Goals & Tactics
Goals of Mountain Justice
1. Raise world-wide awareness of Mountain Top Removal mining and its effects.
2. Escalate resistance to Mountain Top Removal from a regional to a national level.
3. Build our support base for the campaign.
4. Unify and strengthen regional groups fighting Mountain Top Removal.
5. Mobilize coordinated days of action using tactics ranging from public outreach to civil resistance.
6. Maintain safety as a high priority.
7. Debunk the myth of "clean coal" and "jobs versus the environment".
8. Encourage conservation, efficiency, solar and wind energy as alternatives to Mountain Top Removal and all forms of surface mining.
Mountain Justice Tactics
MJ participants come from diverse backgrounds such as coal field residents, college students, environmentalists, Earth First!ers, and other concerned citizens that care about our mountains. Participants share a common goal to halt MTR coal mining. Though groups attempt to educate and share information with each other; they act according to the dictates of their conscience, group guidelines, and area needs. What works or is needed in one area may not be appropriate in another, but by sharing skills and and comparing our experiences, we seek to form a movement which is greater than our individual parts. In keeping with individual group's autonomous guidelines, Mountain Justice members engage in some or all of the following tactics:
* Listening Projects in the coal communities to learn from the local residents.
* Water & vegetation testing surveys
* Public outreach & education about MTR mining
* Monitoring coal mining permits, requesting & attending hearings & legal follow-up
* Monitor mining practices & legal violations & do legal follow-up
* Lobby & educate public officials
* Support community members impacted by MTR mining
* Train grassroots organizers
* Support local groups working to halt MTR coal mining
* Raise national attention to the effects of MTR coal mining
* Draw attention to companies engaged in MTR coal mining & to buyers of MTR coal
* Participate, organize & enjoy music, theatre, & art for the mountains
* Participate & organize Public Rallies, Nonviolent Direct Actions &/or Nonviolent Civil Disobedience
Mountain Justice participants do NOT engage in sabotage.
Throughout the year we will be coordinating our actions with states, grassroots groups and affected areas. Any group or individual that wishes to participate in Mountain Justice is invited.