Mission

The Neighborhood Anarchist Collective (NAC) strives to grow the anarchist movement through strategic direct action and by providing a welcoming environment for education and participation. We organize locally to help build a society where neighbors support each other to meet basic needs, individuals are free to follow their passions, and empowered communities collectively shape the future.

Principles

• Community-Focused Anarchism – We primarily work from a vision of Anarchism focused on community; a vision built around mutual support, shared resources, decentralization of power, and individual empowerment.
  • Individual Sovereignty – You are the exclusive controller of your body, energy, and life. You contribute your energy on your own terms.
  • Mutual Aid – Acting together for shared benefit through the voluntary exchange of resources and services.
  • Distributed Power – No one has more power than anyone else. People work together on equal footing.
  • Direct Action – Creating change or highlighting issues in a community without relying on government or other indirect methods to accomplish goals.
• Radical Love – We do this work because of our deep love and care for others, ourselves, and the earth.
• Collective Liberation – Solidarity matters, in particular, with folks who are politically targeted and suffering under systems of oppression. In our work, community, and personal lives, we seek to dismantle all interlocking systems of oppression such as white supremacy culture, racism, classism, capitalism, colonization, patriarchy, homophobia, transphobia, and ableism.
• Strategic Nonviolence and Self Determination – As a group, we will mobilize using strategic nonviolence; and we respect the right of individuals and communities to determine how to protect themselves.
• Concrete Projects – We prioritize projects that: 1) Foster community support and education; 2) Give people a sense of their own power; and, 3) Shift power from hierarchies (such as government and corporations) to people and communities.
• Collaboration – As social issues are bigger than any singular organization, we look to work with other organizations and communities (anarchist or not) when we share a common cause to create change and our values overlap. We collaborate while staying focused on our core principles, methods, and mission.
• Empower Individuals – By giving people the creative space to experience and experiment with their autonomy, as well as their ability to impact their community, we will fan the flame(s) of self-liberation.
• Long-Term Strategy – We focus on projects that build toward our long term vision of a healthy, just, and flourishing community. As we go, we learn from our successes and failures to strengthen future projects.
• Inclusivity – We welcome anyone interested in the mission and principles of this group.
• Accessibility – We strive to maintain accessibility in our collective spaces, and to actively take accountability to improve in areas we may fall short. (See accessibility norm for specifics)
• Responsive – We value input from, and dialogue with, the community and want to respond directly to the needs and concerns of those around us. We accept responsibility for our actions as individuals and as a group.
• Autonomy – Individuals’ ideas and energies are important and encouraged. We are structured to limit any coercion or control that could interfere with a person’s rights of self direction and empowerment.
• Joyous – In spite of the struggles we face, we strive to find joy in each other and bring playfulness to our projects.

Internal

• We are ambassadors of Anarchism – For many people NAC will be their first exposure to anarchist ideas. We are gentle, respectful, educational, and inviting.
• Assume best intentions – We are all working towards the same goals; as such, we strive to view the variety of individual expressions and actions through the lens of curiosity and camaraderie. Even so, we are accountable for the impacts of our actions and value feedback.
• Feedback is a gift – We are all learning and growing. We learn and grow through direct communication, reflection, and discussion. We seek out opportunities to give and receive constructive feedback.
• Wholeness – We bring our whole selves to this group and respect the often emotional nature of social justice work and collective process. We strive to set aside our egos and the masks we often put on in public places in order to respect and appreciate everyone for who they are and the unique things they bring to our community.
• Collaborative Decision-Making – We want to access the collective experience and wisdom of the group when making decisions. We utilize structures that encourage the broadest input possible.
• Visionary – We believe a better world is possible. We will not allow appeasements or concessions to distract our focus from the larger vision of an awesome anarchist future.
• Group education and growth – As group praxis, we consistently seek opportunities to train and educate ourselves to improve in our organizing, our politics, and ourselves.
• Structured for Change – We use adaptable structures that plan for changing conditions and create space for people to engage quickly and easily.
• Flexibility – Every situation is unique and requires attention to its specific context. We use our principles, norms, and precedents to guide us, not to coerce people. 
• Centering Anarchism – We intentionally talk about anarchism and anarchist principles with the public to counter long-term State misinformation and show what anarchy truly is.
• Fight Organizational Inertia – Don’t be afraid to try something new! Continue to analyze the organization, its processes, these principles, and creatively work to improve the organization.
• Question Everything!

Other important structure documents

NAC Structure
NAC Safer Space & Collective Norms
NAC Security Culture