Olympia Assembly

Introduction to Olympia Assembly

Since our formation in March 2017, Olympia Assembly has advocated a radical vision for our town – one which includes an emphasis on direct democracy and city governance by the people themselves, as well as cooperation amongst neighbors to meet our needs when the established system fails us. We assert the right of all members of our community to freely access the necessities of life, ranging from food, water, and shelter to the need for a healthy environment and social atmosphere. We assert further the right of people to make this vision a reality.

Olympia Assembly hosts Seasonal Assemblies that connect people from a variety of backgrounds and political perspectives around the goal of building a People’s Assembly. According to Kali Akuno of Cooperation Jackson, a People’s Assembly is “first and foremost a mass gathering of people organized and assembled to address essential social issues and/or questions pertinent to the community.” The aim of these assemblies is to discover through dialogue and discussion what the needs and desires of the people of Olympia are so that we can work towards achieving them ourselves.

The work done for achieving these goals is done primarily at Monthly Organizing Meetings and by working groups. Olympia Assembly working groups are formed during Seasonal Assemblies and Monthly Organizer Meetings to carry out decisions. These working groups are often temporary and designed to complete a particular project – such as a seasonal assembly, a mutual aid event, or a protest. However, Olympia Assembly has also created a few more permanent collectives working towards long term goals or sustaining the organization. Our current long term projects were formed to meet specific community needs discussed at our seasonal assemblies, but are subject to change based on changing needs and conditions. Check out the “Projects” and “Partner Orgs” tabs to learn more and get involved. 

Points of Unity

Our five points of unity are the basic principles that inform our decision making. They are ideals to implement in our current organizations and to strive towards in society as a whole.

Horizontal Community Democracy and Free Association: Decisions should be made collectively by those affected by them free from coercion and unjust hierarchy.

Direct Action: We must use our power to address our concerns, taking responsibility for our actions and our communities rather than appealing to representative policy makers, unjust laws, and bureaucracy to accomplish our goals.

Collective Liberation & Solidarity: We recognize the multiplicity of struggles that are needed for collective freedom. We believe that every person is worthy of dignity and respect and that within systems of oppression everyone suffers.

Cooperative Economics & Mutual Aid: Decisions in the economic sphere should be made by communities, workers, and consumers directly and everyone should be entitled to the necessities of life and beyond.

Ecological Stewardship: The Earth is facing an environmental crisis on a scale unprecedented in human history, responsible for human suffering and mass extinctions. We believe that Ecological problems have their roots in social problems, and can be solved rationally and ethically.