Care and Respect
Principle 8. We avoid blaming and shaming: we live in a toxic system, but no one individual is to blame.
Principle 3. We need a regenerative culture: creating a culture which is healthy, resilient and adaptable.
We do not waste energy or sow division by attacking people personally. We live in a system that damages us all and no one person is to blame.
The work we do in XR can be physically, mentally and emotionally demanding. To protect ourselves, we try to integrate what we call 'regenerative culture' into our everyday behaviour. ‘Regen’, as it is commonly known in XR, means taking care of ourselves and each other, and ensuring that we all take enough down time.
Emotional Support
The crisis we find ourselves in can cause us very real and painful emotions such as grief, hopelessness and anxiety. XR maintains the following support provided by our Trained Emotional Support Network (TESN):
Telephone Active Listening
Feeling anxious, lonely, or just had a bad day? You can make a request to speak with a trained and vetted Rebel Active Listener by emailing rebel2rebel@tesn.uk. Please note that this is not a counselling service.
This video gives more details (2 mins)
Counselling or Psychotherapy
The Climate Psychology Alliance (CPA) provides a list of Practitioners offering three free sessions of therapeutic support to activists. Please note that the practitioners have not been formally vetted so it is up to you to confirm their suitability.
Data Protection
How we protect your data
XR Privacy Policy. For queries or requests about your data, please email dataprotection@rebellion.earth
How we ask you to protect other people’s data
Volunteer Agreement. This agreement gives some simple principles for treating data with care and respect. All new joiners should digitally sign this, but it is particularly important that organisers do so.
Behaviour
Rebels who help organise XR are asked to follow our Ways of Working. This guide covers how we expect people to act as individuals and within groups: not just how we talk but how we listen and not just who we work with but how we include them.
Although we accept every person, we do not accept every behaviour. We will tackle harmful behaviour or language when it arises. There are also a few rare cases where we might not be able to include you. Your needs might be beyond what we can meet, or you might risk causing harm to others (see ‘Safeguarding’ below)
Conflict
Conflict isn't necessarily a bad thing. In fact, it is to be expected when we're dealing with such difficult issues. But when conflict becomes harmful, it needs resolving. You may be asked to take part in a conflict-resolution process by your group if you're a party to the conflict, or if you're outside it and may be able to help resolve it.
When misunderstandings and our egos get between us and our goals, we try to remember our important shared purpose and to hold things lightly.
Safeguarding
It is everyone's duty to make sure everyone in XR is safe from exploitation or abuse (especially from those in a position of responsibility).
If there's anything in your past that may indicate a risk to others, you should tell the relevant group before you take on a role within XR (e.g. failed DBS checks, a conviction for a violent or sexual crime (even if spent), or restraining orders). They may not stop you volunteering for XR, but we need to know about them so that we can protect you and others.
We each have a responsibility to look out for each other and report anything that worries us or makes us uncomfortable. If you encounter a situation that makes you uncomfortable either for yourself or someone else, please let your group organisers, and if necessary your wider circle, know so they can work to sort things out.
Further information:
More details about TESN on the XR UK main website