Anarchism, Mutual Aid, and Prefiguration

What if the way you build the new world matters as much as taking the old one apart? This theme covers anarchism in its many forms, mutual aid as practice and theory, prefigurative politics, cooperatives, communes, and the long tradition of building what you want to see while resisting what you do not. It puts these traditions in conversation with the strategic debates in theme six.

How to use this theme

This folder organizes resources by lens. See the Pedagogy document for what the lenses do and why they are structured this way.

• Experiential: What is your experience with this? What does the room already know?
• Historical: How did this come to be?
• Theoretical: How do we understand and analyze it?
• Practical: What is happening on the ground and what are people doing about it?
• Liberatory: What would it mean to overcome or transform this?

A session does not need to use all five lenses. A study circle may move across them. Use what serves the room.

Anchor questions

This section will hold a curated set of questions that have proven useful for opening up this theme. Contributions welcome.

Recommended sequences

This section will offer suggested arcs for groups new to this theme. A six-week study circle, a single-session entry point, a weekend intensive. To be developed.

Related themes

Cross-references to other themes that connect closely with this one.

Status

This theme is in early development. Resources are being added as the project grows. If you have run a session on this theme, consider contributing back what you used and what you learned.