How to find your people
First you’ll want to gather those that are sympathetic or interested in the Rebellion in your area
Building stronger social ties with our neighbours and local communities is in and of itself a transformative process. It enables us to create new and long-lasting connections with people who live in our community, to collectively create a support network of caring and compassionate neighbours, who look after each other, and to develop a sense of belonging, which can overcome the social isolation that runs through much of modern society.
Making connections with others can also create a foundation from which we can work together to push for systemic change and to create a society that considers the needs of everyone. The way we organise and relate to our communities in this time of crisis could help to shift us towards a genuinely democratic society full of autonomous, empowered, resilient and supportive neighbourhoods and communities.
1. Create your Online Spaces
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Create an email address
- We recommend using an encrypted service such as Protonmail.
- Ensure that your email is clear. Eg xr.bristol@protonmail.com.
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Set up Social Media pages for your new Local Group
- Sign in to facebook using your personal account
- In the top menu click Create ---> Page
- Choose community or public figure
- Fill in Page Name e.g. XRCambridge
- Category e.g. Cause
- Upload a profile picture - use a version of the xr logo.
- This image accompanies your business name in search results and when you interact with users, and also appears on the top left of your Facebook Page Your profile picture will appear as a square on your Facebook Page, but will be cropped to a circle in ads and posts, so don’t put any critical details in the corners.
- Upload a cover image.
- The cover image is the most prominent image on your Facebook Business Page. It will display at 820 x 312 pixels on desktop or 640 x 360 pixels on mobile. The image must be at least 400 pixels wide and 150 tall.
- Page should now be created!
- Go to the Groups option in the left hand menu and link your XR Group to the page.
- Start sharing your page with friends and posting events and information about XR.
2. Bring People Together
Heading for Extinction Talk
The talk introducing the reality of the climate & ecological crisis, and the rationale and ethos behind the Extinction Rebellion movement. This is the XR talk and is recommended for everyone.
The Heading for Extinction talk aims to inform your local group members about the rationale behind XR, so that we are all on the same page. It is also a great tool to reach out to like-minded people in your community, those who may potenially join your group or be supportive from within their own community.
How to Host the Talk
- You can use recordings of the talk in a Zoom call. This gives you several versions to pick from and you can easily pause it at key moments for discussion.
- You can Request a Speaker to give the talk, either in a Zoom call or in person.
- Find your Regional Trainings email at the bottom of this page.
NVDA Training
An essential training for all rebels. This training introduces Extinction Rebellion’s tactics of non-violent direct action and civil disobedience, with discussion of the rationale, legality and logistics of our actions. This training also includes practical lessons in de-escalation, talking to the police, and arrest advice.
The training is made of seminar style information with practical exercises and chances to ask lots of questions. Please note, this training is recommended regardless of whether you plan to be arrested, and is distinct from NVDA training given in other organisations and movements. This training is regularly updated and we recommend rebels attend more than one.
- Request a Trainer to give the workshop:
- Find your Regional Trainings email at the bottom of this page.
- Or you can find a series of videos on the Rebellion Academy to use during a Zoom call.
Regen 101 Workshop
Is a workshop designed by Australian Rebels which introduces people to the fundamentals of XR through a regenerative lens. It focuses on Self-Care, Intersectionality, Burnout Resilience and Action Care, and as a mobilisation tool it has been successfully used as a softer alternative to the NVDA training.
- Find the materials for this workshop Here
3. Promote your Event
Now you need to invite people to your events! There are many ways of letting people know that things are happening, check out some of the suggestions below.
- Create a Facebook event and ask your Region and/or nearby Local Groups to co-host the event.
- With a Facebook event, ask your friends and network to help you promote it by sharing, accepting invites or having conversations in the comments.
- Create posters or flyers to put in your local cafes, libraries or community spaces.
- Reach out in neighbourhood groups on Facebook, Nextdoor, or in person.
- You could write an article for your local newspaper, or get a call out on local radio!
This page was written by @Raenyah please contact me if you have any questions or think something needs to be added.