For building and visioning towards better futures through Extinction Rebellion
Skeena Rathor is a trauma therapist, body and brain growth mentor, heartfulness, and heartmath teacher. With her experience in these fields, it makes complete sense that she’s the co-founder of the Guardianship and Visioning team of Extinction Rebellion (XR)—yes, the Extinction Rebellion. Skeena’s also the co-leader, spokesperson and strategist for the global environmental movement that’s pretty much changed the world. XR seeks to force government intervention by peaceful civil disobedience to prevent climate system tipping points, biodiversity destruction, and the possibility of social and ecological collapse.
Beginning in the summer of 2018 in Stroud, with over a hundred academics signing a call to action in support of the first rebellion week in October, it’s today an international movement that addresses the necessity of addressing climate breakdown and the sixth mass extinction—and Skeena is at the forefront of XR’s campaigns. In her role at XR, she co-creates XR’s agenda, and represents XR in the media on a daily basis.
As to where XR is going, Skeena believes that “we can go deeper into some truth telling…As humanity starts to work in a different way, we are going to be challenged to ask new questions and reveal more truths, new truths. It’s about putting our ears to the ground — what is happening? What is possible? I think we’ve got a lot of listening to do”. With the Visioning Group, she aims to find ways to bring people together, breaking down the “them and us” and in practical ways to search out the “heart” in rebellion so as to offer a path through collapse or catastrophe and a vision of real change to avoid extinction.
XR is part of Skeena’s personal quest to make politics more humane, ethical and truthful. Outside of XR, she’s involved in local politics. She’s a member of the Independent District Council for Stroud Central, operates the Politics Kitchen (providing a safe space for people to re-engage with Politics through open-hearted dialogue), and she’s also co-founded Compassionate Stroud (a grassroots organisation aiming to bring together various local community initiatives responding to mental health problems).