– “The assembly is a central part of the Spanish left tradition. Social movements have always seen themselves through the prism of assemblies.”
We don’t mean controlled school assemblies, much less those of religious sects, who use the form just for a semblance of participation without the danger of maybe taking a vote.
We mean real assemblies.. to sit around in a circle with no fixed agenda and no attempt to control, talking things out until decisions can normally be reached by consensus.
The Spanish 15M movement evolved from occupying Squares to hundreds of local assemblies, which in turn set off thousands of community initiatives. The beauty of a real assembly is that no one can take power, and predatory Parties, Unions and egoistic self seeking ‘leaders’ get sidelined, allowing revolutionary energy to flow.
Continue reading “Exploring the Commons, 1. Open Assemblies, now and in History.”
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