AusMM Actions Visioning

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

Happy to move the answers to questions away from the questions if @ManicMax or another admin can help. But can we leave the discussion here just for another day or so? (maybe we could have one topic for Wave 1 questions/topics, one topic for Wave 1 proposals, and a topic each for Wave 2 and Wave 3? (Seems a bit strange to me to separate the Wave 1 questions and the Wave 1 answers, but I’m not that fussed.)

I think we need to come to some sort of conclusion on what we are going to communicate about Wave 1 during September by tonight ideally - in time to take a proposal to the AusMM Coordinators Group. Or, failing that, at least come to a view on what to say about AusMM and local group actions in the Vic newsletter (deadline is Friday). And any other state or regional newsletters. We can’t start encouraging local groups to do local actions in September until we have some general idea what we are encouraging them to do and that overlaps with the question of what Wave 1 actually is. I’m coming at this from a Media and Messaging perspective. We’ve been asked to do some ‘launch’ promotional materials but that’s impossible till it’s clear what we are launching. And unless we decide soon, then it’s getting a bit late to be coordinating any actions in September.

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

It’s important to remember that a lot of local XR groups have formed and burned out already. I think we should be encouraging them to do a week that has an action in it, a week that has an outreach/movement building action in it, a week where they do rebel ringing and checking in on all the group’s rebels - especially those who are new or who have dropped out, and a week off. The movement building and movement support functions are also important - and so is time off if we are going to keep going with this for a year or more.

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

Yes I am definitely not suggesting we go to gradualist-style “100% renewables” style messaging. Any themes we used would definitely come back to the three demands, existential threat and the core XR messaging. So yes, if we did gas, it would be “gas-fired recovery=climate collapse” “our political system is broken”, “gas is cooking our mother” (picture of burning earth), “business as usual = death”, “Extinction … or rebellion” etc. I know we have been using #BuildBackBetter, but even that is a bit gradualist for me.

[extinction1234567 (Jaytodaro)]

@JaneM, @Mad_Mattho @ManicMax left the actions meeting early yesterday, so this might have changed. but there was consent to propose october 1st as a new launch date to the coordinators today. Before we encourage local groups to do something, the sequencing of actions needs to be sorted. So one reason there’s a proposed new date is because that’s when Sydney’s rebellion is starting. We need to work out if we want to encourage local groups to do actions on the rebellion days, or if they should have a day of action on their own. i’m not sure what the answer is to that one.
Something else we need to sort is when the vic actions should be done. Should they be on the same days as the Sydney rebellion actions? Or should they be in late september, before the Sydney rebellion (28th-30th)?
Re timing of coordinated actions into the future, is there enough buy- in in this thread for monthly, themed coordinated actions to be proposed to the coordinators meeting (we didn’t get a chance to see if there was any objections in the actions meeting)?

i also think if the things that need to get sorted out don’t tonight, then an emergency meeting should be proposed to work through it more. we obviously have a tight deadline, but i think these issues and others like the ones mentioned can’t be rushed and need sufficient discussion to figure out the best way forward

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

I’m not in any rush @extinction1234567 it was only the pressure to come up with messaging for the Vic newsletter that was creating a deadline. If Actions don’t particularly want anything to go in the newsletter then let’s leave it for a while. Just checking - is there a launch date for the mobilisation project and another launch date for some synchronised (or unsynchronised) local group actions or are these two launches one and the same?

[extinction1234567 (Jaytodaro)]

oh righto. i think it’d be ideal to have something in the newsletter, but if the issues can’t get sorted tonight or tomorrow due to capacity then there isn’t much we can do about it it seems. but if it’s worked out after the newsletter goes out, i can just let all of the lg’s know about the exact plan.i’ve already explained mass mobilisation and have said that there’s going to be coordinated actions in late september or early october to most of them. so it won’t take that long or be too complex to update them with just a little more info. i’m thinking we could let them know all at once via the communication channel that can be set up soon for all of the lg’s (probably mattermost.). and for those who can’t get onto it i’ll just call

with the launch date question, that’s something still to be decided.

[ManicMax (Max)]

Regarding the OP’s question of visioning the action waves, I think it’s important to keep in mind the goals of each of the waves.

Wave 1’s core goal is to build movement power for waves 2 and 3.
Wave 2’s core goal is to build movement power for wave 3 by disrupting state capitals.
Wave 3’s core goal is to make the boulder move, with government forced to make concessions or (better yet) give in to our demands.

@JaneM

Question 1: do you agree that Wave 1 consists of monthly local group actions?

Question 2: do you agree that we aim to coordinate the monthly actions so they occur mostly in a particular week of a month?

Question 3: do you agree that we aim for one or more shared themes for the actions in a particular month?

: Question 4: if we are doing coordinated local group actions in September should the date be:
(a) the week starting Sept 1 (or possibly August 28 - that’s when the UK starts)?
(b) the week 19-24 Sept approx - before SS4C?
© the week starting 26 Sept - after SS4C?

Question 5: for your chosen date, should we aim for a shared theme and similar targets and if so, what should that shared theme and targets be?

Wave 1 as it is stated at the moment has as it’s core goal to build movement capacity to plan and carry out civil disobedience actions, and normalize civil disobedience. For this reason I’m against anything that reduces the accessibility, ease or eagerness for groups to carry out actions. So to answer these questions:

1. It consists of more-or-less monthly actions, but groups should be free to change the length of the cycle to suit the needs of the group. Intense action-based affinity groups should be free to do actions multiple times a month if they want to. Groups with time-stressed members or organizers should be free to do actions less frequently - every 6 weeks, or even once in wave 1 and then plan to take part in wave 2.

