Declaration of Rebellion at Parliament Square, London, on 31 October 2018. Attribution: Steve Eason
  • Here Comes Everyone: XR's strategy for 2023-24 aims sees strengthening communities as the path to effective climate protest, The Daily Alternative (Jun 04, 2023)
  • Extinction Rebellion: Climate activists stage Earth Day demonstration, BBC News (Apr 24, 2023)
  • Extinction Rebellion announces move away from disruptive tactics, The Guardian (Jan 01, 2023)

Read more

Extinction Rebellion (abbreviated as XR) is a socio-political movement with the stated aim of using civil disobedience and nonviolent resistance to protest against climate breakdown, biodiversity loss, and the risk of social and ecological collapse.

Extinction Rebellion was established in the United Kingdom in May 2018 with about one hundred academics signing a call to action in support in October 2018, and launched at the end of October by Roger Hallam, Gail Bradbrook, Simon Bramwell, and other activists from the campaign group Rising Up!.

Citing inspiration from grassroots movements such as Occupy, Gandhi's Satyagraha, the suffragettes, Gene Sharp, Martin Luther King and others in the civil rights movement, Extinction Rebellion wants to rally support worldwide around a common sense of urgency to tackle climate breakdown.

The movement uses a circled hourglass, known as the Extinction Symbol, to serve as a warning that time is rapidly running out for many species. Special Note: This is an abbreviated version of the introductory text from Wikipedia's article. You are encouraged to read the full version. W See also next section.

About this page[edit | edit source]

Although this article shares some content from the Wikipedia article of the same name, it is not meant to be encyclopedic in the same way. There is no need to duplicate what Wikipedia does. However you are encouraged to view the Wikipedia article in full, including for example sections such as Support and Criticism. As well as, of course Extinction Rebellion's own website.

Rather this article, and any subsequent offshoots, within Community action for sustainability (CASwiki), are an opportunity to explore and hopefully contribute to, or at the very least complement community aspects of the movement. (more to follow)

Manifesto[edit | edit source]

Demands[edit | edit source]

Extinction Rebellion's website states the following aims:

  1. Government must tell the truth by declaring a climate and ecological emergency W, working with other institutions to communicate the urgency for change.
  2. Government must act now to halt biodiversity loss and reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero by 2025.
  3. Government must create, and be led by, the decisions of a Citizens' assembly on climate and ecological justice.
Extinction Rebellion, green placard (cropped).jpg

Stated principles[edit | edit source]

XR states the following on its website and explains the following in its declaration:

  1. "We have a shared vision of change—creating a world that is fit for generations to come.
  2. We set our mission on what is necessary—mobilising 3.5% of the population to achieve system change by using ideas such as "momentum-driven organising" to achieve this.
  3. We need a regenerative culture—creating a culture that is healthy, resilient, and adaptable.
  4. We openly challenge ourselves and this toxic system, leaving our comfort zones to take action for change.
  5. We value reflecting and learning, following a cycle of action, reflection, learning, and planning for more action (learning from other movements and contexts as well as our own experiences).
  6. We welcome everyone and every part of everyone—working actively to create safer and more accessible spaces.
  7. We actively mitigate for power—breaking down hierarchies of power for more equitable participation.
  8. We avoid blaming and shaming—we live in a toxic system, but no one individual is to blame.
  9. We are a non-violent network using non-violent strategy and tactics as the most effective way to bring about change.
  10. We are based on autonomy and decentralisation—we collectively create the structures we need to challenge power. Anyone who follows these core principles and values can take action in the name of RisingUp!"[1]

Principles and Values[edit | edit source]

Copy of XR Principles and Values in Full, added 09:53, 3 February 2020 (UTC)

How to get involved[edit | edit source]

Local groups[edit | edit source]

Community aspects of Extinction Rebellion[edit | edit source]

(to follow)

Communities Overview[edit | edit source]

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References

  • historical archiving,[2] but mentions:
"Communicate a vision of a different world and to propose a draft manifesto of the changes needed, (drafts that can be improved)."
"Making room for everyone to join in", etc.
  • Rebel Starter Pack,[3] contains links to eg spreadsheets, etc., including:
Visual Representation of the Communities Circle (?)/ Working Group, GlassFrog
Mandates (?) spreadsheet: Community listed under Movement circle Mandate, Google Sheets

XR and future democracy[edit | edit source]

See separate article: XR and future democracy

Related groups or networks[edit | edit source]

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Resources[edit | edit source]

Extinction Cafe[edit | edit source]

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Future Democracy Tools[edit | edit source]

see: Future Democracy Hub

How to's[edit | edit source]

How to start a student group for Extinction Rebellion, Google Docs

Images[edit | edit source]

Commons:Category:Extinction Rebellion

Maps[edit | edit source]

Other resources[edit | edit source]

Video[edit | edit source]

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More video: Extinction Rebellion on youtube

Related video[edit | edit source]

His Epic Message Will Make You Want to Save the World, on youtube.com

See also[edit | edit source]

local information can be found, or shared, via our many location pages

Social media[edit | edit source]

to follow

External links[edit | edit source]

Extinction Rebellion W - Climate emergency declaration W - Citizens' assembly W includes sections on disadvantages as well as advantages.

