much more), excursions to visit nearby food forests and sustainable housing initiatives, parties, open mic performances, dance offs, and all manners of joyful activities in which you can partake. There are also quieter areas if you are feeling introspective or are craving solitude.