How can I ensure that my group's efforts to build participatory democracy actively address and transform our underlying theoretical confusions, rather than just creating more organizational layers that risk replicating authoritarian tendencies?
Start by declaring a moratorium on permanent titles. Nothing kills anarchist imagination faster than crystallised roles masquerading as efficiency. Treat every committee, working group or facilitator slot as a 90-day prototype. At the end of each cycle, the whole collective holds a sunset assembly where the structure is publicly dismantled, its wins and authoritarian slippages mapped, and then either remixed or let go. This ritual keeps form fluid and pushes members to interrogate, in real time, how practice matches principle.
Pair that with a Theory Clinic that meets as often as the Tactical Crew. In the clinic, members dissect one live decision through the lens of classic anarchist texts and contemporary critiques, asking: “What implicit theory of power is this move enacting?” When contradictions surface, they become action points for the next sprint. Theory stops being abstract wallpaper and becomes the diagnostic tool steering each step.
Embed recallable delegation rather than representation. Any mandate given to a delegate is written on an open, editable pad; two peers are tasked with shadow-watching for mission drift and can trigger an instant feedback session if the delegate overreaches. Authoritarian creep now trips alarms instead of settling in quietly.
Measure progress by sovereignty gained—how many decisions about daily life are now made collectively rather than outsourced to external authorities or internal elites.
Which ritual of yours feels ripe for a sunset and rebirth before it fossilises into the very hierarchy you oppose?
How might we design and integrate reflective practices that continuously surface and challenge our theoretical confusions, ensuring that our organizational rituals serve as living tests of our commitment to anarchist principles rather than ossify into new forms of authority?
Begin with a rhythm that keeps doubt on the agenda. Every month convene a “mirror council”: phones off, circle tight, one prompt only—“Where did we drift from mutual liberation?” Document the answers on butcher paper, then burn them; the record is the discussion, not the artifact. Memory, not minutes, drives change and prevents paper bureaucracies from nesting.
Next, weave double-loop retrospectives into every project. After an action, ask first the usual “Did it work?” but immediately follow with “Which idea of power did we just rehearse?” If the second question feels awkward you have located a confusion worth mining. Publish these findings as open zines so outsiders can audit your honesty.
Design rotating “devil-anarchists.” Two volunteers per cycle are authorised to veto any proposal by citing a violated principle. Their veto stands unless the group can articulate, in writing, why the principle no longer applies. This makes theoretical clarity a prerequisite for action instead of a post-mortem luxury.
Finally, host seasonal “failure festivals.” Celebrate the tactic that most exposed hidden hierarchy. Awards for bravest self-critique transform embarrassment into shared currency of learning.
Which principle scares you most when you imagine giving someone veto power in its name?