Symbiosis is a network of community organizations across North America, building a democratic and ecological society from the ground up. We are fighting for a better world by creating institutions of participatory democracy and the solidarity economy through community organizing, neighborhood by neighborhood, city by city.
Our political strategy is to build dual power through these institutions of grassroots democracy. “Dual power” is an approach to revolutionary politics in which ordinary people organize themselves to govern society in parallel and in opposition to the governing institutions of capitalist society.
This dual power strategy can help sustain our communities under capitalism, channel our collective action to fight back more effectively, and eventually supplant the institutions of capitalism to become the governing structures of the liberated society. As an organization, we aim to develop neighborhood councils in our communities and network them into a confederation that can transform the structures of municipal governance, remaking our cities as true democracies. Through the creation of local cooperative economies and mutual aid systems, we can meet people’s basic needs and allow them to become more fully engaged in political struggle, all the while developing community and pushing back against our social atomization.
Elements of this approach to community organizing are present across many movements in North America: tenant organizing, municipalism, the solidarity economy, and much more. The primary goal of Symbiosis is to help gather these diverse forces into a beweging capable of transforming society. We, along with many partner organizations who share our core values and strategic aims, are hosting a kongres in the summer of 2019, at which we hope to launch a confederation of local movement organizations building dual power across North America.
We are also working to grow this movement through seeding new initiatives of radical democracy, by connecting Symbiosis members to one another locally and assisting them through the process of organizing their community. Our Research Collective is actively developing new resources for organizers and educators who are pursuing popular education projects and reading groups. We are in the process of authoring a comprehensive, accessible introduction to this approach to politics: part theoretical text, part history textbook, part organizing manual, for readers of all levels. Abridged sections of this Symbiosis primer handbook have been published as columns in De ekolooch. Do kinst lid wurde and check out some of our educational materials on our Boarne-side.
We welcome everyone—organizers and neighbors, small community projects and municipal coalitions, experienced activists and unaffiliated novices—to join us in these efforts. Our mission as Symbiosis is not only to organize such initiatives ourselves, but also to network with existing groups whose work can be the foundation of this broader political strategy. We hope to assist in the shared creation of a powerful movement capable of affecting the entire political landscape, as trickles gathering into a flood.
Interested in joining or learning more? Become a lid or sign up for our newsletter below. And make sure to follow us on facebook en Twitter!
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Troch problemen mei ús programmearring dy't wy no pas einliks reparearje kinnen hawwe, is it mear as in jier lyn sûnt ús lêste jildsammeling. As gefolch hawwe wy jo help mear as ea nedich om troch te gean mei de alternative ynformaasje te bringen wêr't jo 30 jier nei socht hawwe.
Z biedt it meast brûkbere maatskiplike nijs dat wy kinne, mar by it beoardieljen fan wat nuttich is, yn tsjinstelling ta in protte oare boarnen, beklamje wy fisy, strategy en aktivistyske relevânsje. As wy Trump bygelyks oansprekke, is it om manieren te finen bûten Trump, net allinich te herheljen, oer en wer, hoe ferskriklik hy is. En itselde is wier foar ús oanpak fan globale opwaarming, earmoede, ûngelikens, rasisme, seksisme en oarlochsfiering. Us prioriteit is altyd dat wat wy leverje potinsjeel hat om te helpen bepalen wat te dwaan, en hoe it it bêste te dwaan.
By it reparearjen fan ús programmearringproblemen hawwe wy ús systeem bywurke om in ûnderhâlder te wurden en donaasjes makliker te jaan. It hat in lang proses west, mar wy hoopje dat it it handiger sil meitsje foar elkenien om ús te helpen groeien. As jo problemen hawwe, lit it ús dan daliks witte. Wy hawwe ynput nedich oer alle problemen om te soargjen dat it systeem foar elkenien maklik te brûken kin bliuwe.
De bêste manier om te helpen is lykwols in moanlikse as jierlikse ûnderhâlder te wurden. Sustainers kinne kommentaar jaan, blogs pleatse en in nachtlik kommentaar krije fia direkte e-post.
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