Hosted Training Sessions

In the Foundation Programme, all live Hosted Training sessions are with expert trainers and it is best to attend these in person wherever possible.
If you can't manage to come to a session, you may have the option of booking a later date or watching a recorded version. Links to recordings are on the Course Schedule form.

Welcome to Extinction Rebellion

As it's name suggests, this session is a brief introduction to the movement.
It covers how XRUK began and why Nonviolent Direct Action was chosen as our main strategy for action. You'll learn about our Three Demands and our Ten Principles & Values, the various ways you can join in with XRUK, and where you can find lots of other useful information.

• The session runs every Tuesday from 7.00 to 8.30pm plus 30 minutes for Q&A
• If you are unable to attend, you can watch a recording here.
• You can register for another date using the registration link on the Course Schedule form

XR's Communication Tools - Hub and Mattermost

In this session, you'll learn how to use The Hub - XR's "telephone directory" - and get onto Mattermost. Mattermost is an app that is something like WhatsApp but better as it allows you to find and communicate with anyone in XR, anywhere in the world.

• The Hub and Mattermost Training runs every Thursday from 6.30 to 7.30pm.
• You may also attend The Hub and Mattermost Drop In Support, which runs every Monday from 5.30 to 6.00pm - ideal for quick questions and fixes.
• There is no need to register for either of these sessions - simply 'drop-in' using this Zoom link for both.
• You can watch a recording of the Thursday session here.
• You can also watch a series of short videos on how to use the Hub and Mattermost on XR Tube (XRUK's own version of YouTube) - find the Playlist here.

Nonviolent Direct Action (NVDA)

NVDA is at the heart of XR’s campaign strategy. It is very important for rebels to fully understand why it was chosen and how we use it, to be able to discuss personal views and hear those of others, and to ask questions. For all these reasons, active participation is key and so this training is NOT recorded.

• This Session usually runs on alternate Sundays from 10.00am to 1.00pm and includes two breaks.
• You can also find and register for NVDA and many other training sessions on the Events Page of the XRUK website. Click here.
• If Sundays are not a good day for you to attend, there is a basic version of NVDA training on Rebellion Academy. Click here.

Please note - if you are planning to attend any XR action, it is strongly recommended that you attend a live NVDA training first, and also a Know Your Rights (KYR) training.

Introduction to Meetings

XR runs on meetings - lots of meetings! - and we run them in a way that may not be familar to you. Come to this essential training and you will: 

• Understand how our meetings work
• See how our Principles & Values are reflected in how we work together
• Learn how to be, what to say and when to say it in our meetings
• Learn how to use an agenda document
• Find out about our Self Organising System (SOS) and how the movement works

This is another training where physical attendance is central to the learning process and, therefore, it is also not available as a recording. Currently, there is no equivalent learning source, so please do your best to attend one of these sessions.

• When you click on the link to register, a document opens with more than one date on it. Please make sure to register for the correct date - it usually says "Recommended for Foundation Programme Students".
• However, if you wish to attend one of the more general sessions on a different date, please make sure it does not clash with another of your FP Zoom sessions.
• Alternatively, please contact us and we will check future dates with the Facilitation Circle.

How XR Works and Who Makes the Decisions

In XR, we strive to disperse power and decision-making throughout the movement. This is accomplished through a Self Organising System. In this Hosted Training session we consider:

• What is a Self Organising System (SOS)?
• Who makes the decisions?
• Are we centralised or decentralised?
• What is "The Hive"?
• How can I have a say?
• What does the evidence on civil disobedience movements tell us about how we need to organise?

This session is run especially for the Foundation Programme. It runs from 7.00 to 8.00pm with an additional 30 minutes for Q&A. If you cannot attend, you can watch the recording here.

Skills, Boundaries and Interacting with Your Team

This session is also unique to the Foundation Programme. It is ideal to attend in person to make the most of the opportunties for personal reflection and writing.

The session is essential for those wishing to join an XR team!

Joining an existing team can be scary. It’s hard to know where to start and it’s hard to get your head around what is going on (as you may have learned in Introduction to Meetings!). Feelings of anxiety and overwhelm are common even if we already have an idea of what we want to do.

This workshop aims to cut through the chaos.

We consider:

• our individual skills and which ones we wish to offer
• who to talk to and how teams are structured and get work done
• how we can tailor a role to fit our individuality
• how to give back tasks we don’t want or can’t take on
• where we set our own boundaries.

By the end of this session, we hope you will:

• feel more confident in taking your first steps
• have an idea of the direction you wish to go
• have formulated a touchstone to come back to in times of stress

Remember, we are volunteering our time to XR, not sacrificing it.