Libertarian Municipalism: Manifesto to Change Society from Below

This manifesto is inspired by the principles of Democratic Confederalism as practiced in Rojava and the vision of Libertarian Socialism advocated by Cooperation Jackson. It aims to establish a cooperative community based on values of democracy, equality, and mutual aid. Drawing from these revolutionary frameworks, our manifesto seeks to create a system that is not only participatory but also empowering, where all members contribute to and share in the cooperative's success. At the heart of this manifesto is the belief in democratic decision-making, community-led governance, and collective ownership of resources. We are committed to building an equitable and sustainable cooperative that fosters collaboration across all levels, ensuring that every individual has a voice and plays an active role in shaping the future of the organization. Through a system of decentralized decision-making, mutual respect, and transparency, we aim to dismantle hierarchies and create a space for free and equal participation. We invite you to share your thoughts, suggestions, and feedback in the comments section below. Your input is essential as we strive to refine and improve the principles and practices outlined in this manifesto. Together, we can continue to build a cooperative model that reflects the ideals of Democratic Confederalism and Libertarian Socialism, creating a more just, inclusive, and resilient future for all members of our community.

How to Change Society from Below: Comprehensive Program

To understand the manifesto thoroughly, attending the courses in the following sequence is essential. Please go through these before delving into the manifesto:

Critical Thinking Skills – This course will help you develop essential reasoning abilities and analytical skills for critically engaging with complex concepts.
Capitalism in the Neoliberal Age – This course offers insights into capitalism under neoliberal frameworks, providing the foundational knowledge needed to understand the economic forces discussed in the manifesto.
Limits of Marxism – Explore the limitations of Marxism to better grasp the critiques and alternatives proposed in the manifesto.
Prefigurative Politics – This course will deepen your understanding of how social change can be initiated from the grassroots, a key concept in the manifesto.

Going through these courses in order will provide you with the necessary background to fully engage with the manifesto's ideas.

Step 1: Organize the General Council

The first step is to gather a group of friends, allies, and like-minded individuals to establish a General Council. This body will serve as the core decision-making entity of your cooperative network and will be responsible for coordinating the efforts of all other institutions and initiatives. Until you are able to build a commune and then all resources managed by General Council are municipalised.

Step 2: Build a Network of Worker Cooperatives and Alternative Institutions

The General Council's role is to construct a network of Worker Cooperatives and other community-based institutions one by one. Each institution should align with the values of participatory democracy, sustainability, and mutual aid. Together, these institutions will form the foundation for a new, cooperative society.

Step 3: Follow the Given Structures and Principles

In order to create a thriving cooperative society, the following structures and principles must be adhered to. These will guide your actions and ensure that the cooperatives function in a sustainable, democratic, and egalitarian manner.

Aims and Objectives

Core Values

Workplace Democracy: To instill workplace democracy in means of production.
Municipal Council: To place ownership of means of production under the Municipal Council.
Ecological Sustainability: To advance environmental sustainability and use renewable energy sources.
Autonomy: To practice individual and collective autonomy.
Multicultural Pluralism: To be inclusive and respect diverse religions and cultures.
Non-hierarchical Relations: To build and advance non-hierarchical relations regarding patriarchy, racism, workplaces, CLTs, etc.
Feminism: Each committee and council must accommodate at least 40% of women's participation to function in a non-patriarchal manner.
Leaderless: The structure must be strictly leaderless- no illegitimate hierarchies, rulers, or leaders, representatives- using participatory decision-making.

Alternative Institutions to Build in Future

Once cooperatives are successful and are generating enough revenue then the task will be to build Community Land Trust for all the members, this is a very important step towards starting a commune. Other institutions follow up and are built within commune inside Community Land Trusts.

