We Stand With Australia

We gathered yesterday at the Bridge of Remembrance to show our support and love for Australia, her people, animals and land during the catastrophic bushfires. This heart-felt gathering was attended by XR supporters as well as a sympathetic public, then many of us moved to the huge eucalyptus in nearby Hagley Park to declare our intentions for 2020.

“Climate of Fear and Desire”

Thursday 16 Jan, 6.30pm – 9pm, at XCHC, 376 Wilsons Rd North, Phillipstown

A heartfelt evening of co-created theatre, exploring our struggles with the climate crisis, with overwhelm, paralysis, conflict – and how we might find healthy ways through this.

A story chosen from the group will be the seed of a theatrical inquiry, asking how we can navigate the relational, emotional complexity of the crisis in a regenerative, creative way. It’ll be a moving and empowering evening, growing our understanding of where we are and how we want to act.

Participation can range from being on stage to in audience, to a bit of both, depending on how each person wants to engage.

$10 – $20, or koha for low/unwaged. All profits will be donated to SEED Indigenous Youth Climate Network (AUS). Facebook event here.

Timebanking – strengthening the XRŌ community

Chrys Horn came to Heartbeat last Friday to explain how XRŌ could use tuimebanking both to support individuals and to meet XRŌ’s needs for getting stuff done.

How it works – XRŌ joins the timebank as an organisation and puts out a need for banner painting or being a media spokesperson. Ann and Jim join as individuals, do these jobs for XRŌ and earn credits which they then spend asking for help with eg. building & dog-walking from anyone in the timebank. It’s coordinated by a website where requests and offers are placed. We’re planning to join Addington Timebank (NB it is not location-limited). The timebank vets people by meeting them before they join. Jacqui will join up XRŌ to the timebank and be the initial coordinator. Interested? Contact Chrys or Jacqui ([email protected]), or if you’ve met them, go straight to the Addington Timebank website and hit Join

Riverside Community Music Festival with XR Motueka

Sunday 16 February 12 noon – 11pm at Riverside Community, 289 Main Rd, Lower Moutere

XR Motueka are joining with Riverside Community to provide a day of music and XR. More details on Facebook event.

The circle stars and wishes – How you can help

Action circle

Stars – Action circle’s been having a well-earned rest after non-stop activity in 2019!

Wish – looking for people to join the planning for April when XRŌ will host a major South Island action. Looking for rebels keen to take on coordination roles – eg transport, media spokes, social media coverage, action logistics, feeding the troops, safety, police liaison etc etc. Make 2020 the year you step forward and volunteer for something new – you’ll get heaps of help and support! Contact Michael [email protected]

We also want to support lots of smaller actions as well – eg. Beth/Millions of Mothers is thinking of replicating the London action where 200 nursing mothers blocked the road for a few hours. Or how about guerilla gardening to plant a hundred apple trees along the Avon? A march of animals through the malls? What disruptive & spectacular activity can we support you and your affinity group to do this year to bring the message to government that they must Tell the Truth and Act Now to Declare a Climate Emergency? Come to a heartbeat or reply on this email to pitch your idea.

Heres an interesting doc from XRUK on strategy for 2020.

Creative circle

Stars – Huge amount of continued creativity during 2019 – banners, samba band, song carriers, masks, street theatre… We can now screen-print a big and a little XR symbol onto material, so bring your t-shirt etc to print at the Heartbeats – thanks Ben!

Wishes:

  • Tim would love someone to pick up his role of coordinating banner/placard creation & other artwork for actions etc. He’s very happy for this to keep happening at his & Barbara’s place in Hopkins St, Woolston & to give advice. Contact Tim [email protected]
  • Samba band caretaker needed – Grace is away soon for a few months – we need a samba enthusiast to look after the drums and when possible to bring them to Heartbeat for practices. Contact Grace [email protected]
  • Song carriers – we need people to lead the singing at Heartbeat and other events. Our simple songs are an important way of connecting the group – can you help? Talk to Grace [email protected]

Media and Social Media circle

Wishes:

  • Live-streamers for our events – we’ve got a gimbal now, which makes it a lot easier! We also need someone to look after Facebook & event posts, and Instagram when Grace is away – contact Grace [email protected]
  • Media liaison and spokespeople – we often need these for our events. If you’d like to give this a go, contact the Action circle (Sara C [email protected]) – there’s lots of help & support.