References[edit | edit source]

  1. W, see also Rebel Starter Pack, date not found, accessed 9/8/19
  2. risingup.org.uk
  3. Rebel Starter Pack, date not found, accessed 9/8/19

Discussion[View | Edit]

An open response to XR-Story-Vision in 2020[edit source]

(Copy of email)

Response to XR-Story-Vision in 2020

Firstly thank you for the opportunity to comment on this document. In addition to this email I'm copying this response to loomio (link) & CASwiki

Why an open response?
Ideally those of us who are interested in this need to see what each other are saying, and the technology to do this exists, so why not use it? Open response can enable feedback upon feedback, ongoing always-open dialogue, and a potentially deeper and richer conversation.

I get that the document may have a focus on XR, but probably a lot of my comment is from a sort of wider movement (or movement of movements) perspective. [1] Within this wider movement it seems to me that a diversity of approaches is possible, perhaps also probable, and maybe both necessary and desirable. [2]

Parts of the document which I strongly support:

  • more about how (XR and the wider movement's) concerns are

- relevant to the "nearer-term" p 4
- can be seen as "human-centric", p 4

  • recognition of the need for, and importance of a positive vision
  • "This is about leading an undivided life ... It needs everyone to feel acknowledged and appreciated." p 17

So my positive vision of a successful XR at the end of 2020 includes:

Throughout 2020 XR has not only grown the movement, but continued to value, appreciate and nurture all parts of the existing movement. It has also built on previous success.

One of the successes has been an increase in carbon literacy. Building on this has gone beyond climate assemblies, increasing and deepening carbon literacy for citizens, within communities and across society as a whole. There's been an increased understanding of both carbon costs and potential carbon savings from the whole range of climate change solutions.

One of the benefits of this increased carbon literacy has been the recognition that the behaviour of a lot of us as citizens, within peer groups, communities, generations and across society as a whole has been part of the ongoing problem. "If so many of us go on as we are, then it’s curtains for humanity." [3] But that we can all be part of the solution.

One particular aspect that's beginning to be tackled at last is the locking in of carbon costs to our communities through forward planning and house building. During and throughout this crucial decade in which we feel it's vital to be reducing carbon, we should not allow ourselves and our communities to be corralled into locking in vast carbon costs, throughout this whole decade. [4] [5] [6] [7] This is also an essential part of the movement towards "future democracy"

The movement has continued to develop and enrich positive visions of a postcarbon future. The concept of well being has been central to this. So within our local communities can we create an environment of well being, a society of well being and and economy of well being that works for all?

Phil Green, Community action for sustainability, CASwiki

Notes and references

  1. "We are here to help enable a movement of movements to deliver a global social, political and economic transformation." XR-Story-Vision in 2020, p 29
  2. "To build this coalition we need to tell not one story, but many different stories each resonating with different parts of society and engaging those that have not supported action previously." Feb 18, 2020, How to make friends and decarbonise people: The need for user-centered advocacy within the climate action movement, Tom Harrison medium.com
  3. Purposely adapted from XR-Story-Vision in 2020, p 15
  4. "In the UK, the built environment as a whole is responsible for 42% of national emissions. The manner in which we produce, operate and renew our built environment continues to curtail biodiversity, pollute ecosystems and encourage unsustainable lifestyles." Architects Climate Action Network
  5. The carbon cost to communities of new housing has not been well shown by the way carbon accounts have been constructed in the past. Whilst some carbon costs are visible eg by locking us into yet more car dependency (see ref below), embedded carbon (in construction materials) has not been adequately shown. For this reason it seems unlikely that either the UK Climate assembly, or local assemblies will adequately address this issue. / Jan 21, 2020, New UK housing 'dominated by roads' bbc.co.uk "... too many highways engineers are still approving roads that do not fully account for pedestrians and cyclists." Prof Matthew Carmona, University College London. Government poll suggests 76% of people think that for the sake of the environment, everyone should reduce their driving.
  6. Under the present planning system local authorities and communities are effectively dictated to by central government over the (quantity of) housing provision they are required to make via Local Plans. Not only this but those that refuse to plan for the central government numbers are threatened with even higher numbers being imposed.
  7. see also: 'Towards a more democratic and climate friendly way of meeting housing need across England (draft)
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