In 2012, frontline organizers identified a large, unfilled need for increased dialogue and collaboration, shared language, and a common movement identity in the climate justice and anti-extraction movements. The Collaborative was born out of a belief that larger-scale victories would only be possible with a more unified, multi-issue movement, and the recognition that the movement was still largely fragmented along lines of different issues, identities, and types of organizations. While a number of national networks, alliances, and coalitions organized around particular policy platforms, strategies, specific issues, identities, or tactics already existed, there was a real lack of space for broad cross-movement dialogue.
Through the first three Extreme Energy Extraction Summits, the Collaborative has brought together a wide spectrum of over 100 groups working on different aspects of the climate justice and anti-extraction movement, striving for maximum diversity in identities, issue focus, tactics, geographic base, and type and size of organization.
Rather than attempting to form a formal coalition with a unified national strategy, E3C has focused on building the capacity for cross-sector collaboration in our movement. We are not convened by any one organization or funders. The Collaborative was created by organizers, for organizers. Our approach is rooted in the belief that changes in the daily practice of working organizers, rather than ambitious national agendas disconnected from the grassroots, are the keys to a more unified and effective movement.
Our Summits have created space for a very diverse group of organizers to have conversations with each other that we don't get to have in our work back home. Participants have identified common values and visions that bind us together across our differences and wrestled with difficult issues like inequities of funding and power and race. Organizers have learned about and from each other's campaigns and brainstormed projects to work on together.
The Collaborative is committed to continue to hold summits and develop communication tools that will facilitate groups continuing to learn from each other and work together.
The Collaborative has adopted the Jemez Principles for Democratic Organizing as a basis for our work together.