objectivs and assembly model
Hi,
thanks for having a look to the thesis (just for clarification, it is a master thesis not a PhD thesis, it is much modest and amateur…)
Comenting on your post, well, objectives are not defined, there is not a program or decalogue in the 15M.Blocking evictions, blocking raids against illegal inmigrants,… are the more visual and concrete actions with results. But the objectives, although undefined and variable depending on the indignado you speak to, go much more further, go towards changing subtancially somethings.
The failure or success of the model of organisation depends a lot on how you see it. Depends on the hurry, the timing is different; depends on where you put the value, in the result or in the process.
Of course, it has all the problems that you mention and more (although the groups are intelligent enough to react to systematic vetos and boycots, moving to wide majorities of 4/5 in some assemblies when consensus couldn’t be reached; as well there are continouos change of roles to avoid manipulations or trolls).
But the 15M can’t be understood without the horizontality, materialised through the assembly system.
Some examples:
-it has been easily propagate thanks to this horizontality
-the authorities have problems on fighting against it (the difuse enemy)
-the assembly model matches with one of the main success of the movement: recover the confidence and responsability of the people, recover the feeling of power of citizens, don’t let you always dictate what it has to be done, give your opinion, move the political discussion on the street and don’t be full of complexes if you are an expert.
-it has been basic to make people involved and to gain momentum.
It is something to be seen if the decentralised assembly model followed in 15M in Spain can be coordinated in the future for deeper actions, agreement, for building alternatives,… or it will go through a disconnected groups which meet periodically. If the first option is reached, in my opinion 15M can have a lot of results.
By the way, inside this umbrella called 15M, there is an iniciative call democracia 4.0 (http://demo4punto0.net/) that goes a bit in the same line that the interesting article of smari you mentioned. democracia 4.0 proposes a combination of the vote of the parliament and the direct vote of the citizens.
Thanks again for your comments and your post!.