Article 91: Building the New in the Shell of the Old: Prefigurative Strategy for Liberation
Opening: Do Not Wait for Permission
Capitalism will not reform itself. The state will not liberate us. Waiting for permission is waiting forever.
But we do not need to wait. We can build liberation now. We can create the new world within the old. We can build cooperatives, commons, and communities that operate on different principles. We can live as if we are free.
This is not escape. This is strategy. By building alternatives, we demonstrate that another world is possible. We create infrastructure for liberation. We build power outside capitalist institutions. We prefigure the future we want.
The old world is dying. The new world struggles to be born. Our task is to midwife it. Not through violence or waiting, but through construction. We build the new in the shell of the old.
This article explores this strategy in depth. You will learn what prefigurative politics means, how to build alternatives, how to transform existing institutions, and real examples. By the end, you will understand that revolution is construction.
What Does Building the New Mean
Building the new in the shell of the old is a strategy of creating liberatory institutions within existing society. These institutions operate on different principles than capitalism. They demonstrate alternatives. They build power outside capitalist control.
Core Principles
Prefiguration:
The institutions we build should reflect the values we want in the future. If we want democracy, we build democratically. If we want equality, we build equitably. If we want sustainability, we build sustainably. The means reflect the ends.
Dual power:
We build institutions that can eventually replace capitalist ones. We create parallel structures that serve people better. Over time, these become the dominant way people meet their needs.
Non-reformist reforms:
Some changes within capitalism can build toward liberation. Universal healthcare, free education, and public housing reduce dependency on capital. They build collective infrastructure. They are steps toward something larger.
Exit and voice:
We build alternatives people can exit to. We also use voice to transform existing institutions. Both strategies are valuable.
Scaling through replication:
We do not need to take over existing institutions. We can build new ones and replicate them. Cooperatives can be started anywhere. Commons can be created anywhere. Networks grow through connection.
What Building the New Is Not
It is not escape:
Building alternatives is not dropping out. It is engaging with the world differently. It is building power, not fleeing from power.
It is not purity:
We cannot be pure within capitalism. We all participate in extraction. The goal is not purity. It is building alternatives that reduce harm and increase liberation.
It is not accommodation:
Building alternatives is not accepting capitalism. It is challenging it by demonstrating something better. It is competition through example.
It is not individual:
Building the new is collective. Individual self-sufficiency is not liberation. Collective self-determination is.
Why This Strategy Matters
Building alternatives addresses fundamental problems with other strategies.
Demonstrating Possibility
Theory is abstract. Alternatives are concrete. When people see cooperatives working, they understand worker ownership is possible. When people use free software, they understand software can be a commons. When people live in housing cooperatives, they understand housing does not need to be a commodity.
This is powerful. It changes what people think is possible. It makes liberation concrete.
Example: The Mondragon cooperatives in Spain show that worker ownership can operate at scale. This is not theory. It is reality. It changes what people believe is possible.
Building Infrastructure for Liberation
When capitalism crises, people need alternatives. If there are no alternatives, people suffer. If there are alternatives, people can survive and thrive.
Building alternatives creates infrastructure for crisis and transition. Cooperatives can keep people employed when conventional businesses fail. Commons can provide for needs when markets fail. Communities can support members when states fail.
Example: During economic crises, cooperatives often survive better than conventional businesses. They retain workers. They continue serving communities. They are infrastructure for resilience.
Building Power Outside Capital
Capitalist power is economic. Those who own capital control society. Building alternatives creates power outside capitalist control.
Cooperatives control capital democratically. Commons are outside capital entirely. Communities build collective power. This power can challenge capital.
Example: Credit unions control billions in assets. This capital is controlled by members, not shareholders. It is power outside capitalist control.
Changing Culture
Institutions shape culture. Capitalist institutions teach competition, individualism, and hierarchy. Alternative institutions teach cooperation, community, and democracy.
People who participate in alternatives learn different habits. They learn to trust each other. They learn to make decisions together. They learn that sharing works. This cultural change is foundational.
Example: People who join cooperatives often become more active in other areas of life. They learn democratic habits. They carry these into other contexts.
