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 has been campaigning to protect nature for the past 10 years both in Australia and abroad. 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.
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.
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 and more recently Earth, Spirit Action in Australia, Canada, USA, New Zealand, South Africa, Eastern and Western Europe for over 10 years. 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 the Coordinator 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, The World Bank Song and is currently working on a film entitled Earth, Spirit, Action.
