People’s Assemblies
the future shape of democracy
Inspired by the Egyptian revolution, Occupy Wall Street and the mass struggles for real democracy in Spain, people throughout the world have joined occupations, marches, protests and other actions against the status quo.
They are gathering in increasing numbers in towns and cities across the world with slogans like “occupy everything now”, “real democracy now” and “we are the 99%”. They are united by a common desire to create a fairer, sustainable society.
Selecting the targets was never easier. Capitalist corporations and banks have bled the planet dry. Inequality has reached new, obscene levels. The ecosystem is degraded to danger point.
And now the profit-driven global economy is heading for a new and devastating Depression. Unemployment, poverty and hunger are soaring everywhere.
The political elites have “sold” what little democracy we had to corporate and financial power. As the M15 movement in Spain declared, the existing political system is a barrier to future human progress.
The 99% can occupy everything – take it over and transform it. People's Assemblies are the vehicle for taking this movement forward to real democracy now.
Q: What can People’s Assemblies achieve that a big demonstration or occupation can’t?
A: Occupations run by Assemblies are test beds, showing what people can do when they are independent and liberated. A network of People’s Assemblies can widen this movement to the whole of society, giving it a concrete form that can appeal to all those under attack from capitalism.
Assemblies can facilitate a transition to a democratic society based on co-operation and self-determination instead of profit and corporate power. They will disprove in action the lie that there is no alternative to the capitalist system and the states/local government bodies that serve it.
Charter of rights
The right to live in a law-governed society is one of humanity’s achievements. But in the UK 77% of people believe there is one law for the rich and one for the poor and they are right! An urgent task is to formulate a charter of rights for a new society which includes not only individual and human rights, but social rights for example the right to a decent home, an education, a job, the support you need to live your life, and a reasonable income.
Capitalism can’t make these into rights it can withdraw them at a moment’s notice when it sees fit.
They can complete the struggle for democracy begun in the battle for the right to vote. They can provide a local united forum to fight every job cut, closure and eviction.
They can develop local solutions and implement them, dismantling the right of undemocratic local and national governments to impose their will.
The experience of Egypt shows that, however powerful and united the movement, unless it achieves political control, the old state and interests will reassert themselves.
Assemblies will come into being through local initiatives of people and communities who want to get beyond resistance and protest, to actually win their struggles against cuts, job losses, repossessions and injustices.
Q: What will Assemblies do to help people facing problems now?
A: They will defend everyone who is fighting on any front, without trying to usurp other people’s movements. They will support groups and individuals who ask for help, and those people can decide to become part of the Assembly. They will learn from movements in the US where communities have prevented evictions; from the civil rights and civil disobedience movements, for example against the Poll Tax; from Transition Towns, where communities try to do things for themselves, exploring new ways of living.
Q: How will they be different from the old politics?
A: The People’s Assembly is a living body, not a political party. It will be open to the whole community and actively set out to make sure they are represented and have a voice including young people, people from minority ethnic communities, small businesses and
self-employed people as well as workers from every sector.
They will embrace different points of view.
Principles for a new democracy
- self-organisation throughout society wherever possible
- involving everyone who wants to take part in governing and administration
- an end to special privileges and incomes for state officials
- civil servants answerable to the People’s Assembly and working to achieve goals set by the majority
- elections for all public offices
- a ban on state surveillance and unconditional rights in the workplace and to strike
- no secret diplomacy or trade deals – complete transparency and openness at all levels
- new legal and justice systems based on community control and self-policing.
They will try to show by their actions that there is another way of living, and another
way of “being political” that isn’t about money-grubbing and claiming expenses.
They will support education and culture and encourage everyone to share their skills and talents.
Q: What is AWTW’s role in the Assemblies?
A: We are in there arguing for our position that the Assemblies should aspire to become the new power in society. A network of People’s Assemblies should work to bring into being the new society we want. To achieve this, they will have to challenge, and ultimately replace, the powers held by the present capitalist state.
Q: What guarantee is there that we won't end up with something worse, a different kind of authoritarianism?
A: There are no guarantees in history! But a revolutionary change made in the name of democracy with the aim of ousting the 1% from power would be a great start. In Britain, a network of People’s Assemblies could help shape a new constitutional settlement.
A democratic constitution drawn up by ordinary people could:
- enshrine People’s Assemblies as the new sovereign power in the land
- establish a Charter of Rights
- make the rule of law primary.
Extending democracy
A Britain based on local and regional People’s Assemblies would aim to democratise society as a whole in new ways:
Worker ownership
Worker owned firms are already a huge part of the economy, from trusts like John Lewis (UK) and Publix (US), workers' co-operatives like Mondragon (Spain) or Suma (UK). We are told that the shareholding model is the only one that can work. It’s not true we can move very quickly to an entirely different system of ownership with these beacons as our models.
Co-ownership of resources: The key resources of the planet, including land, energy sources, minerals and finance must be removed from private ownership and held in trust in a new global commons.
Mother Earth rights: The biosphere must have a right to protection as part of the rule of law, so that every process of production conforms to ecological and recycling/reuse laws agreed by the whole of society.
Democracy in the workplace: Self-management whether in a factory, hospital, call centre, in public transport, civil service, local government, offices, shops, schools, colleges or university. All major decisions would require the consent of the workforce.
Start here get together with friends, co-workers and everyone you know who needs support, and start building an assembly where you live.
