From ... in Social issues — Nov 17, 2019

Extinction Rebellion: What Can We Take From Their 3 Areas of Focus?

The Extinction Rebellion may not have all their facts straight about climate change but they are an organized movement with a focus.Let's have a look at what may be going on here.

How do you feel about the ideas of having to tackle our current political system and economic system before creating any meaningful change? Are these important to address first? Have you heard about the biggest grassroots rebellion against the broken economic system, decaying democracy and exploitative mainstream media since Occupy Wall Street? Extinction Rebellion (XR) is an eco-activist movement founded in the UK by molecular biophysicist Dr. Gail Bradbrook, along with environmental activist Roger Hallam, who studied a PhD in civil disobedience at King’s College London. Galvanizing supporters at the 49th Glastonbury festival, Dr Gail Bradbrook explained: “[Extinction Rebellion] is not a protest. It is not a campaign. It is a rebellion. We are in active rebellion against our government.

The social contract is broken, the governments aren’t protecting us and it’s down to us now.” On Monday 7th October 2019, more than 50,000 environmentalists “devoted to disruptive, non-violent civil disobedience in protest against ecological collapse” descended on London to shut the city center down, and the movement is global. XR groups in more than 60 major cities around the world released their plans to peacefully occupy key locations in their cities, including Madrid, Amsterdam, Paris, Vienna, Berlin, Rome, Prague, Bratislava, Dublin, Budapest, and many many more.

They are aiming for eventual critical mass in all countries, which XR points out is “the involvement of 3.5% of the population to succeed – in the UK that’s about 2 million people” based on the research by Erica Chenoweth. The movement began on 31st October 2018 when 1,500 XR supporters assembled on Parliament Square in London to announce a Declaration of Rebellion against the UK Government. Over the next few weeks, 6,000 converged on London to peacefully block five major bridges across the Thames, planting trees in the middle of Parliament Square, and digging a hole to bury a coffin representing humanity’s future. On their website it continues: “Our actions generated huge national and international publicity and, as news spread, our ideas connected with tens of thousands of people around the world.” On 15th April 2019, XR’s International Rebellion was launched in over 80 cities across at least 33 countries with organized protests blocking roads all across London.

The Guardian reported that those arrested would be prosecuted, and linked XR’s comment “We are asking the police and legal system to concentrate on issues such as knife crime, and not non-violent protesters who are trying to save our planet” with “Stop bothering us non-violent protesters; focus instead on those frightening inner-city neighbourhoods, where black children carry knives,” attempting to plant seeds that XR are racist. Members of XR have been described as ecomaniacs (Daily Mail), ecoradicals ignoring our economic doom (Times), dangerous, a bloody mess (Telegraph), and costing Scotland Yard £16m (Daily Mail). XR received much more newspaper coverage the weekend before the launch of October rebellion, with the campaign promising disruption to emergency care (Telegraph) thanks to the “eco zealots’ blueprint for mayhem” – an article the Daily Mail originally and baselessly called: “Extinction Rebellion ‘will stop the Queen’s Speech’ as it reveals its battle plan to stop London.” The Daily Mail even gloated “At Last!” as Police took preemptive action and raided a warehouse, arresting ten people and confiscating XR equipment. XR quickly responded that “this is not a surprise” and “we already have all we need,” citing Richard Ecclestone, one of many former police officers who have joined XR: “These tactics are very questionable and are arguably infringing on our rights to peaceful protest,” Ecclestone argues, and the UK Shadow Minister of State for Policing, Louise Haigh, agrees.

The mainstream media, of course, ignores the cause of the protests (the fear of ecological collapse due to a politically corrupt system), and instead focuses on demonizing XR, but the fact that XR are receiving so much negative press, rather than being ignored, means that someone high up is concerned about what this movement could potentially mean. What makes XR different from other climate change movements is that this movement has a clear focus on the problems and the solutions they require. On the XR website, 3 areas are identified as the “symptoms of this toxic system”: XR identify 3 key areas that need to change in order “to create a world fit for the next seven generations to live in”: XR working groups around the UK, in consultation with the campaign group Power for People, drafted a bill for the UK parliament (a proposal to significantly change current law).

The Bill demands that the UK Prime Minister declare a climate and ecological emergency, and establishes a citizens assembly. 500 to 1000 people should be randomly selected from across the country, and the process must be designed to ensure that the Assembly reflects the UK “in terms of characteristics such as gender, age, ethnicity, education level and geography.” The organizers of the movement also clearly have an understanding of spirituality, ideas like self-discovery and self-improvement. XR emphasize “ongoing questioning, reflection and learning” and getting out of our comfort zones because “We have a duty to disobey this system which destroys life on earth and is deeply unjust.” XR refer to indigenous cultures as inspiration, stating XR “is a rebellion against the heartless, loveless and lifeless delusion of seeing Earth as dead matter,” instead seeing humanity as “earth-guardians” and “nature defending itself.” XR state they are beyond activism alone and always seeking new ways to support positive change, which may include “ceremony and prayer (in ways that are neither dogmatic nor expected) as formats to find inspiration from things bigger than ourselves.” “We are about political change,” they continue, “not personal change (though we welcome the latter).” This movement may not have all the facts concerning climate change covered here at CE, but it is the first globally organized movement to connect a broken economic system with the need for higher spiritual values like their vision of “a new world of love, respect and regeneration.” It seems that XR have potential beyond that of Occupy Wall Street to raise a global movement, mainly because they have a clear focus on serious deep rooted problems and, more importantly, a clear strategy for positive change. Furthermore, the reaction in the media demonstrates that it is causing concern among those wishing to keep GDP going and business running as usual. Of course, those in power are never going to devolve it freely, but this shift in consciousness as people marry social activism with purpose and spirituality will only continue to evolve. It has many names, such as The Great Turning, The Great Awakening, Conscious Evolution and Sacred Activism, and in a recent podcast with Russell Brand, XR founder Dr. Gail Bradbrook confirms this shift in consciousness in scientific terms, called Spiral Dynamics. Whatever happens next, this latest example is just another sign that the global, solutions-focused movement and humanity’s conscious, collective evolution is most definitely underway. —— Article by Wake Up World Education founder, Robito Chatwin. WUWE explores today’s personal and global problems (criticality) today’s solutions to these problems (wellness), and is taking Wellness Training global (blog). Sign up for the latest from WUWE, an academic, science-supported, online educational platform that anyone can use to increase health and happiness. Due to the pressure of mass censorship, we now have our own censorship-free, and ad-free on demand streaming network! It is the world's first and only conscious media network streaming mind-expanding interviews, news broadcasts, and conscious shows. Click here to start a FREE 7-Day Trial and watch 100's of hours of conscious media videos, that you won't see anyw.

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