Looking After Your Rebels

As events of an action or series of actions settle, we normally make time to come together for celebration, sharing appreciation for what we did, what we saw each other do, and what we’d like to honour. In post-rebellion regenerative care, our purpose is to ask ourselves: ‘What happened?’ ‘What am I learning?’ ‘What is that teaching me?’ We explore how this helps us and others.

On an organisational level, this helps us learn as much as we can from our actions so that we can do better next time. It is a space for us to collectively reflect on our expectations and whether they were met or not.

On an individual level we need to allow ourselves and others to move through emotions of rage, grief, trauma, sadness and anger that have arisen so that we do not carry them and so they do not solidify and lodge as discomfort in our bodies.

Self Care

People who engage with the climate crisis need to recognise that they are susceptible to a certain kind of stress due to the overwhelming nature of the problem. Looking after our own needs, personal care and recovery is vital to build the resilience we need.

If you are looking to take time away from the city or your environment check out our Open Home scheme. If you are feeling vulnerable and need support, look into our Trained Emotional Support Network (TESN).

If you are experiencing grief in the forms of anger, numbness or sadness, look into our grief tenders. You can also find videos on our YouTube to help guide you through meditations, breakwork and other techniques to help ground you.

Group Care

It is important to welcome emotions into your group. Reaching out to people in your communities and focusing energy on connecting with them is difficult work and requires ongoing attention, so it is important to create space and time for the group to share how each rebel is feeling.

Celebration

Celebrations offer moments of deep appreciation and genuine excitement. They help us arrive back home to ourselves, and land safely back in the arms of our families and communities. When we gather together in celebration, we acknowledge the contribution made by each of us and this act of reflecting together helps us understand the gifts we bring to our community.

There is an emphasis on sharing: we tell stories, we eat together, we nourish each other. We strengthen our connection and in this coming together we foster resilience in ourselves and our communities.

After the excitement of an action, rebels come home and must slowly adapt to normal life and the responsibilities that that entails. A celebration provides a bridge between these points and the affirmations that take place within it provide the strength needed in order to regenerate.

Resources (Self)
Active Resilience Guide
Self Care and Avoiding Burnout
Trained Emotional Support Network
XR Open Homes Scheme
Regenerative Cultures YouTube

Resources (Group)
Simple Emotional Debrief
Deepening Your Check In
Active Listening Guide
Active Listening Guide
Building Empathy Circles
Talking Circle Guidelines
Regenerative Techniques

Grief Tending

Grief and gratitude are linked - we grieve that which we are grateful for or love. As well as people that we love, there are many other losses in our life: children moving away, loss of a job or home, nature, habitat or species loss.

Grief shows up in different ways as sadness, anger or sometimes numbness. So grief is soul work, which requires us to face the losses that we have as part of life, when we allow ourselves to face our grief instead of turning away it deepens our connection. It can take us into territory where we allow ourselves to be vulnerable and exposes the truth of our need for others in times of need and suffering.

Grieving together is a way of witnessing our connection and interdependence, so being in community, part of a village where what we feel matters and is heard.

For more information on Grief Tending contact XRGrief@protonmail.com

Legal and Arrestee Support

We have a collective and personal responsibility to support our arrestees. In doing so we are both extending care and compassion to each other, and sustaining our movement. Post Arrest Liaisons (PALs) can provide signposting to the Arrestee Support resources and also offers a sympathetic ear through telephone contact. Let all rebels know that they can request a PAL by writing to xr-arrestwelfare@protonmail.com with ‘PAL Request’ in the subject heading.

Court Supporters attend any hearing and/or court appointment wit arrestees to provide moral support to arrestees/defendants on the day of a plea hearing and/or trial.

If you or someone in your team are interested in being trained for either of these roles, email xr-arrestwelfare@protonmail.com. For legal-related questions email xr-legal@riseup.net. Also go to informeddissent.info for collectively sourced materials to support you from XR and others who have been arrested.

Resources
Arrestee Support Resources
Legal and Arrestee Support Training Timetable
Legal Resources