Municipal Council: A directly democratic council comprising neighborhood councils from Community Land Trusts (CLTs), the general council, cooperative councils, and guilds. It serves as the central governing body where embassadors bring decisions from all neighbourhood councils collectively to address the community's needs and ensure active participation from all members.
Task Committees: Specialized committees formed to handle specific tasks such as water supply management, electricity provision, financial planning, and more. These committees ensure the smooth functioning of essential services by allowing community members to directly oversee and participate in the management of critical resources.
Profession-Guilds: Horizontal, profession-based guilds where teachers, doctors, workers, and other professionals organize themselves democratically. These guilds aim to foster collaboration, exchange knowledge, and improve working conditions while empowering professionals to contribute to community development.
Community Coops: Cooperative groups established to pool resources and share them equitably within the community of CLTs. They promote solidarity and mutual support, enabling members to collectively achieve goals that would be difficult to accomplish individually.
Community Land Trusts (CLT): Cooperative housing societies where each household is granted equal voting rights. Houses are allocated to members without ownership documents, preventing resale for profit and ensuring the land remains a communal resource dedicated to the community's long-term welfare.
Participatory Budgeting: A process where members of each CLT collectively draft and approve the budget for their respective communities. This ensures transparency and allows residents to allocate resources toward projects and services that best meet their local needs.
Agricultural Coops: Farming cooperatives designed to fulfill food quotas and support sustainable practices like organic farming. These coops contribute to food security, environmental conservation, and the promotion of healthy living within the community.
Credit Union: A financial institution that manages the collective savings of all members and coops. It provides funding for start-ups, community projects, and other ventures, fostering economic empowerment and reducing reliance on external financial systems.
Renewable Energy Plants: Facilities focused on generating energy through sustainable means such as solar, wind, and bioenergy. These plants help CLTs and coops transition to eco-friendly energy solutions, reducing carbon footprints and contributing to environmental sustainability.
Localising Production: Efforts to produce goods and services locally within the community to reduce dependency on external markets. This approach not only builds community wealth but also ensures economic resilience and fosters local job creation.
Alternative Exchange Values: Systems like time banks, where members exchange services using credit hours, and localized currencies that circulate within the community. These alternatives encourage collaboration and reduce reliance on conventional monetary systems.
Gift Shops: Community-oriented spaces where individuals can leave items they no longer need and take items they require. These gift shops operate on the principle of sharing and foster a culture of generosity, reducing waste and encouraging the responsible use of resources. Unlike traditional charity, these shops ensure that people do not feel inferior or superior psychologically, creating an atmosphere of equality and mutual respect. By emphasizing shared contributions, they strengthen community bonds and promote a sustainable, supportive way of living.
Community Canteens: Facilities that provide nutritious meals to all CLT members, ensuring food security and promoting equality. These canteens also help free women from traditional gender roles, enabling them to engage in social and economic activities on equal terms.
Community Clinics & Medical Stores: Healthcare facilities established to provide free medical services and free medicines to community members. These clinics and stores ensure that equal quality healthcare is accessible to everyone, regardless of their financial situation.
Community Schools & Daycare: Institutions based-on critical pedagogical approaches dedicated to providing free and equal educational opportunities for children and daycare services for working mothers. They play a vital role in shaping the younger generation while supporting women’s participation in the workforce.
Common Fruit Gardens: Shared gardens spread across CLTs to provide members with access to fresh fruits. These gardens enhance food security, encourage community bonding, and promote sustainable agricultural practices.
Cooperative Incubator: A platform for organizing workshops, educational programs, and skill-building sessions to help initiate new cooperative start-ups. The incubator fosters innovation and entrepreneurship within the community.
Mutual Aid Networks: Community-based networks that emphasize mutual support, such as skill-sharing and communal cleaning. These networks encourage solidarity and enable members to assist one another in times of need.
Usufruct Tool Libraries: Libraries offering tools and equipment for free use by community members under the principle of usufruct. Usufruct simply means free to use but not own, and return back in functional & good condition. These include farming tools, construction equipment, and other resources that facilitate collective growth and development.
Recycling Cooperative: Initiatives focused on reusing and recycling waste materials. These cooperatives aim to minimize waste, conserve resources, and promote a sustainable and eco-friendly lifestyle within the community.
Construction Coop Firm: A cooperative firm dedicated to constructing houses and developing infrastructure for community land trusts. It ensures that housing projects are, eco-friendly, and aligned with the community’s collective goals. Alloted to permanent members on affordable installments from their salaries.
Digital Commune: A digital platform, accessible via an app, designed to keep community members informed and engaged. It facilitates voting on polls and decisions, ensuring transparent and inclusive participation. The platform also enables the digitalization of documents and communal records, reducing paper waste and promoting eco-friendly practices. By streamlining communication and decision-making processes, the Digital Commune enhances efficiency and empowers members to actively contribute to communal affairs from anywhere.

Municipal Council

The Municipal Council includes all members from Neighbourhood Councils from all Community Land Trusts and members from the General Council.

The General Council

The General Council includes members of all cooperatives. The General Council meetings are to be held orderly. Meetings of the General Council include but are not limited to:

Evaluation of General Situation
Evaluation of Coop Events & Activities
Defining Duties and Responsibilities
Set out Programs

Administration

Basic terms for administration:

The conditions and criteria proposed and resolved by the cooperative are principles and standards adopted by all members.

