Newsletter 2020-07-20 — ‘We Want to Live!’ XR Oxford plans for the next Rebellion

Posted on by Dave in Newsletter
Pink poster with birds carrying a heart and a padlock. Caption: 1 September WE WANT TO LIVE Love. Rage. Rebellion.

We want to live!

2020 so far has been a year of crises – the fires in Australia, Amazon and the Arctic followed by the COVID pandemic. A year of historic events and protests – in Hong Kong and for Black Lives Matter. A year of tipping points.

Despite the pandemic, rebels have stayed together, mastered Zoom, taken action during lockdown, and supported their communities. We’ve come a long way, but the Government is still failing to do what’s necessary to keep us safe. They’re not on target to meet Paris Agreement commitments and are ignoring warnings from their own Committee on Climate Change, that we may be heading for up to 4˚C of warming by the end of the century. Unless we act, we are likely to face many millions of deaths, most affecting the Global South and marginalised communities, but ultimately impacting every person and lifeform on the planet, either directly, or through disrupted food supply, health issues, or political unrest. NOW is the time to act, as we emerge from the pandemic and when plans can still be diverted from ‘Business as Usual’. 

This is an emergency. We need to act now. Join us in Rebellion from 28 August in cities in the South East, and then in London from 1 September. We Want to Live!

Contents

  1. Upcoming Events
  2. Best on catch up
  3. Rebellion Plans
  4. Things to do now to make the Rebellion a success
  5. Actions Meeting – planning Oxford’s part in the Rebellion
  6. Could you be a buddy to a new rebel?
  7. Looking to get involved but not sure how?

Upcoming Events

Introduction to Extinction Rebellion Oxford – every other Tuesday evening 7-8pm, online. For those who want an overview of XR Oxford.

The New Rebel Pathway – a three-week series for new rebels on Thursday 6th, 13th and 20th August, 7-8.30pm, to help go deeper into XR and meet other new rebels. 

‘Getting More Involved’ sessions – one-off conversational sessions to help you get more involved, great for those with less time! Sunday 9th or Sunday 23rd August (held online)

Action Planning Meeting – Wednesday 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm (online)

‘How to stop funding fossil fuels?’ – Thursday 23rd July, 7.30-9pm (online)

Youth Die-In 4 Climate (Socially Distanced) – support the youth strikers on Friday 24th July, 1-2pm, Bonn Square

‘Could you be a Buddy to a new rebel?’ – we’re looking for rebels to buddy with new rebels on our New Rebel Pathway. Join the Telegram group and come along to the briefing on Thursday 30th July, 7-8pm (details to be sent out via Telegram). 

‘Wake Up Westgate’ – XR Youth Action – 21st-23rd August – join the Telegram chat for volunteers

There are many great UK Trainings going on at the moment – see below!

Best on catch up

Poster with a green field of grain and a blue sky above. Caption: Food and the climate & ecological emergency

Kathy Dalmeny and Miles King’s talk on Food and the Climate Emergency. More info on this topic: Sustain’s Report on UK Land Use, and Good Food Oxford, which promotes an environmentally sustainable food system in and around Oxford.

Rebels blocking the road, featuring a medic holding a sign saying "Change happens when ordinary people peacefully break the law"
Source: Gareth Morris.

Rebellion plans

Local actions in Oxford, Oxfordshire, and across the South East

These actions will build momentum to the Rebellion around set themes – put them in your diary and keep an eye out for further local details soon! Our Oxford involvement will also be planned in the Actions meeting on Wednesday – come along!

  • 28th August – Fossil Fuels & mass banner drop
  • 29th August – Airports and aviation
  • 30th August – Gather your community
  • 31st August – Banks & finance

National Actions

1st September – the rebellion moves to the Houses of Parliament, London (XR will also be rebelling in other major cities). There will also be a digital rebellion for those who can’t make it to London.

Things to do now to make the Rebellion a success

  1. Go to Facebook and invite people to the event and share.
  2. Join the national Telegram broadcast channel and XR Oxford’s channel for key updates
  3. Donate and share the Crowdfunder! 
  4. Share the webpage and promo video! 
  5. Come to the Action planning meeting on 22nd July. 
  6. Interested in helping update the handbook for Oxford Goes to the Rebellion? Get in touch, we’d love your help: xroxford@gmail.com 

Actions Meeting: planning Oxford’s part in the rebellion

Wednesday 22nd July, 6.30-8.30pm on Zoom

Help us plan the rebellion! At this meeting we will share information about plans for regional actions over the bank holiday weekend and in London from 1st September, and begin to work out the practicalities for us as XR Oxford. We will also discuss possible local actions in Oxford, including following up on some ideas from our mass gathering last week. Please join us if you have action ideas to share or if you would like to know how you can help with practical organising and action support. Everyone is welcome!

