Campaigning company, Lush Cosmetics, has launched a new campaign in partnership with Indigenous Peoples Rights International and the Blue Planet Project in support of Indigenous land defenders and water protectors from around the world. Working in solidarity and partnership with Indigenous activities and communities is not new to Lush, but the focus on land defenders and water protectors comes at a crucial time as Indigenous women are harassed, criminalized or killed for defending land and protecting water from pollution, theft, and destruction.
Aiming to raise $350,000, Lush is launching a limited edition Bath Bomb, Guardian of the Forest. With each sale, 100% of the purchase price ($8.25, minus the taxes) will support the struggles of Indigenous communities whose land is under threat from deforestation, fossil fuel extraction, privatization, and land and water grabs.
As part of this campaign, Lush is launching a mini documentary featuring Casey Camp-Horinek, a long-time Native rights activist, environmentalist and traditional Drumkeeper for the Ponca Pa-tha-ta, Woman’s Scalp Dance Society on its YouTube channel. In it, Camp-Horinek takes a “toxic tour” of Ponca territory in Oklahoma, through the Phillips 66 refinery, fracking and injection wells, a carbon black factory, and other industrial sites that contaminate the land and water of the Ponca Nation.
“For years, land and environmental defenders have been the first line of defense against the causes and impacts of climate breakdown. Land defenders and water protectors are asking the world to listen – now is the time to take action and stand together for water, land and life. We are proud to stand with these women and bring awareness to the important work they are doing to fight the climate crisis.”
Carleen Pickard, Advocacy & Activism Manager, Lush Cosmetics.
Standing up for land and water comes with severe consequences; annual killings of land defenders are tracked by the human rights group, Global Witness, which has recorded 1,733 defenders that have been killed trying to protect their land and resources. This is an average of one defender killed every two days over the past ten years.
“My organization, Indigenous Peoples Rights International wants the world to understand that Indigenous Peoples are there on the front line for all of us, so that our remaining resources, the remaining biodiversity that we all rely on, will remain there to be protected and the water is there to flow forever for everyone.”
Joan Carling, Executive Director, Indigenous Peoples Rights International.
“Since water privatization started more than two decades ago, we have witnessed communities all over the world standing up for water, nature and in defense of their territories. We have also seen that peoples of the world are not only resisting and denouncing the privatizations of their commons, but are mobilizing and organizing to create effective community management practices.”
Marcela Olivera, Director, Blue Planet Project.
Lush invents, manufactures and retails fresh handmade cosmetics, such as the fizzing bath bomb and solid shampoo bars. A beauty company with a campaigning heart, Lush is on a mission to create a product for every need and a cosmetic revolution to save the planet. The ultimate goal is to leave the world Lusher than we found it. Lush operates a strict policy against animal testing and is leading the cosmetics industry in combating over-packaging by developing products that can be sold ‘naked’ to the consumer. Today Lush operates in 49 countries with over 900 shops, 38 websites shipping worldwide and a global network of native apps and digital communities in over 30 languages.
For over a decade, Lush has worked in partnership and allyship with Indigenous People. Most recently, during Giving Tuesday 2019, Lush supported frontline defender organizations: Aliados, Amazon Watch, Sunrise Movement, RETREET, and Climate Action Network Canada. In 2021, Lush worked with Indigenous journalists, thought leaders and activists to produce Resistance and Resurgence.
In addition to the $350,000 to be raised by this campaign, Lush’s Charity Pot has supported twelve Land Defender and Water Protector organizations with a Frontline Defender Fund of $200,000.
About The Indigenous Peoples Rights International
Indigenous Peoples Rights International (IPRI) is a non-profit global Indigenous Peoples organization that works to protect Indigenous Peoples’ Rights and unite and amplify the call for justice for victims of criminalization and impunity.
About The Blue Planet Project
The Blue Planet Project (BPP) is part of a global movement, with partners around the world that promotes the fundamental truth that “Water is life.” It strives for water justice based on the principles that water is a human right, a public trust, and part of the global commons.
For more information go to the Campaign's landing page: https://www.lushusa.com/guardian-of-the-forest.html