The management's members are concurrently workers in the co-operative, with everyone dedicated to working.
Only one member per family may attain membership in a co-operative.
More than one individual from the same family is not permitted to become a member of the same body.
An individual is entitled to membership in only one commission and does not have the right to gain membership in more than one commission.
A person cannot simultaneously hold membership in the Administrative Commission, the Financial Commission, and the Follow-Up Commission.
The Administrative Commission is separate from the Financial Commission; it is not permissible for members of the Administrative Commission to hold membership in the Financial Commission.
The selection and exclusion of membership for all bodies are accomplished through organized, democratic elections, and membership shall be for a duration of one year.
To attain agreement on the implementation of decisions and projects, 60% of votes are required.
All decisions made are recorded and documented; meetings are documented in the form of written reports.
Meetings are conducted in an orderly manner and according to a structured program. In cases of emergency or communication challenges, three members can convene an emergency meeting.

Cooperative Commissions

Member in one commission cannot be member in another commission.

The Administrative Commission: The administration commission is formed within The General Council and is made up of at least 3 people. The function of this commission is to implement resolutions of the General Council as per duties and responsibilities specified by the General Council. It submits written reports to the General Council.
The Financial Commission: The financial commission is elected by the General Council, and it consists of at least 3 members. The duration of this commission is 1 year. This commission manages financial work for the cooperative. It submits a weekly written report of its work to the Administrative Commission and a monthly report to the Administrative Commission. It submits quarterly written reports of its work to the Municipal Council and General Council. The commission records their work in the accounting book every day.
The Follow-Up Commission: The follow-up process can generally be done by the cooperative commissions and meetings. If needed, a Follow-up Commission is formed by the General Council. It submits a report to the General Council, Administrative Council, and Municipal Council.

Membership

Anyone without cultural hierarchical discrimination is liable to apply. Members approved by the Municipal Council are entitled to become cooperative members. Decisions on the grant or withdrawal of cooperative membership are taken by the Municipal Council. Members must comply with decisions collectively made in the Municipal Council or Cooperative Council. They have the right to participate in the decision-making process, implementation, follow-up and monitoring of implementation.

Joining the Cooperative

Joining the cooperative is based on capital investment, work, or both. After 1 year of probation, a member is entitled to permanent membership and therefore entitled to all other perks. Permanent Membership is to be granted based on performance, and need of the workplace, as decided by the General Council.

The Cooperative Coordination Council

Three members from each cooperative, three members from each Administrative, Financial and Follow-up commission. Purpose is to build cooperation between the commissions and management. Monthly meetings to evaluate written reports. Monthly comprehensive report of work is submitted to General Council in meeting held every three months.

The Financial Management

The General Fund is used for all imports and exports of the coop. Records are to be managed daily and entered in the accounting book. The Financial Commission counts all monthly and annual accounts, they are to be recorded in two copies, one for the Financial Commission and the other for the submission to the meeting or the management.

Distribution of Gross Profit

The percentage for each section will be decided by the General Council of Cooperatives.

Section 1: Portion Required for Next Phase

Running of the Coop: For smooth functioning of the coop Next Month’s Expenditure, Raw Materials, Technical Tools, Repairs, Purchase of Equipment
For Cooperative Incubator to Startup Other Alternative Institutions and Coops.

Section 2: Fund for Community Land Trusts

Purchasing and Building of Community Land Trusts
Providing Healthcare to Members
Expenses for Community School
Renewable Energy for Community Land Trusts
Fruits planting, Sanitation, Roads, etc.
Educational, Artistic and Sporting Events
Running Community Canteens

Section 3: Shares to Members Based on Shifts and Credit Hours

The value of 1 Credit Hour is to be decided as per the following terms. One shift consists of 4 credit hours.

Financial Active Member: Investment + Labour = Twofold
Active Member: Only Labour = Onefold
Financial Member: Only Investment = Onefold
Financial Membership receives 1 Shift worth of credit hours each workday.
Permanent Active Member (only labour) has to participate for at least 1 Shift each working day.

To Revitalize the Coop and Improve It

30% = First Year of Establishment
25% = Second Year
20% = Third Year
15% = Fourth Year
10% = Fifth Year

Any member can monitor the financial records and question if needed. All accounting records must be available to all members through an online platform. All accounts are to be approved by two members of the Financial Commission and one member from the management. Bills must include in detail expenses, commodities purchased, date of exchange, issuing entity etc. All imports and sales must be recorded in receipts and bills.

Daybook

The Daybook includes:

Record of hours a member worked.
The work carried out by the member. This will help to pay the workers for the work they do.

Financial Procedures

If coop suffers a loss in the first year: Replacement of management

If the coop suffers a loss in the second year: Problem identification and dissolution through Municipal council.

If the coop suffers a loss in any other year: Financial & Administrative Commissions Replacement. Ban for 2 years on joining both commissions.

If coop suffers a loss twice: Ban on members responsible for 10 years to join both commissions.

(The program is inspired by Jackson Cooperation and Communes of Rojava)

Class with Mason: School of Literary Studies