Creating Irreversible Change
Once people experience alternatives, they do not forget. Once cooperatives exist, they can be replicated. Once commons are created, they can grow.
This change is hard to reverse. People fight to keep alternatives they value. Commons defenders resist enclosure. Cooperatives resist conversion.
Example: Once a community has a successful food cooperative, members fight to keep it. It becomes part of community identity. It is hard to imagine life without it.
Real Examples: Building the New
Alternatives exist across domains. Here are real examples.
Economic Alternatives
Cooperatives:
Worker cooperatives, consumer cooperatives, housing cooperatives, credit unions. All operate on democratic principles. All exist within capitalism. All demonstrate alternatives.
- Mondragon Corporation (Spain): 80,000 worker-owners
- Cooperative Home Care Associates (US): 2,000 worker-owners
- Credit unions: 130 million US members
Commons:
Open source software, Wikipedia, creative commons, community gardens. All are shared resources. All operate outside market logic. All grow through contribution.
Community land trusts:
Over 300 in the US. Preserve affordable housing permanently. Remove land from speculative market.
Local currencies:
Time banks, local currency systems. Enable exchange outside capitalist finance. Build local resilience.
Social Alternatives
Intentional communities:
Ecovillages, cohousing, communes. People live together intentionally. Share resources. Make decisions collectively.
Mutual aid networks:
Communities support each other directly. No charity. Reciprocal support. Flourished during COVID.
Transformative justice:
Communities address harm without police or prisons. Accountability without punishment. Healing without incarceration.
Political Alternatives
Participatory budgeting:
Communities decide how to spend public funds. Direct democracy over budgets. Implemented in cities worldwide.
Citizen assemblies:
Randomly selected citizens deliberate on policy. Used for constitutional reform, climate policy. Democracy by lot.
Autonomous zones:
Temporary or permanent spaces where different rules apply. Zapatista territories in Chiapas. Exarchia in Athens. Various squats and autonomous spaces.
Technological Alternatives
Open source infrastructure:
Linux, Apache, Wikipedia, OpenStreetMap. Critical infrastructure held as commons. Not controlled by corporations.
Mesh networks:
Community-owned internet infrastructure. Independent from corporate ISPs.
Open source hardware:
Arduino, RepRap, Open Source Ecology. Designs for local production.
How to Build the New
Building alternatives is concrete work. Here is how to approach it.
Start Where You Are
You do not need special resources. Start with what you have.
Assess your context:
- What skills do you have?
- What resources are available?
- What needs are unmet in your community?
- Who shares your interests?
Start small:
- A buying club can become a food cooperative
- A tool share can become a tool library
- A study group can become a political organization
- A garden can become a community commons
Build on existing efforts:
- Join existing cooperatives
- Participate in existing commons
- Support existing mutual aid
- You do not need to start everything
Build Democratic Institutions
The institutions you build should reflect liberatory values.
Democratic governance:
- One person, one vote
- Transparent decision-making
- Accountability to members
- Rotation of responsibilities
Equitable economics:
- Fair compensation
- Limited inequality
- Shared ownership
- Community benefit
Sustainable practice:
- Ecological responsibility
- Long-term thinking
- Regenerative practice
- Care for future generations
Connect Alternatives
Alternatives are stronger together. Build networks.
Cooperate with other cooperatives:
- Shared purchasing
- Shared marketing
- Mutual support
- Federation for scale
Build commons together:
- Shared platforms
- Shared knowledge
- Shared infrastructure
- Cross-pollination
Create ecosystems:
- Cooperatives supported by credit unions
- Housing cooperatives near worker cooperatives
- Commons supporting both
- Integrated alternative economy
Transform Existing Institutions
Not everything needs to be built from scratch. Existing institutions can be transformed.
Convert businesses to cooperatives:
When owners retire, workers can buy the business. This preserves jobs and builds ownership.
Push for democratization:
- Unionize workplaces
- Push for worker representation on boards
- Advocate for cooperative-friendly policies
- Support employee ownership
Create public alternatives:
- Advocate for public banking
- Support public options in various sectors
- Build public infrastructure that can be democratized
Scale Through Replication
You do not need to build one massive institution. Build many small ones.