Talks and Training circle

Facilitation Training (by Zoom) Thursday 23rd January 7pm – 9pm This is a national online session specifically for those who identify with she/her pronouns. See MM Announcement channel.

Te Tiriti workshop with Cathy Sweet that was postponed last year will be held in early March. Watch newsletter/XRŌ FB for event. Contact Jacinta [email protected]

Infrastructure & Finance circle

Wishes – people into IT to be backup for Dave in wrangling the website and Action Network contacts database/email server. Contact Dave E [email protected]

REGULAR NOTICES

“This is not a drill” – a great XR handbook, available from Scorpio Books, USB etc, $27.

Seedling & produce koha swop – you are warmly encouraged to bring your excess garden produce, jams, baking etc to Heartbeat and any other XRŌ gathering, AND/OR to fill your pockets with loose change to drop in the Koha bucket in exchange for these! Yum

Joining Mattermost – we use XRŌ’s Facebook page and group to share events, ideas, articles etc with the public. We use Mattermost closed chat room for organising & action planning. MM is open-source, secure and has no paywall. It’s easy to get into – contact Dave E, he’ll talk you through it [email protected]

WHEN WE MEET FACE TO FACE – THE CIRCLES & THE HEARTBEAT

The Talk – we’ve been presenting the XR Talk on the first Friday of the month. We’re evaluating this and in 2020 may change to shorter talks to more varied audiences in other venues. Let us know if you’d like an XR presentation to your organisation/workplace etc.

350Chch’s monthly discussion/film night is on 3rd Friday of the month at WEA. Next film night is Friday 17 January – check 350chch facebook events.

Heartbeat – XRŌ’s fortnightly session for updates, mini-workshops, singing, debate, samba band and more… Heartbeat is held on the 2nd & 4th Fridays of the month. Next one is Friday 24 January 7.30pm at WEA, 59 Gloucester St

THE CIRCLES

Outreach & Lobbying circle – is currently in abeyance while we thrash out strategy for 2020 in the Focus and Direction group . Usually Outreach circle has met on 2nd and 4th Thursdays of the month at 5.30 at WEA, 59 Gloucester St and may get back to that. Contact Torfrida [email protected]

The Talk – Are you interested in learning how to give the talk? or interested in helping contribute to the research that goes into the talk…contact Racquel [email protected]

Focus & Direction circle – is looking at overall strategy for XRŌ for 2020 and is meeting fortnightly Tuesday 6.30pm at WEA. Next meeting Tuesday 21 January. All welcome. Check out the XRŌ Focus & Direction channel on Mattermost. Contact Torfrida [email protected]

Action circle – meets Mondays 6.45 – 8.30pm, contact Sara C [email protected]

Creative circle – Banners need to be created and painted, and there is always rock painting too…. for more details check out the Mattermost channel or contact Tim [email protected]

Regenerative circle – contact Sarah ([email protected]) if youd like to be part of this circle which takes care of XRŌers in all sorts of ways from food to conflict resolution and more.

Infrastructure & finance circle – does admin & good potlucks, meets mostly before Heartbeat on 2nd and 4th Fridays, next meeting Friday 24 Jan 5.30pm at WEA. Contact Dave E [email protected]

In love and rage
Torfrida and Dave

Anyone who’d like to donate to our XR Ōtautahi Christchurch group can do so at Kiwibank: XROtautahiChristchurch, ac. number 38-9002-0331592-07