Hastings Independent: Issue 139
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In response to ‘To Tell the Truth, It’s all Political by Julia Kotziamani
Thank you for writing this article, and for bringing topics which Extinction Rebellion is already discussing into the mainstream. It’s reassuring to see how much you agree with us. In replying, I want to clarify some issues, and offer an invitation.
I’m writing this as an active member of Extinction Rebellion, but the views I express are ultimately my own.
First, I think our ‘beyond politics’ principle may have been misunderstood. We’re a holacratic movement, not a hierarchical organisation, working really hard to create a vision for the future world we wish to live in. Our intention is to alert society to the scientific facts about the climate emergency which the media is choosing to ignore, and our aim is to put pressure on governments to act now while there is still time. The severity and urgency of our predicament means we have chosen to opt out of mainstream party politics. Our actions are outside the norms of political action, and we accept that sometimes we get it wrong. However, ultimately we know that political action is paramount and we wish to enter into dialogue with all parties (as we did back in April with Michael Gove and Jeremy Corbyn). The enormity of the task means we must work with whichever party is in power to get the change we need. We’re not apolitical, rather we believe it is more effective to look and act ‘beyond’ the restraints of normal political campaigning.
Second, it feels important to reiterate our stance on inclusion and social justice. We need all hands on deck, and we welcome everyone to join us, regardless of background, colour, race, religion or career. XR welcomes ideas about the best way to promote and foster a culture of inclusion. There is important work already being done by XR groups including International Solidarity Network, Connecting Communities, XR Together and XR Liberation, along with faith groups such as XR Muslims, XR Jews, Christians Against Climate Change, and XR Buddhists. We absolutely agree that social justice is part of this. XR has repeatedly acknowledged that the global south is already suffering the worst affects of climate change. We mourn the lives already lost. Our current Capitalist system is broken and systemic change is necessary. Under capitalism, we live isolated lives as passive consumers. Right-wing media stories of “us vs. them” encourage us to dehumanise one another, while legitimising fear, discrimination and violence. We are all victims in this system – some much more than others, of course – but to create the change so desperately needed, we must come from a place of respect and compassion for all, including the police. How can we demand change if we allow hatred to drive the narrative? How can we talk about the need for inclusion if we exclude a whole group of our society? This is not to legitimise past injustices, but it is to invite all society to demand better.
The scientific consensus is that there are only 14 months left to implement the drastic changes necessary to avert the worst case scenario for the next generation. We are everyday people who have thrown ourselves into this fight because we care and are desperately trying to do what we can, while we can. We are people from different backgrounds working together in unity, calling for complete change to a system which drives us to be in conflict with each other and disconnected from nature. This is a movement in its infancy which, together with other groups and individuals such as Greta Thunberg and the School Strike movement, has already made great strides in putting climate change and ecological breakdown firmly on the political agenda. One of XR’s principles is that we value reflection and learning, and we genuinely welcome and appreciate constructive feedback on what we can improve. But more than anything, what we need, what our planet needs, is for positive contributions. I think we have a lot in common, and I’d like to invite you to get involved. Let’s do this together.
Connect with our friendly local group via http://www.xrhsl.org