2. Once we have a decent number of groups acting I think it would be interesting to explore the idea of a synchronized day of action - but until then I’d prefer groups to be free to carry out their actions at the time most appropriate for themselves.

3. This could be interesting to explore, but we should keep in mind that this is a national mobilisation and some communities may have pertinent issues to do with the climate emergency that they might want to theme their actions on - Andy, for example, set up a new local group in Wollembi, who were keen to oppose the planned opening of a coal mine in their area. XR Forests might prefer to do actions themed on deforestation. It’s all part of the climate emergency though, and all of these issues need a joined up systemic response, so that’s why all these groups will come and shut the cities down in Wave 2.

4. I think we shouldn’t coordinate a synchronized start to wave 1. Wave 1 is local groups demonstrating collective power by carrying out regular actions in their communities. It will take time to set up new groups, and to invite old groups to take part. So picture Wave 1 not as a tidal wave, but as a snowball gathering size and speed.

5. Nah, I don’t think we should, as it would slow us down. Better to start working on the messaging for wave 2.

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

@ManicMax So under your proposal there would be no launch date and no particular guidance or support for doing anything in particular in September or October? I think that would be a pity.

I completely agree that some affinity groups have their own priorities and there will be groups of experienced and well-connected rebels doing actions on forests, media, gas, councils … no matter what we do.

But what about the less well connected local group members who used to meet weekly but whose local groups have been in ‘hibernation’ in recent months?

I think a week of action, or even a day of action, in September or early October would provide an energising focus and a reason to get back together and become active. Especially if fragile local groups didn’t have to do all the extra conceptual work to come up with potential targets, messaging, leaflets etc.

I agree that one purpose of local group actions is to practice for bigger actions but that’s not a very energising message: ‘come block the street on Saturday to practice for blocking the streets in the state capital … on a date that is yet to be determined’??

I think that our actions could be limited by the pandemic well into next year. Why not make use of this time to do something useful? Local actions fulfil their movement building purpose better if their actions have some point to them!

I think a coordinated ‘We’re back!’ wave of local actions would be far better for movement building. And there’s the added bonus that they could quite possibly win some outcomes - again much better for movement building.

In this case the message goes something like:
‘Our broken political system is using the pandemic as a cover for funneling money to the industries that are killing us. While we have been in isolation to protect our communities, gas and coal has been expanding and our few unburnt forests are being logged. In the last week of September and the first week of October, XR returns to the streets to amplify the voices of school strikers marching on 25 September by rebelling for life. Which do you choose - extinction or rebellion? Here’s an action pack with ideas for local group actions and here’s a person who can support your group in mobilising.’

[ManicMax (Max)]

@JaneM

@ManicMax So under your proposal there would be no launch date and no particular guidance or support for doing anything in particular in September or October? I think that would be a pity.

Not at all! We have action recipes, we have campaign messaging packs, and we have rebels who can help the group through the process of getting together and carrying out their first action.

We can do synchronised “weeks of action” but I would still encourage groups to do actions in times suitable for them.

@JaneM

In this case the message goes something like:
‘Our broken political system is using the pandemic as a cover for funneling money to the industries that are killing us. While we have been in isolation to protect our communities, gas and coal has been expanding and our few unburnt forests are being logged. In the last week of September and the first week of October, XR returns to the streets to amplify the voices of school strikers marching on 25 September by rebelling for life. Which do you choose - extinction or rebellion? Here’s an action pack with ideas for local group actions and here’s a person who can support your group in mobilising.’

This is perfect.

[extinction1234567 (Jaytodaro)]

@the-river-jordan @JaneM @ManicMax @ageorge @Vee @laura @Mad_Mattho
Have a concern with monthly civil disobedience saturdays; are most groups going to be able to prepare an impactful action every month in a way that doesnt burn groups out? If not, i propose the suggested cycle should be moved to 6 weeks. It could then be adjusted to be more regular if that’s what’s preferred in the feedback

[laura]

I think the keyword here is impactful - these actions aren’t designed to bring about change in and of themselves, but rather to be building skills and community, so I think monthly is good. Every 6 weeks is difficult to remember when the last one was, is difficult to market (eg first saturday of the month etc).

If these are easy actions, following a template or something they’ve created, and running for only a short time frame (eg a 5 min roadblock or a 20 min die in), then I think monthly should be possible. No group is obligated to do it monthly either - I think they can skip some if they are burning out.

But we need to be clear that these aren’t designed to be huge, red actions every month and their shouldn’t be a tonne of work involved in them.

[JaneM (Jane Morton)]

I think it will evolve exactly how often local groups do actions, and whether there is any coordination on dates and themes. The most urgent thing to decide is how to engage local groups in the upcoming wave of rebellion that is occurring in Sydney in early October and in many other places in the first week of October. It’s a nightmare trying to have this discussion across multiple platforms so I’ve created a Signal chat that brings together groups that are planning actions in early October with Media and Messaging crew who can assist. @Laura would you like me to add you?

[ageorge (andrew)]

We need to normalise civil disobedience in our culture (xr/broader) of activism otherwise we’re gonna get nowhere. the idea is that a mini roadblock is not much more difficult than asking people to sign petitions outside a mall. Also it’s about creating jingles , marketability. If we get local news reporters saying ‘XR as part of ‘civil disobedience saturdays’ across the nation… they’re saying that instead of taking your kids to soccer on the weeekend take them to civil disobedeince saturdays to protect their future…’’ that kind of messaging can take off across the country… and it encourages everyone to do it!!