The idea of responsability is born from the contrast to responsibility. We do this play on words to convey some important distinctions and approaches.
In social interactions, the idea of responsibility is important; it is one of the corner stones of trust between people. Being able to rely on another person’s ability to own the consequences of their actions (or even inaction) allows us to establish trust and confidence. On the flip-side, being perceived as irresponsible (whether this is justified or not) can be met with social punishment such as shaming and shunning.
The approach of responsability is not based on these social controlling mechanisms. Instead, we focus on our ability to respond to situations and circumstances. We try to take a broad perspective (for example, our own privilege in comparison to other people around us) and make decisions based on our sense of ethics, but also take into account our own capacity. We accept that collective issues beyond our personal responsibility can still require our personal response based on our ability. At the same time, we respect our own limitations and stand accountable for our choices.