How to set up
an assembly
For community not for self
A shared vision for peace in our communities
Community Assemblies bring people together at grass-roots level as local Community Assemblies (street, hamlet, village or town) and their associate Regional Assemblies (county, metropolitan city, area or island). This forms the basis of our Community Assembly Framework for everyone living in the British Isles.
Aims & Objectives
The aim is to create a interconnected network of Community Assemblies for all nations of the British Isles including England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, Cornwall, Isle of Man and Yorkshire (who have declared themselves a nation of the British Isles as they have a greater population than Scotland).
The objective is to create a support system, knowledge-base and information-flow to ensure that everyone's voice is heard and decisions are made on an informed basis. This is where Community Assembly of the British Isles (CABI) comes into its own with a central team of volunteers providing administrative support and services for members of CABI and our parallel network, Assemblies of the World (AOW).
Setting up a local Community Assembly starts with a group of three Community Assembly Facilitators (and optional Special Advisors) who represent the views of local people and work on their behalf in the local area.
All CABI Members are entitled to attend Community Assembly meetings and it is up to the Community Assembly Facilitators and Special Advisors to spread the word, organise activities and bring new Members and Facilitators into the fold.
Resolving Issues
Any decisions which cannot be handled at a local level are raised with the nearest Regional, Metropolitan, Area or Island Community Assembly in order to find a resolution. If this is not possible, CABI will take on the role of neutral arbitrator providing administrative support under the guidance of a Community Peace Constable. If all else fails, the Community Peace Constable would make the decision to take the issue to court (Kort Ownder).
All decisions need to be recorded, collated and stored securely to protect any sensitive information. All decisions must be passed back through the system so that each Community Assembly has access to non-sensitive information as part of our knowledge-base. This is essential for both workable and failed projects so that duplication is avoided and we have the ability to learn from mistakes and expand our knowledge-base going forward.
Attributes of a Facilitator
The following attributes are demonstrated by successful Community Assembly Facilitators and Special Advisors:
- Maintaining a neutral position within the community
- Communicating clearly with good presentation skills
- Understanding and internalising our Declaration and shared vision founded on Natural Law
- Being objective, rational and patient in all situations
- Listening to suggestions and taking action
- Being open, honest and trusted by Members
- Being adept in managing the pace and scale of implementation without cutting corners
- Enabling everyone to take part in the decision-making process
- Mentoring and coaching as required (helpful but not essential)
- Spreading the word to help us grow our network
- Identifying and supporting Facilitators to set up local Community Assemblies
It is essential that all Community Assembly Facilitators and Special Advisors work as a team so that they can support each other through all eventualities and build trust through open communication. In terms of the wider objectives of the CABI network, Community Assemblies are encouraged to share knowledge and expertise with each other in order to maintain a healthy cooperation and strengthen the effectiveness of the network.
A general guide for setting up a Community Assembly in your area
Step 1
Locate and gather together three or more willing volunteers who are interested in setting up a Community Assembly in your area. Arrange your initial meetings to talk through ideas and go through the information provided on this website so that you are clear about your aims and objectives and in agreement regarding next steps.
Step 2
One of the first things you need to do is to make sure a Community Assembly has not already been enlisted for your area. You can do this by contacting us with a request and we will get back to you by return. If there is not a Community Assembly in your local area, you are invited to step forward as a Facilitator. We will then help you to enlist your team prior to enlisting your Community Assembly on our Group Directory.
All Community Assemblies must have a minimum of three Facilitators (and optional Special Advisors) and each Community Assembly must be named with the prefix: 'Community Assembly of ......' to include your chosen location.
Step 3
Hold further meetings to discuss how you can pool resources, ultilise skills and bring other local residents into the fold. It is up to Community Assembly Facilitators and Special Advisors to relay information from CABI and feedback any relevant information that might be helpful to the network as required.
Make sure proceedings are recorded so that you can allocate any agreed actions with timescales to keep the momentum flowing. This information does not need to be too detailed but it does need to accurately reflect questions posed and answers provided during your meetings.
Please bear in mind that our main focus is to increase our membership and enlist Facilitators to set up local COmmunity Assemblies as we ned to have our network in place as a priority before any community projects can be formerly organised.
Step 4
Make sure everyone is aware of Regional Meetings taking place across the British Isles as this is where Members can catch up on the latest news, meet other Members and ask questions. These are published on our Events page on our website. Make sure that any sensitive information is stored securely and other information can be retrieved and accessed so that you have a point of reference if required.
Please note that anything discussed at CABI meeting (and in the weekly updates) are private to Members and care must be taken to only share information that is on our website in the public domain and will help to encourage others to join us.
Step 5
Inform residents in your community (by word of mouth) that a Community Assembly has now been set up and invite them to come along to one of your meetings. You can share your activities and achievements on the CABI blog - a good example of this is
A Community Assembly in Action. Case studies like this help to inspire new members and volunteers to get involved.
Step 6
When these basic steps have been completed, contact us again to arrange a call or Zoom meeting with the administrators of CABI so that you discuss any questions you may have and find out more about our support services.
All Community Assembly Facilitators and Special Advisors must ensure they act on behalf of CABI Members and not themselves or any external agencies. Please be aware that you are first and foremost 'servants of the people' and that any personal agendas will not be accommodated.
Remember that we are here to help and we very much look forward to hearing from you.
Last updated on 22 May 2025.
The greatness of a community is most accurately measured by the compassionate actions of its members.
