RUTH ROSENHEK
EMAIL: rainforestinfo@ozemail.com.au
ARTICLES/WRITINGS at http://www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/rosenhek.htm
Hi Res PhotoBIO: Ruth Rosenhek, MS Organisational Management, is an international environmental justice activist, educator, filmmaker, deep ecologist and Director of the Rainforest Information Centre in Lismore.
Ruth is currently exploring inspiration and creative message forms to urge positive change both on the personal and planetary levels. Most recently, she completed Earth Spirit Action, a film that features Vandana Shiva, Starhawk, Ruth, John Seed and Matthew Fox speaking on Deep Ecology, Living Democracy and Revolution in Consciousness. This film can be viewed at:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6jCpChUxOw
Ruth has been campaigning to protect nature for the past 12 years both in Australia and abroad. Currently much of her efforts are in the role of campaign support, counsel and funding for overseas grassroots efforts as well as for campaigns in Australia.
Currently Ruth is working on an Australia wide palm oil consumer campaign that is part of a global effort to halt the destruction caused by the development of palm oil plantations on peatland rainforestsn in southeast Asia.
As northern rivers local coordinator of the NorthEast Forest Alliance, she worked passionately to protect remaining old growth forests of New South Wales through direct action and media stunts. This included the week long Fast for Forests, a Gandhi style action aimed at bringing attention to the plight of New South Wales' forests. As Assistant Director to the film On The Brink, she and John Seed, organised a roadshow tour that travelled from town to town in New South Wales to decry the ongoing destruction of native forests of New South Wales. These efforts along with others led to the newly elected Carr government's declaration that it would protect 65,000 hectares of remaining old growth forests of New South Wales.
In 1998, Ruth spearheaded the first global campaign that brought attention to the destructive practices involved in gold mining through a campaign called GoldBusters. To spread awareness about the dangers of cyanide leach mining, she directed and edited the film, Water Is More Precious Than Gold. Several years later, Ruth worked to bring Cyanide Bill 2000 to NSW Parliament. Although the Bill was defeated, it raised awareness across Australia about the harmful effects of cyanide gold mining. Over the past 7 years Ruth has actively campaigned to protect Lake Cowal from Barrick Gold's large scale open pit gold mine on the sacred land of the Wiradjuri Nation.
Ruth has been teaching and facilitating Deep Ecology seminars including the Council of All Beings in Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Eastern and Western Europe for over 12 years. Most recently, Ruth has been offering Facilitation Training in Deep Ecology and The Work That Reconnects. Ruth has written numerous magazine and web articles on the topic of deep ecology and spiritual activism. See www.rainforestinfo.org.au/deep-eco/rosenhek.htm.
Ruth is an active member of the Dharma Gaia Trust, a group of engaged Buddhists working to support efforts worldwide that link Buddhism and Ecology. These efforts have led to the support for ecological projects in Ladakh, Tibet, Burma, Thailand and India.
In 2006, along with Neil Pike, Ruth Rosenhek was the Assistant Director and Producer of the film Appiko: To Embrace, an inspirational story about the non-violent grassroots movement to protect the forests in the villages of South India. Ruth has also made the films Lake Cowal: Our Story and The World Bank Song
