Escalation Plan. Being Heard.

Community Assemblies are part of a bigger plan for Extinction Rebellion. Community Assemblies could be a strategy through which we escalate (particularly our 3rd Demand) from local assemblies, all the way up to Westminster.

Remember, that this is horses for courses. Your local organisers may wish to hold an assembly on a topic important to them, which may or may not have the aim of making recommendations to your local or regional authority. Your group will want to decide in advance which outcomes your want to achieve when deciding your topic for deliberation.

The escalation potentially begins from organising local Community Assemblies which are aimed at applying pressure on local / regional politicians. So for instance, if your local authority will not support your community in the following ways, you may consider occupying uncollaborative local or unitary Authorities. Local groups can get sufficient support from allies armed with some of the following info:
E.g

• Your relevant authority refuses to take on board recommendations arising from well-organised local community assemblies.
• Your local authority (LA) refuses to declare a climate and ecological emergency
• Your LA scores low on the National Score Card. Get even more insight on your local authority climate emergency score card
• Your LA refuses to join the UN 'Race To Zero' initiative

Now Is A Good Time

If your local authorities tick some of the boxes above, then alongside allies with whom you share values, in the lead up to a General Election, we all have greater influence on politicians than at any other time. In particular, where politicians are in deadlock over issues around our climate and ecological emergency, we can open up conversations around community assemblies and a Citizen's Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice.

Full Disclosure: Extinction Rebellion's strategic aim is to achieve a tipping point of local support that pushes the conversation about a Citizen's Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice, ultimately to reach Westminster ears. This can only come from the grassroots, i.e. us, the people.

We know our political systems are broken. Imagine a proven method of decision making to make sure the interests of people and nature are taken into careful consideration, in all decisions. Imagine decision making where no one is left behind and we transition together, collaboratively to a healthier, fairer society. Mobilising and empowering local people at the grassroots is the starting point...

XR's vision is that over coming months, dozens of government and authority buildings could be occupied all over the country, with the simple demand to follow the recommendations of their local community assembly on important issues.

Of course, your local or regional authority might already be an agreement to implement recommendations from local assemblies... It's already starting to happen. (See Case Studies). If your decision making authorities are not on board yet:

• Check out our 2 page introducer of how your Escalation Plan could happen in 5 steps to guide you to make your 'people power' vision a reality where you live and work. Read XR's Escalation Plan Overview

• Watch XR's Community Assembly Escalation Plan slideshow

• View 'Introduction to the Community Assembly Escalation Plan' recording of our Open Call from October 2023

If you are not sure about where the decision making powers lie where you are, have a look at the Combined Authorities map for considering including politicians and officers in your community assembly or escalation plans. Map link here

If you have any questions on any of the choices of direction you face, or just need to bounce ideas around, please contact your regional/national Gardener, who supports local groups, or email communityassemblies@extinctonrebellion.uk