RadGram’s Story
Radical Grandma Collective is an international and intergenerational solidarity effort supporting environmental justice activists in Northeast Thailand.
This is a story of resistance. Now, the fight is for reparations.
The effects of gold mining and trauma from over a decade of protest have left both tangible and intangible scars on the Na Nong Bong community. Although the mine’s closure represents a significant victory for the community, it also marks a new phase of their struggle: the multifaceted process of healing. The grandmas are now fighting to restore the environment degraded by mining and repair community relationships, mental and physical well-being, and their economy.
While the Thai Government has ordered the mining company, Tungkum Ltd., to restore the mine site, the company has since declared bankruptcy. The Loei provincial government has established a committee dedicated to restoring the damaged area without representation of the affected community members. The community is skeptical that the government's measures will adequately address the community’s multi-faceted needs and worries that efforts will fall short of true restoration or justice.
Although the community has won its legal battles, justice will not truly be served until the community is given the resources to heal. The Na Nong Bong community deserves the right to enjoy their land and connect with each other outside of the struggle.
Don’t Mess with Grandma.
Weaving builds power. The “Radical Grandmas” are a self-organized group of women who sell their handwoven scarves to fundraise for the environmental justice movement in their home village.
