Introducing the Grassroots to Global Project
Grassroots to Global Assemblies
‘Becoming equal to the crises, by transforming them and us’
ASSUMPTIONS
Business as usual is driving us very fast towards climate chaos and mass extermination. We can’t even begin to solve this crisis by using the same system and way of thinking that created it.
To generate an approach with the imaginative power and authority to transform our future requires enabling people to come together, connect our stories, and reclaim our power.
Cop meetings have been all words and no real action. As it stands, Cop26 will be no different.
To grasp the globally transformative potential of this moment, we need to create a process that can decide the steps governments are incapable of, the steps the science and public know must happen and can make happen if the plan and legitimacy are clear and the moment is molten.
(1) Grassroots to national level Engaged Listening (Spring-Summer 2020) Putting aside our climate focus to reach out and understand what crises others are facing. So together with them we recognise the interconnected nature of the problems and acknowledge how the climate crisis (CEE) is both a huge threat and a huge opportunity to make the transformation needed by everyone.
(2) National Climate Peoples Assemblies (Summer-Autumn 2020) that considers (e.g.): “What is the route towards flourishing in a post-crisis world?” Drawing on the engaged listening, on intersectoral solutions work, or whatever other processes people in other countries have used, these CPAs draw together their climate plans. The key is that in preparing for this we need - in place of business as usual or campaigning as usual - to open peoples’ imaginations by considering contrasting routes such as (a) the Green New Deal which continues business as usual but in a fairer and renewably fueled way, and (b) the ‘Pause: Reset’ approach (a 2-year preparation for a two-year pause in all energy/ economic activity except that needed to ensure people are well-fed, sheltered and healthy, and use those 2 years of ‘Pause’ to design a much richer and less energy-intense way of living). The CPAs create climate plans. [In Scotland this will be put to the Scottish Government's Climate Citizens Assembly (Sept to Nov 2020].
(3) Global Climate Peoples Assembly alongside COP26 (Winter 2020) that brings the plans from all the parallel first wave assembly processes across the world together with those present for COP26 who know the climate crisis is a symptom of a deeper malaise. One suggestion is that This GPA would: (a) review the plans and create one or two Peoples Climate Plans to navigate a safe enough pathway down the cliff-edge of unbelievably urgent climate action; (b) initiate a second wave of People Assembly processes globally to review, develop and build momentum for these Plan(s); and (c) affirm the process of setting up the Global Climate Citizens Assembly, including reviewing the Stewarding group for it.
(4)Global Climate Citizens Assembly (May to June 2021): a representative sample of the Global Population meets to dialogue with an Assembly of Peoples Assemblies (this APA to be drawn from the first and second waves), and considers both the COP26 plan and the APA’s plans (e.g. GND and the ‘Pause: Reset’ plans to stop the drivers and enable diverse pathways), and decide the course of action the world needs to take. Governments then need to act on the plan or their citizens can legitimately replace them. We then move to a world where some cities, regions, or countries take the lead and other populations work to ensure their governments follow.