Document and share:
- Write down what works
- Share failures and lessons
- Create guides and toolkits
- Make replication easy
Train others:
- Offer workshops
- Mentor new groups
- Share expertise
- Build movement capacity
Support replication:
- Help start sister organizations
- Share resources
- Provide seed funding
- Celebrate new efforts
Challenges of Building the New
Building alternatives faces real challenges. Understanding them prepares you to address them.
Capital Constraints
Alternatives often lack capital. Cooperatives cannot sell equity. Commons do not generate profit. This limits growth.
Responses:
- Retain earnings (build equity slowly)
- Use debt financing (cooperative lenders)
- Seek patient capital (foundations, community investors)
- Grow organically (slower but sustainable)
- Pool resources with other alternatives
Market Competition
Alternatives compete against capitalist firms that may extract more and pay less. This creates price pressure.
Responses:
- Compete on quality and values, not just price
- Build loyal membership (people choose alternatives intentionally)
- Find niches (serve markets capitalists ignore)
- Collaborate with other alternatives (shared purchasing, marketing)
- Educate on true costs (externalities of capitalist production)
Burnout
Building alternatives is demanding. Activists often burn out. The work is never done.
Responses:
- Build sustainable organizations (not dependent on heroes)
- Rotate responsibilities
- Care for each other (community is support, not just work)
- Celebrate wins
- Know when to rest
Co-optation
Capitalism co-opts alternatives. "Cooperative" becomes a marketing term. Commons are enclosed. Movements are commodified.
Responses:
- Maintain clear principles
- Build strong governance (hard to co-opt)
- Stay connected to movements (not isolated)
- Call out co-optation
- Build power (co-optation is harder when alternatives have power)
Scale Tensions
Small alternatives are intimate but limited. Large alternatives have impact but can lose democratic character.
Responses:
- Use federal models (many small units coordinated together)
- Maintain strong communication
- Use technology for participation
- Prioritize democracy over growth (growth serves democracy, not vice versa)
Get Started: Build Something
If you want to build the new, begin with these steps:
1. Identify a need
What is missing in your community? What exists but could be better? What do you wish you had?
2. Find others
Talk to people. Is there shared interest? Build a core group. Start with conversations.
3. Start small
Do not try to build a massive cooperative on day one. Start with a buying club. A tool share. A study group. Prove the concept. Grow from there.
4. Build democratically
From the start, build democratic habits. Make decisions together. Share responsibilities. Rotate roles. The process is the product.
5. Connect to others
Find similar efforts. Join networks. Learn from others. Share what you learn. You are not alone.
6. Be patient
Building takes time. Institutions grow slowly. Culture changes slowly. This is okay. The goal is not speed. It is durability.
Resources
Cooperative Development:
- Cooperative Development Institute: cd.coop
- US Federation of Worker Cooperatives: usfwc.coop
- Democracy at Work Institute: datus.coop
Commons:
- Commons Network: commonsnetwork.org
- P2P Foundation: p2pfoundation.net
- On the Commons: onthecommons.org
Intentional Community:
- Fellowship for Intentional Community: ic.org
- Cohousing Association: cohousing.org
Mutual Aid:
- Mutual Aid Hub: mutualaidhub.org
- Local mutual aid networks (search your area)
Education:
- "Building the New World" by AK Press
- "We Build the Road" by Scott Crow
- "Emergent Strategy" by adrienne maree brown
- "Pleasure Activism" by adrienne maree brown
Closing: Build Now
You do not need to wait. You do not need permission. You do not need to take power first.
You can build now. Start where you are. Use what you have. Build with others. Create institutions that reflect the world you want.
This is not the only strategy. But it is essential. Without alternatives, revolution is only destruction. With alternatives, revolution is transformation.
The new world is not coming. It is being built. By you. By us. By people everywhere who refuse to wait.
Look at your community. What could be built? A cooperative? A commons? A mutual aid network? A garden? A tool library?
Build it. Not later. Now.
The revolution is construction.
The next article covers dual power strategies. We will explore how to build parallel institutions that can eventually replace capitalist ones, how to build counter-power, and how to prepare for transition.
For now, look at what you can build. What institution could you create? What alternative could you start?
Build the new.