The Social Ecology Network

The Social Ecology Network in the UK has grown out of Murray Bookchin's lecture tour, and aims through a series of meetings and newsletters to begin 'reconstructing a democratic, confederal and decentralised political movement'.

Murray Bookchin' s vision of 'libertarian municipalism' is, in essence, a vision of self-reliant communities governed through direct democracy in 'town meetings'. These municipalities would confederate to deal with wider issues, using rotating, recallable delegates, rather than representatives. Bookchin believes that the town meetings, which are already taking place in his home state of Vermont, could spread, building competence and authority until they formed a structure stable enough to challenge governments and big business.

How might libertarian municipalism be established in Britain? One possible route is parish councils. True, their image is of staid, genteel, upper middle class people discussing recipes for home made jam. However, their potential is great. They are small, local bodies; potentially, anyone might attend. Indeed, Stroud town council has invited all local people to attend its meetings and has set aside a space on the agenda for people to raise their own issues. True, this is not quite direct democracy - but it is not far off. A further development might come with the setting up of parish councils in the urban areas, where they are rarer today. A parish council covering a neighbourhood in Leeds would have to deal with very different issues, and could very easily move into the field of local development and planning.

As yet, there is little organisation among Parish Councils; the Association of County and District Councils are far more active. But by networking with Green activists in parishes and exchanging experiences, this could develop into the confederation Bookchin envisages.

So, the vision is not impossible. But we have to remember that even as local activists push in one direction, the forces of industrial society will be pushing in quite another. How can the trends of centralisation in economics and politics (likely to accelerate with European Union) be resisted? What happens if higher levels of government squash these grassroots initiatives? What happens if the divisions promoted by industrial policies tear apart communities and leave their forums powerless? These questions must be answered if libertarian municipalism is to move beyond a dream.

Social Ecology Network, c/o Gideon Kossoff, 435 Coldharbour Lane, Brixton, London SW9 8LN (tel 081 802 3932).