At the Autonomy Project, we live by the principle of do-ocracy: if you have a good idea and you’re willing to lead it, the community supports you in making it real.
That doesn’t mean chaos. It means empowerment. It means shifting from “someone should do that” to “I can do that, and others will back me up.” Do-ocracy is how we stay innovative, how we avoid bottlenecks, and how we make sure this community doesn’t just survive — it thrives.
Why Do-ocracy Matters
Most of us are used to top-down systems: bosses giving orders, rigid hierarchies, gatekeepers deciding what’s “allowed.” Those systems are built to keep creativity in check and power concentrated in a few hands.
Do-ocracy flips the script. It trusts that you — yes, you — have ideas worth trying. It recognizes that leadership doesn’t belong to a select few, but to anyone willing to step up. It’s a practice of radical empowerment (our first value!) put into action.
What Do-ocracy Looks Like Here
- Ideas turn into projects: If you dream up an art installation, a workshop, or a new volunteer system, you don’t need permission to believe it’s possible — you just need support to make it happen.
- Leadership is distributed: You don’t have to wait to be “in charge” to contribute. Everyone has the ability to lead in the ways that make sense for them.
- Support, not micromanagement: The community rallies around doers with resources, advice, and encouragement. We don’t need endless meetings or top-down approvals to get things done.
The Systemic Piece
Colonial and capitalist systems rely on gatekeeping and control. Creativity is funneled into “acceptable” channels, risk-taking is punished, and leadership is reserved for the privileged few. These systems keep people in their “place” instead of letting them flourish.
Do-ocracy disrupts that. It says:
- You don’t need credentials to lead.
- You don’t need permission to create.
- Power is not hoarded — it’s shared.
Do-ocracy is anti-colonial because it refuses to replicate hierarchies of control. It’s collective because we lift each other up instead of competing.
Calls to Action: How you can step in now.
Do-ocracy thrives when volunteers take initiative.
Here are concrete ways you can practice it right now:
- See a need? Fill it.
- Have an idea? Pitch it.
- Start small, then build.
- Find your crew.
- Ask for support.
- Be accountable.
If you notice trash piling up, refill the bin. If you see a guest looking lost, offer a hand. Small acts of initiative ripple outward.
Got a workshop you’d love to teach? A cool art project? A new system for smoother check-in? Tell your team lead or the Command Team. We want to hear it.
Not every idea has to be huge. Start with a pilot or one-time event. If it works, we’ll expand it together.
Do-ocracy doesn’t mean doing it all alone. Rally a few folks who share your vision and divvy up the work. Collaboration makes the load lighter.
Need supplies, space, or guidance? Speak up. The community is here to resource doers, not leave them hanging.
If you commit, follow through. Accountability (another one of our values) makes do-ocracy sustainable.
Do-ocracy for Volunteers
Do-ocracy doesn’t mean everyone has to be “on” all the time. Sometimes your contribution will be bold leadership; other times it might be pitching in for someone else’s project. Both are vital.
The point is: you are not a cog in a machine here. You are a co-creator of this community.
Do-ocracy in Action
Think about how many of AP’s best events, art projects, and systems started with one volunteer saying: I have an idea, can we try this? That’s do-ocracy.
It’s why our space feels alive instead of stagnant. It’s why volunteers feel like they’re part of something bigger than themselves. It’s why people keep coming back — because they know this isn’t just “our” project, it’s theirs.
👉 At AP, you don’t have to wait to be asked. You don’t have to be perfect. You just have to be willing. Do-ocracy means this community grows through your ideas, your energy, and your care. So if you’ve been holding onto something you’d love to see here — this is your sign. Do it. We’ll have your back.