Assemblies – Gatherings where people meet face-to-face to deliberate and make decisions collectively.
Consensus – A decision-making process aiming for agreements everyone can support, not just majority wins.
Decentralization – Shifting power from centralized authorities to local communities or multiple smaller decision-making bodies.
Deliberation – Careful, inclusive discussion where people listen, weigh evidence, and reason together before making decisions.
Direct Participation – Citizens directly shape policies and choices, rather than delegating authority only to representatives.
Horizontalism – Non-hierarchical organizing, where power and responsibility are distributed equally among participants.
Intersectional Justice – Recognizing and addressing overlapping systems of oppression (such as racism, sexism, and classism) within democratic practice.
Mutual Aid – Networks of people supporting each other’s needs through cooperation and solidarity.
Pluralism – Welcoming and valuing diverse perspectives, cultures, and identities in shaping decisions.
Prefigurative Politics – Living out democratic values in the present, creating small-scale examples of the society we hope to build.
Transparency – Openness and accessibility in decision-making, ensuring accountability and trust.
Voice – Ensuring all people, especially marginalized groups, have a meaningful say in decisions that affect them.