Jul 7, 20203 min read

Unprecedented Alliance With BIPOC and Extinction Rebellion Canada

Extinction Rebellion Canada And The BIPOC Alliance

Extinction Rebellion was created in the UK by a group called Rising Up !, founded in 2016 with the aim of empowering citizen groups committed to social change.

Under our current system, we are headed for disaster catastrophic climate change will kill millions, cause food collapse, and render many more homeless. Mass extinction of wild species will lead to ecological collapse. Destruction of natural habitats will lead to genocide of indigenous peoples and the loss of our planet's life support systems. It's not too late to change course - a better future is possible.

But governments are consistently failing to take the urgent and decisive action that will save us. If the system will not change, then we must change the system.

Here are the demands:

1. TELL THE TRUTH

That the Government must tell the truth about how deadly our situation is, it must reverse all policies not in alignment with that position and must work alongside the media to communicate the urgency for change including what individuals, communities and businesses need to do.

2. ACT NOW

The Government must enact legally-binding policies to reduce carbon emissions in Canada to net zero by 2025 and take further action to remove the excess of atmospheric greenhouse gases. It must cooperate internationally so that the global economy runs on no more than half a planet’s worth of resources per year

3. CITIZEN'S ASSEMBLY

The creation of a Citizen's Assembly in charge of deciding the measures needed to reach goals and guarantee a just and fair transition.

The Fourth Demand

Let us use our BIPOC voices to help solidify the fourth demand by making any adjustments to the following statement:

"We demand a just transition that prioritises the most vulnerable people and indigenous sovereignty; establishes reparations and remediation led by and for Black people, Indigenous people, people of color and poor communities for years of environmental injustice, establishes legal rights for ecosystems to thrive and regenerate in perpetuity, and repairs the effects of ongoing ecocide to prevent extinction of human and all species, in order to maintain a livable, just planet for all."

Now is the time for our voices to be heard to take part in the rise of good against tyranny, using our ancestral knowledge; we can further the agenda of mass survival as it dictates within our natural laws and the means of true freedom and the responsibilities that come with that gift and all that it entails. Holding onto what's sacred and sharing what should be shared such as ecological, political, and social teachings in a cultural context can only further the understanding for Non-Indigenous/Settler communities and the unprecedented need for our hearts and minds to be shared with the world.

Creating a world that is fit for generations to come is the first principle of Extinction Rebellion (XR) Canada which is also embedded in our beliefs of care taking of the land for the next seven generations, as is leaving our comfort zones to take action for change. Breaking down hierarchies of power for more equitable participation has been the foundation of the Haudenosaunee and the matrilineal system that is still followed and respected to this day after thousands of years. Using non-violent strategy and tactics as the most effective way to bring about change and this has shown effective in the very essence of Indigenous Being.

Send your suggestions to decolonize@thecrediblemohawk.com with the subject line "Fourth Demand XR Canada"