On Tharunka Green
by
Georgia Rose Phillips
As the first editorial address of the year it seems fitting to reflect on what Tharunka green has meant to all the students that have contributed but to also reflect on the broader editorial vision and direction for Tharunka in 2019.
This year Tharunka will be a collector colour series, with each theme being resembled by a colour. Each edition will be numbered and we encourage you to not just collect the whole series but also want you to engage with us and share your thoughts on what you think of each instalment on social media using the hashtags #tharunkacolourseries and #tharunkagreen.
This year we are trying to create an engaged and active readership as at the end of the day Tharunka has always been about the students, for the students and by the students.
The concept behind the colour series is to celebrate the diversity of our student body and perspectives. Each themed colour is designed to highlight, champion and reflect upon different aspects of the individuals, cultures, voices, minorities and identities that colour the vibrant atmosphere of the student community.
This year Tharunka is doing everything it can to seek out urgent and challenging stories, to foster a culture of acceptance and inclusivity; and to publish work that inspires us, challenges us and forces us to reflect.
Tharunka green’s roots rest in the student climate marches that signified the closing of 2018 (and the opening of 2019). These events are particularly pertinent as they demonstrate how the persistence of students banding together enabled the relaying of an urgent message.
As Greta Thunberg succinctly put it at the COP24 UN climate conference in Katowice, Poland, “our biosphere is being sacrificed so that rich people in countries like mine can live in luxury”, before adding, “we can’t solve a crisis without treating it as a crisis”.
Essentially, Tharunka green has been a space for students to recognise that climate change is a crisis.
Tharunka green has been a testament to students looking at a future that is increasingly precarious as scientific evidence continues to reveal climate change is happening at an unprecedented rate.
Tharunka green is a bid for conservation and preservation.
Tharunka green is a space for students to respond to and reflect upon the growing anxieties that stir within us when we think about an uncertain future.
As Managing Editor, Tharunka green has been nothing short of inspiring and compelling to be a part of. The most impressive feature of this edition has been the depth, scope and the richness of each contributor’s vision.
If you want to get your hands on a copy of green, with our new recycled pages, and can’t get to campus email us: tharunka@arc.unsw.edu.au