by Renn Duncan
The climate emergency isn’t news to any of us. We have all seen on the news and social media that, every day, more and more people have been taking an interest in the dying world around us. But what may be news to some is a technique we can use to push back against the madness behind climate change — nonviolent direct action, or NVDA.
Nonviolent direct action is especially important now, when activists all over the world are pushing our governments to take charge against impending “biological annihilation.” Terrifyingly, we are heading for a mass extinction, something most of us can’t even begin to wrap our heads around.
For any new activist, the biggest question one may ask is, “where do I fit in?” The truth is, we are all a little lost, especially considering we, regular people, are being tasked with saving the world. What can we do? Is there any hope? How can ordinary people find the power they need?
Luckily, there is. In my own search for hope, I discovered Extinction Rebellion, also known as XR. This international climate activist group originated in London, where citizens issued a “Declaration of Rebellion” against their government.
XR describes itself on its website as an “international movement that uses non-violent civil disobedience in an attempt to halt mass extinction and minimize the risk of social collapse.” Now, odd as it may seem, my excitement was paired with intimidation after researching XR. It seemed so much bigger than me that there was no way I could think of taking part. Fortunately, I was wrong on that one.
After reaching out to my local XR group, I attended one of their social meet-ups at Dickens Pub downtown. I was taken aback by how friendly everyone was. Even as I saw myself as an outsider, a newcomer in the world of activism, they treated me like one of their own right away. For me, this was a good opener to see what XR really was like on the inside, and I was definitely impressed by what I encountered. While the social meet-up was a great experience, it still felt crucial to me as an activist to attend one of XR’s NVDA training sessions.
NVDA , or nonviolent direct action, is a core principle of Extinction Rebellion. Using “momentum-driven organising,” XR pushes governments to act on its three demands: for governments to be truthful of the climate crisis, to act immediately, and to implement citizen’s assemblies to choose the most effective methods for climate action.
During NVDA training, we went into more detail about these demands and how we as regular people can push for these actions, while doing so in a way that does not undermine the cause. Which brings us to another question: why NVDA? What makes nonviolent direct action effective?
As taught in the training session, we choose nonviolent action for several reasons. The main aim of this tactic is to disrupt the norm and agitate against the ideas of business as usual. We cannot keep going in the direction we are headed if we want any hope for a future for ourselves and for generations to come! Luckily for us, though, NVDA is an effective tactic that has been used throughout time to expose the violence of repressive systems and has become a driving force for real societal change.
The idea of demonstrating in nonviolent ways may seem ineffective, that it is not disruptive enough to create friction, let alone any real change. That’s certainly what I thought at first. However, this presentation had me completely swayed.
In the training, we discussed many ways in which we can demonstrate, ranging from symbolic forms of protest, such as posters, and other creative, message spreading forms of demonstration, all the way to the more disruptive, and even arrestable actions. What I found enlightening from this training is that violence and disruption are not the same thing. This realization led me to question my own principles and made me think of how much I personally would be willing to sacrifice for our cause, because what really matters is what the individual sees in Extinction Rebellion.
Another interesting point is the distinction between violent and nonviolent action. We learned that this definition can vary among various cultures and even among individuals. There was lots of discussion over our personal values, which helped me discover my own values as an activist and identify others with similar views.
I also loved the exercises we did in the training. When you attend an NVDA training, don’t expect to stay sitting! We practised one exercise in particular that I felt held a lot of importance. We split up into groups, and acted out different scenarios that may happen at a demonstration, figuring out how to act peacefully while still getting the message across. I personally dread role-play activities because I am shy, but the others were so welcoming, and probably nervous in their own ways too, which diminished any nervousness I originally had. The social environment of the training was friendly, welcoming, and community-based. For someone coming into all of this alone, like I did, it was the least intimidating experience I could have imagined.
All in all, this experience was a great one for me as an activist. It was amazing to connect with like-minded individuals. The discussions were in depth, and the educational aspects left me impressed. I feel better equipped to handle the unknowns in my own pursuit of change, and XR provided a place where I feel I belong. Also, I realize now that we are all in this together.
The key inspirational message I took from this training is that as long as one follows the ten key principles of the organization, you can be acting as Extinction Rebellion. This is YOUR cause as much as it is MY cause, as much as it is anybody’s cause. Earth is home to all of us.
Luckily, for any aspiring activist, all of the information one needs to begin to take a stand against this global threat is provided at the XR NVDA training. We share the same fears, and hopes, and we all reach for the same goals — a sustainable world. This is Extinction Rebellion. We are Extinction Rebellion.