This is a call to revolution; our earth is under threat.

A guest blog by Jenni Crisp

“This is a call to revolution; our earth is under threat”

These words, written by the then Prince Charles in 2010 in his book, Harmony, were projected onto the walls of Windsor Castle earlier this month at the start of a 3-day camp and protest by Extinction Rebellion, with a focus on the need to “Upgrade Democracy”. At least a dozen Sheffielders, myself included, travelled down to be part of the action.

Windsor was chosen as a powerfully symbolic venue- an embodiment of a broken and unjust democratic system in which money and power are concentrated in the hands of the few. By gathering near to where the Magna Carta was signed, we emphasised our commitment to a fairer, more inclusive system.

The weekend included theatrical actions, a march to the gates of the castle to deliver a bright pink letterbox full of letters to the King! Then a ‘Massembly’, a huge community assembly, reflecting together on how we can upgrade UK democracy. The final day saw a drum-filled, life-affirming march, a die-in and speakers updated us on the latest science of the climate and ecological emergency, climate justice and deliberative democracy. We were joined by some suffragettes, a Gaia puppet and some ‘fUNFAIR’ games.

There were fears among local people, arguably stirred up by the right-wing press,  that we were planning to storm Windsor Castle and ‘rampage through the streets of Windsor’. One hotel closed its doors and local businesses hired extra security staff. In fact, the 3 days were entirely peaceful and non-violent; creativity, colour and music were used throughout the weekend to convey the serious message, that the Climate and Nature Emergencies are exactly that: the urgent crises of our times, which our current democratic system is not fit for purpose to address. Locals were surprised and welcoming, and there was a strong sense of people agreeing that their voices were not being heard in the current system.

I found the “Massembly” really interesting and helpful, and it connects well with Ci Davis’ recent article in this blog about the South Yorkshire Citizens’ Assembly. In Windsor, more than 450 people, in small groups of 6, explored examples, ideas and participative democracy approaches that have been used around the world in different contexts.  This was, of course, a very different thing to a properly constituted Citizens Assembly with a representative group selected by sortition (a recognised means of random selection of a broadly representative group of people) deliberating over a long period and producing recommendations. Nonetheless, I think it demonstrated the collective wisdom of concerned, informed people and generated a wide range of ideas. We considered how we get the government to take the long view for future generations and the environment and the possibility of having a Citizens Assembly as the mechanism for reform of the House of Lords, or even a House of Citizens to replace it!

Personally, I try to hold to the belief that, as a species, we are capable of better: that our politics, and community organising at all levels, can be informed and shaped by science, good information, kindness, mutual respect, care for our children and for all future generations. I believe well-informed people thinking and working together will make good decisions for the good of all. It was this faith in humanity that motivated me to go to Windsor and it was reinforced by what happened there.

Don’t miss out on an article from TelltheTruthSheffield.org! Enter your email above to subscribe for free.

Would you be interested in helping support TelltheTruthSheffield.org on social media? I’m looking for volunteers to spread the word on Instagram, X, Threads and LinkedIn. If you are interested please get in touch