BLOG: An unsent cover letter to Friends of the Earth
Friends of the Earth are recruiting for a new Executive Director. The deadline is tomorrow (Jan 2nd). *Humble brag alert* I was asked last month, by a recruiter, if I’d be interested in applying. What an intriguing question. It’s not for me, I’m not experienced or talented enough. I also love my job at Global Action Plan.
I couldn’t resist, however, doing a bit of research into FoE and where they’re at currently. In idle – between mince pie – moments over the last week or so, I also couldn’t resist drafting the sort of cover letter I might have written had I been bold enough to give applying a shot. I’ve not applied, but I’d quite liked to have made my case a bit like this to see if it stoked a reaction from the shortlisting panel:
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Dear Friends,
The environmental movement, in England and Wales, is approaching a tipping point. Collapse awareness within and beyond the movement is growing. The physical, social, and political reality of this moment is extremely daunting. The need for a fresh approach is dawning on an increasing number of people. Is Friends of the Earth prepared to drive us forward?
If – as a movement – we are serious about securing a just and sustainable future, we must move beyond narrow campaigns to “stop oil field ‘a’”, “close factory ‘b’”, or “take action ‘c’”. As important as each campaign might feel, they are – in the end – distractions that divert focus, resources and attention from the deeper root causes of our predicament. We need a fresh approach.
Environmentalism, as conceived and practiced to date, has failed. Today’s environmentalists and environmental organisations need to face up to this and reimagine their role in the wider movement for change that is emerging.
What lies ahead is a revolutionary struggle.
It is no longer hyperbolic to call this a struggle for survival; the threat is existential. I’m scared.
To succeed, this revolution, this struggle, must be truly inclusive and broad. We have to ground it in feminism and justice, build it on an ethos of interdependency, and – above all – conduct it peacefully and with love. It will be a radical, but leaderless, revolution:
Radical in both the rooted and fundamental change senses of the word.
Leaderless in the sense that the goal and method is democratic confederalism (see Rojava; see Murray Bookchin).
Friends of the Earth needs to recognise that this is what’s coming, it must ready and muster itself. It is uniquely placed and equipped to play a key role as instigator, mobiliser, and enabler. This is something I would like to be part of; I would love to help Friends of the Earth make change happen.
I am, however, the last person Friends of the Earth needs as its next Executive Director. I am a 44 year old, white, male, middle class, PhD, career environmentalist. Besides, leaderless revolutions don’t have leaders.
Friends of the Earth needs someone willing and able to use the power that comes with the position of Executive Director, to give power away. The role is one of facilitation, administration, activation. It will be a delicate and time bound task – a seven year project. It requires a strategic mind, great skills of diplomacy, an ability to think systemically, and a hunger to let go.
By 2030, Friends of the Earth will be greatly decentralised. It will be pioneering the new forms of environmentalism that are about to breakthrough. FoE will grow its network of local groups to 500+. It will energise them and resource them with funds diverted from Friends of the Earth’s core. Network members – friends – will be committed to prefigurative politics. FoE groups will be the change in the world that they want to see. Why? Because seeing is believing.
Diolch am darllen / Thank you for reading.
In solidarity,
Dr Morgan Phillips
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To reiterate, the above is an unsent cover letter, it is purely hypothetical and meant as a comment on what FoE might wish to do in this moment. I wish whoever takes the role every success and look forward to continuing to collaborate with colleagues there, the planet very much needs Friends of the Earth to succeed.