@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost Hi folks! 👋🏼 Since we’ve found ourselves tagged in this really super vital conversation, we thought we might pitch in...
The original @XRebellionUK was, as far as we know, conceived by a relatively small and arguably homogenous group of individuals.
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The original @XRebellionUK was, as far as we know, conceived by a relatively small and arguably homogenous group of individuals.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK Those individuals contributed good ideas, but they also baked loads of structural oppression into the movement.
We can’t dispute this. XR simply isn’t a friendly space for many from marginalized backgrounds. And a lot of that is because of structure, rather than people.
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We can’t dispute this. XR simply isn’t a friendly space for many from marginalized backgrounds. And a lot of that is because of structure, rather than people.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK When most people join XR, they don’t go straight to the HQ. They pop into a local group meeting. They learn about the reality of the climate crisis. They meet others who share their anxieties. They see an opportunity to make some kind of change.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK Most members when they join aren’t that politically clued in. They’re not regularly exposed to intersectional issues.
We’d guess that very few, if any, members knowingly join XR because it is majority white and structurally oppressive.
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We’d guess that very few, if any, members knowingly join XR because it is majority white and structurally oppressive.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK This is where one of XR’s big failures comes in. Because of the demographics of its founders, it failed to consider that in addition to non-violent direct action training, it would also need to educate members on intersectionality, solidarity, and oppression.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK This is a MASSIVE problem, and because of it XR has so far remained a majority-white space. Which means that incidents like this keep happening. Because very few within the organization know how to deal with it. Because the organization isn’t friendly to minority groups.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK We’re going in circles – do you see where we’re getting at?
Many amazing activists from outside XR have been tirelessly trying to address this. But because there are few open ears within HQ, progress is painfully slow if at all forthcoming.
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Many amazing activists from outside XR have been tirelessly trying to address this. But because there are few open ears within HQ, progress is painfully slow if at all forthcoming.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK @XRLiberation is a diverse and inclusive collective of activists within XR who have kind of had enough.
We are extremely critical of XR’s structural shortcomings, but also know the dynamics quite well and have ideas for how to push for actual progress.
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We are extremely critical of XR’s structural shortcomings, but also know the dynamics quite well and have ideas for how to push for actual progress.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK This will be primarily look like grassroots-led education and training, but we’re still working out the details.
Meanwhile, we remain eternally frustrated by the fact that individual members continue to make ignorant mistakes and there are no systems in place to remedy them.
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Meanwhile, we remain eternally frustrated by the fact that individual members continue to make ignorant mistakes and there are no systems in place to remedy them.
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@ClimateTris @ThenSheAppears @rpancost @XRebellionUK The movement is made up of many amazing, well-meaning people. The organization leading the movement has a load of problems. We’re going to work on those so that our members can become true allies and activists. Because they have the potential, but it’s not being engaged.
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