MI AASC Community Assemblies
Community Assemblies/Neighborhood Councils are democratic bodies where people can collectively address community issues (housing, food access, local services) and make decisions without external authority.
This plan outlines how to create local, directly democratic bodies in neighborhoods and villages, enabling residents to collectively address community issues (such as housing, food access, local safety, and services) and make decisions without external authority. These assemblies are the fundamental units of local self-governance in an anarcho-eco-communist society.
The goal is to empower residents to directly control their local affairs, foster community solidarity, and establish self-managed structures for meeting collective needs, thereby building a foundation for a stateless society.
"From each according to their ability, to each according to their need."
Steps:
Phase A: Initial Outreach and Identifying Shared Needs
1.1 Define the natural boundaries of the neighborhood or village (e.g., by streets, geographical features, or existing social clusters).
Identify key public spaces (parks, community centers, libraries, unused lots) that could serve as meeting places.
Note existing informal community groups or networks (e.g., parent groups, sports clubs, religious organizations).
1.2 Engage in extensive, informal, one-on-one conversations with a diverse range of residents.
Ask open-ended questions about daily life, concerns, unmet needs, local problems, and what they envision for their community.
Actively listen for common grievances, shared aspirations, and recurring themes (e.g., lack of safe play areas, inadequate public transport, food deserts, desire for more community events).
1.3 Look for residents who are respected, articulate, passionate, and already informally active in addressing community issues. These individuals will form the initial organizing group.
Phase B: Convening the First Assembly Meeting
2.1 Select a neutral, easily accessible, and comfortable public location for the first meeting. Consider factors like public transport, parking, and safety.
Ensure the space is welcoming to all, with considerations for accessibility (ramps, quiet spaces), childcare, and language translation if needed.
2.2 Publicize the meeting widely: flyers in local shops, community boards, social media groups, word-of-mouth, personal invitations, and local independent media.
Clearly state the purpose: "Come together to discuss how we can collectively improve our neighborhood/village." Emphasize it's a space for everyone to have a voice.
2.3 The initial organizers act as facilitators, not leaders. Their role is to create an inclusive atmosphere, ensure everyone has a chance to speak, and keep discussions focused.
Prepare a simple, open agenda that starts with collective identification of community problems and aspirations (drawing from 1.2).
Phase C: Establishing Direct Democratic Practices
3.1 At the first or subsequent meetings, guide the assembly to collectively agree on fundamental operating principles:
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Direct Democracy: All major decisions are made by the assembly itself, not by elected representatives.
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Voluntary Participation: Everyone's involvement is by choice.
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Mutual Aid: Commitment to supporting each other.
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Non-Hierarchy: Rejection of bosses or permanent leaders within the assembly.
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Openness & Transparency: All discussions and decisions are open and recorded.
3.2 Establish a consistent time and frequency for future assembly meetings (e.g., every Tuesday evening, first Saturday of the month) to build routine and ensure continuity.
3.3 Implement a system for rotating the role of meeting facilitator among willing community members. Provide training and support for new facilitators.
3.4 Adopt a clear decision-making process, ideally consensus (where everyone agrees to a proposal, or at least doesn't block it), or a consent-based model (where proposals pass unless there's a strong, reasoned objection). If voting is used, ensure robust mechanisms for respecting and integrating minority opinions.
Utilize hand signals (e.g., for agreement, blocking, clarifying questions) to streamline discussions in larger groups.
3.5 Designate a rotating note-taker. Ensure minutes, decisions, and assigned tasks are clearly recorded and made easily accessible to all residents (e.g., on a community board, a simple website, or shared document).
Phase D: Taking Action on Community Needs
4.1 For each identified community need or project (e.g., establishing a community garden, organizing a neighborhood watch, improving a public park), the assembly forms small, self-organizing working groups.
These groups are composed of residents who are passionate about that specific issue and willing to contribute their time and skills.
4.2 The assembly empowers these working groups to develop detailed plans, take direct action, and manage their projects autonomously, within the framework of the assembly's principles and decisions.
Working groups regularly report back to the main assembly for updates, to request resources, and to seek broader input or ratification for major steps.
4.3 Start with smaller, achievable projects that can quickly demonstrate the assembly's effectiveness and build confidence (e.g., a neighborhood clean-up, a shared tool library, a small food pantry, organizing a community event).
4.4 The assembly collectively identifies and mobilizes resources (skills, tools, materials, volunteer labor, donated spaces) from within the community to support these projects. This connects directly to mutual aid networks (from 3.2 Mutual Aid Networks).
Phase E: Expansion and Federation
5.1 Once the local assembly is stable and effective, reach out to organizers in neighboring communities to share experiences, offer support, and encourage the formation of their own assemblies.
5.2 As multiple local assemblies emerge, they link up horizontally to form regional or city-wide federations (as per 4.1 Regional and Global Federations, applied locally).
These federations coordinate larger-scale projects that transcend individual neighborhoods (e.g., city-wide transportation, regional environmental protection, major housing initiatives).
5.3 Local assemblies elect specific, mandated, and recallable delegates (as per 4.2 Mandated Delegates) to represent them in these regional federations, ensuring that power remains rooted in the local assemblies.
5.4 Maintain close coordination with local revolutionary unions and mutual aid networks (as per 4.1 Inter-Organizational Coordination) to ensure all aspects of community life are integrated and self-managed.
Phase F: Sustaining and Adapting Local Governance
6.1 The assembly continuously monitors and assesses evolving community needs (from 3.3 Needs Assessment) and adapts its priorities and projects accordingly.
6.2 Utilize and refine the community's non-coercive conflict resolution and restorative justice mechanisms (from 5.2 Restorative Justice) to address internal disputes, fostering healing and reconciliation.
6.3 Regularly celebrate collective achievements and milestones to reinforce community spirit and commitment.
Conduct periodic collective reflections on the assembly's effectiveness, identifying challenges and areas for improvement.
6.4 Continuously work to overcome apathy or disengagement by demonstrating the tangible benefits of direct democracy and the power of collective action.