Bunting printed with "Ordinary people can do extraordinary things", with a rebel tent camp behind
Source: Helena Smith

Key UK Trainings to Prepare for Rebellion

All trainings can be viewed here: www.extinctionrebellion.uk/act-now/events/

Action Wellbeing

Action Wellbeing is an essential part of creating a regenerative action. It promotes the wellbeing of ourselves and others, strengthening connection and resilience. 24 July 2020, 6.30- 9pm. Register.

Arrestee Support

  • Know Your Rights: training every Tuesday 6-8pm. Register.
  • Witnessing an Arrest: Covers the key points to remember when witnessing an arrest and empowers all rebels to perform this role. Available online (password: ProsecutePolluters)
  • Introduction to Arrest Support: 20 July to 13 August, 6-7:30 pm. Zoom.

Non-violent Direct Action Training

Come along to our NonViolent Direct Action (NVDA) workshop, where you will learn about the history of Civil Disobedience, theories of NonViolence, and various NVDA skills such as how to talk to the police, how to block a road, and how to use your support systems. Every Saturday, 10am-1pm. Register.

De-escalation

1 to 1 Deescalation and Nonviolence. Alternate Mondays. 20 July-28 September, 6.30-8 pm.This training will provide: a deeper understanding of nonviolence, a brief introduction to Non-Violent Communication, one-on-one de-escalation with a range of different scenarios, practical role-playing exercises. Register.

Rebels blocking the road, with signs saying: "This is not a drill", "Our ship is sinking. The Earth is not dying, it is being killed, and those killing it have names and addresses"

Could you be a buddy for a new rebel?

Do you enjoy talking to new rebels: helping people become more confident, empowered and knowledgeable in XR? Are you friendly and approachable? Could you be a buddy? We’re looking for buddies who can take part in our New Rebel Pathway sessions, being partnered with one or two new rebels throughout the process. You don’t need to have an in-depth knowledge of XR, but it helps to be open to going through the process of learning with a new person, and helping find the answers together.

What we’d need from you:

  • Come along to a Buddies Briefing on Thursday 30th July, 7-8pm (details to be sent out)
  • Attend the three New Rebel Pathway sessions online (6th, 13th and 20th August, evenings) as a participant
  • Encourage your new rebel buddy in these sessions, engaging with their thoughts and ideas
  • Have one follow-up call a few weeks after the programme, to help your buddy decide on next steps

What you’d get in return:

  • Gratitude for being part of an essential process in XR Oxford, helping keep new rebels engaged!
  • The satisfaction of helping someone who was once in your situation
  • A good in-depth course in XR

Interested? Join this Buddy Telegram group and we’ll update you with details! We will only need a specific number of buddies for this programme so if you don’t do it this time there’ll be more opportunities at a later date. 

Rebel hands raised during a rebel assembly

Looking to get involved but not sure how?

You might be interested in our New Rebel Pathway, a three-session course starting 6th August that’ll guide you into XR principles, practices and strategies in much more depth, alongside a cohort of other new rebels.

Less time on your hands? Come along to a one-off ‘Getting More Involved’ session, a small course where we’ll chat through your interests, skills, and where you might like to be involved in XR Oxford.

💤📢WAKE UP WESTGATE 📢💤

Join XR Youth Oxford for a youth-led weekend occupation of the Oxford Westgate shopping centre

Why? Westgate is home to many corporations with appalling environmental and workers’ rights policies. We must rebel against these exploitative practices in order to build a just, post-Covid world.

Adults are more than welcome to join and support the youth.❤️

✍ 21st-23rd August:

From Friday till Sunday, we will occupy Westgate, aiming to stay there both nights. There will be a clothes swap (providing it is safe with COVID) and actions that will happen throughout the day. More details to come…

⬇️Interested in helping? Join the 16+ Telegram group⬇️

FACEBOOK EVENT

Watch the video of XR Youth at the Westgate on Black Friday

Where can I find more information?