Community Assemblies Escalation Plan - Extinction Rebellion UK
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Community Assemblies Escalation Plan

A community assembly is local people hearing, deliberating and deciding about local issues that affect community lives every day.

The current political system is failing to take the actions we need. It’s time to decide for ourselves, together, and launch a new wave of community action to bring a Citizens Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice to Westminster.

This is what democracy looks like.

There are already

20

community assemblies organising across the UK.

There are 317 local councils, 62 unitary authorities, 24 metro mayors, 1 Westminster.

Find your group or start one

Escalation

We are reaching out to councils and metropolitan authorities to invite them to take part, to listen to local people and implement their decisions. We know we are running out of time. If local authorities won’t listen, we will up the pressure.

Government authority buildings will be occupied all over the UK, with the simple demand to follow the recommendations of their local community assembly on issues that those communities agree are important. And we won’t take no for an answer. 

We are already doing it. 

Join your community assembly or find others and bring community power to your area!

It is easy to find or start your community assembly group and there is a lot of support available. 

  1. Read the plan in detail
  2. What is a community assembly?
  3. Find your nearest community assembly
  4. Training, resources and support

Want to find out more? Join the weekly drop in every Friday @ 3pm – https://xrb.link/iM7VMW9cI9I

Or look through the Community Assembly Manual (PDF).

1. Plan Detail

Step 1: Assemblies Everywhere

1. Connect with local communities & groups

  • Gather an organising group.  
  • Build local alliances with as many local community groups as possible
  • Invite your local authority and politicians.

2. Decide on a topic and identify your relevant authority

  • Choose a local issue together and find out which relevant authority(s)* have power over that issue. 
  • Find your assembly venue, ideally near your relevant authority building. 
  • Encourage as many local people as possible to train to help facilitate or take notes at your assembly. 
  • Invite speakers with a range of perspectives to present to the assembly.
  • Publicise and advertise your event. Tell your local community about what you are doing.  Enlist their support.  

3. Hold an assembly

  • Make it fun in every way you can: food, drink, arts and more.
Step 2: Escalate locally

4. Publish your results and find out how your relevant authority responds

  • Authority engaged and supportive? Make a plan with them for how they will implement your community’s recommendations. 
  • Authority not engaged and dismissing your recommendations? Demand a response and give them a deadline (make it realistic enough for you to galvanise others to join in).
  • When they say no, which we expect many will, it’s time to escalate…

5. You have engaged your community with your assembly results. Now plan your action(s) together

  • Invite your local media, invite your nan and neighbours!

6. Take action!

  • Occupy your local authority, or take other appropriate actions in your area.
Step 3: Community -> Westminster

7. Engage MPs with what your community is doing

  • Colourful and cordial coordinated visits to your MP’s office.  Groups around the UK can visit their MPs at the same time for impact.
  • Show your MP what your community is doing and what you all want. 
  • Tell your MP that their constituents want this form of democracy in Westminster.  Explain why you want a Citizens’ Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice now.

8. Publicise your visits to your MP

  • Let everyone (including the media) know what you are doing and how your MP has responded.

9. UK-wide action

  • Prepare your local community for the possibility of occupying Westminster until we get the Citizens’ Assembly on Climate and Ecological Justice that we need.

Find your authority on our map

*Relevant authority: Depending upon the local issue that you have identified and the structure of government in your area, the authority that has relevant powers may be: your county or borough council, your metropolitan authority (e.g. in London that would be the Great London Authority or the London Assembly), devolved authority (e.g. Welsh Assembly), or even Westminster.

2. What is a Community Assembly?

3. Training, resources and support

Resources

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