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Glossary of Terms

We know that for a newcomer to Extinction Rebellion our resources and newsletters can appear full of jargon, acronyms and nonsense. First of all, we sincerly apologise for this. Jargon is useful shorthand within a group but can be unhelpful to new rebels and so we have created this page to help!

See also the Glossary in the Rebel Starter Pack!.

Feel free to add new entries or add in terms you have come across which you do not understand. This is by no means a complete list.

Frequently Used Terms

Acronyms

  • A&LS - Arrestee & Legal Support
  • AG - Affinity Group
  • AGSN - Affinity Group Support Network
  • AP - Action Point
  • APC - Action Planner's Circle
  • AN - Action Network
  • AS - Arrest Support
  • BADON - Building a Distributed Organising Network
  • CC - Connecting Communities
  • EC - External Coordinator
  • GS - Global Support
  • IC - Internal Coordinator
  • ISN - Internationalist Solidarity Network
  • IST - International Support Team
  • IR - International Rebel
  • KYR - Know Your Rights
  • LG - Local Group
  • LO - Legal Observer
  • M&M - Media & Messaging
  • MM - Mattermost
  • MoM - Movement of Movements
  • NARD - National & Regional Development (Now known as XRUK)
  • NVDA - Nonviolent Direct Action
  • PSS - Police Station Support
  • RA - Rebellion Acedemy
  • RISE CWUP - Pre-action/arrest training - stands for Reasons, Impact, Support, Embed, Concerns, Wellbeing, Uncertainty, Preparation
  • RR - Rebel Ringers
  • RSO - Rebellion Support Office
  • SASN - Strategy Assembly Support Network
  • SDT - Strategy Development Team
  • SOS - Self-Organising System
  • SST - Strategy Stewardship Team
  • T&T - Talks and Trainings
  • UKSA - United Kingdom Strategy Assembly
  • VLE - Volunteer Living Expenses
  • WALA - Week of Aligned Local Actions
  • WG - Working Group
  • XRU - Extinction Rebellion Universities
  • XRY - Extinction Rebellion Youth
  • XRYS - Extinction Rebellion Youth Solidarity

Organisational Terms

  • Affinity Group - A small group, created for an action, of rebels who are willing to take the same kinds of actions. That is, one Affinity Group may be up for dancing naked in parliment or another may be up for flyposting, but everyone withing one affinity group agrees on the level of actio they are iinterested in. Affinity groups ought to be self contained, having their own wellbeing rebels, support rebels, media rebels etc.
  • Community Group - A group brough together by their identity, this could be their faith, culture, occupation or really anything! Out community groups include XR Grandparents, XR Muslims, XR Boatdwellers, XR Doctors etc
  • DNA - The things that make us XR. These include our Principles & Values, our Self-Organising System, our Ways of Working etc. Essentially our DNA brings together all the things that we, as XR, fundamentally agree on.
  • The Hive - The Hive is the widest circle in the XRUK organism. It is made up of representatives from each Nation and Region of the UK as well as some from the UK Support structure. It aims to hold XR UK’s shared purpose within the global XR movement, supporting it to achieve its 3 demands in the UK.
  • Mandate - Each role and circle within XR has a mandate, and this tells those in that role or circle what they can do and lets others know what that role or circle is responsible for. Mandates are typically written as a statement of purpose (why the role or circle exists) and a list of accountabilities (what those rebels are responsible for).
  • Self-Organising System - Is our system of organising. It includes how we make decisions, define roles and structure ourselves. The Self-Organising System is dynamic and evolving as we learn what works and what doesn't. See Self-Organising System on the UK web site.

Other Terms

  • Action Network - An organisation that provides facilities for sending out emails to lists of subscribers, and allows people to sign up to those lists. Not part of XR. Web site at actionnetwork.org.
  • Citizens' Assembly - Citizens’ Assemblies are innovative processes that can empower people, communities and entire countries to make important decisions in a way that is fair and deeply democratic. Our 3rd Demand is that Government must create and be led by the decisions of a Citizens’ Assembly on climate and ecological justice. See xrcitizensassembly.uk.
  • Community Assembly - A way by which communities can have discussions and make decisions using the tools of a People's Assembly.
  • Demands - XR has three demands: see under Demands on the UK web site and Our 3 Demands.
  • Hub - XR UK's communications centres around the Hub, connecting all rebels with Local Groups, Regional Working Groups and UK Circles. Ask your local Tech Champ for details!
  • Integration - The process of training new rebels and helping them to find a role. See Rebel Pathway and Onboarding.
  • Mass Mobilisation - A project to recruit more rebels. See the UK web site page Mass Mobilisation and the Rebel Toolkit book Mobilising the Community.
  • Mattermost - An online chat platform.platform, for making announcements and asking questions. All rebels are welcome to join. Ask your local group for details, as the XR-specific documentation is not public on the Internet unless you have the correct encoded link.
  • Nonviolent Direct Action - See the NVDA page
  • Peoples' Assembly - A deliberative process in facilitated groups of 6-8 people where questions can be asked and all rebels can participate in forming a path forward.
  • Principles and Values - XR has 10 Principles and Values. See under About Us on the UK web site and Our Principles and Values.
  • Rebel Agreement - Five rules which rebels should adhere to, including the "no alcohol" and "we are all crew" lines. See Rebel Agreement PDF on the UK web site and How We Rebel and Rebel Agreement (Action Rebels).
  • Systems Realignment Project - a project to help us develop our structure and be more organised. It used to be called the Organisational Development Project, and before that it was known by the initials of the anonymous funding organisation.
  • UK Cloud - XR UK's secure alternative to Google-Docs available to you via the Hub. Local Groups and Working Groups have space for their own document storage. Guides and training material also available here.
  • UK Forum - An online message board platform, linked to the Hub. Longer term discussion organised into topics relevant to your Local Group or Working Group.

Movement Updates

Movement Updates are published each week, with a link posted in the Town Square channel of the UK Team in Mattermost. If you read them each week, the meanings of these terms used in XR's organisation will gradually become clear:

  • Guardianship and Visioning
  • The Hive (see also above)
  • Interim Budget Group
  • Organisational Development Project
  • Strategic Finance Circle
  • Strategy Stewardship Team
  • UK Support

Terms Needing Explanations

  • Action Design
  • Conflict resolution team
  • Global Support
  • Operations
  • Regenerative Culture
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