Our first protest was a die-in. We were picked up by several news media with our student climate protest. We started a petition to stop surveilance agencies intimidating young activists, which was signed over 2K times.
Now we're organising the largest climate march in Rotterdam yet. Another die-in is coming up on Friday the 13th.
Get to know us! We write about our experiences as activists on our blog.
Manifesto
We are Erasmus Change. Together, we are standing up for climate justice. Our generation cannot and will not stay passive.
We are a diverse group of people. We organise ourselves in various working groups so that we can all contribute in our own way.
This is what we stand for:
Human-induced climate change is real. We oppose the denial of facts. We will base our stances on scientifically obtained knowledge.
Climate action should be taken right now. Every day of delay makes the climate crisis less likely to be solved.
The climate transition has to be just. Polluters pay. Wealth and income inequality as a result of climate change must be prevented.
We demand system change. Responsibility must not be put only on the individual - we need political action as well. Involvement both within and outside the current political landscape is required. Civil disobedience is an acceptable form of political action.
We are a peaceful movement. We do not allow the use of violence in our name.
We’re a little terrified, yet excited and hopeful for our future. Seeing so many join our movement encourages us to keep fighting. Power to the people.
Join us
Join one of our working groups, or start your own! We have three categories. Firstly, we make local & direct change possible in Rotterdam. Secondly, we raise political awareness about the climate crisis. Thirdly, there are working groups concerned with the organisation of Erasmus Change.
Local & direct change
Bank Switch Program: We make it easier for students so switch to good banks.
Catering & Cafeteria: We want to make vegan the default option, and we draw attention to excessive packaging material.
Investment Transparency: We investigate whether our university's money is managed by a green bank.
Waste Disposal & Energy: We investigate our university's recycling and energy policy.
Political awareness
Concrete Demands: We stay up to date about local political developments, so that we can make concrete demands using protests and petitions.
Civil Disobedience: We organise actions such as sit-ins to create awareness. Anne is spokesperson.
Organisation
Communication: We manage both internal and external communication. We send newsletters and keep our social media and website up to date. We also keep in touch with other (green) organisations. Joppe is spokesperson.
Creative: We write for our blog, design illustrations and record podcasts.
Finance: We manage our donations and expenses. Check out our transparency report below for more information. Anouk is spokesperson.
Growth: Erasmus Change started at Erasmus University College, but we are actively growing our movement at other universities in Rotterdam:
Willem de Kooning
Erasmus University Rotterdam
Hogeschool Rotterdam
Together, we can make change possible. Every bit of help is appreciated. Connect with us on Facebook or Instagram.
Transparency
Documents: Google Drive
All our documents, including minutes of our meetings, can be found in our shared Google Drive folder. In it you will find a shared document where we collect interesting green events. You can add your own events as well. We will send an overview via our newsletter.
Internal communication
Whenever possible, we communicate using Signal instead of WhatsApp. Join us at one of our General Assemblies to meet us in person!
Collaboration
We have made a contact list of climate action groups and local news media. We are part of the Rotterdam Climate Coalition (a collaboration project of green organisations in Rotterdam).
Finances
We manage our finances using a dedicated bank account at Bunq. Anouk Rialan, Eloïse Richard, Joppe Hoekstra, and Anne Ruijter manage this account. Bunq invests the money that is stored on our bank account only in green companies. We will regularly publish financial reports. Don't hesitate to contact Anouk for more information.
Every now and then we need to buy small things such as banner material, green vests, and snacks for our events. Since we're all student, most of us don't have a lot of money. That is why we try to share the burden as much as possible. Every small contribution is appreciated: bunq.me/erasmuschange