Why our Assemblies are being built from the ground up
Across history, many systems of government have been created, but all can be classed under one of two primary divisions:
Most nations inherit their form from the past, adapt existing institutions, or layer new rules onto old structures.
Few pause to ask a more fundamental question: By what principles should people govern themselves at all?
As the people of Terra Australis assemble to shape a new form of self‑governance, we are deliberately asking, "what are our first principles?"
Rather than copying existing political models, or returning to an old failed system, we are asking "what makes governance legitimate, stable, and worthy of trust?"
These principles are not new. They have been articulated before by thoughtful observers of society, including Thomas Paine, who wrote not about how to rule, but about how authority arises and how it must be constrained if it is to remain beneficial to the people.
You do not need to agree with every idea here, or understand every detail, to be welcome. Curiosity and good faith are enough.
What follows is a plain‑English outline of principles being considered for guiding the Assemblies now forming across Terra Australis.
Institutions and offices do not hold authority on their own — authority begins with living people.
Authority begins with living people — men and women who choose to come together, speak, listen, and act in common. When people assemble, they create the only legitimate foundation for governance.
Assemblies do not grant authority. They receive and express it.
This is why our structure begins at the local level, where people know one another, understand local conditions, and can see the effects of decisions directly. Everything that follows flows upward from this point.
You cannot delegate a power you do not posses yourself: If you do not have the legitimate power to:
you cannot delegate that power to Government (or your Assemblies).
Many of us have experienced governance as something done to us, rather than with us.
In practice, legitimate governance has a far narrower purpose.
Its role is to:
It is not to direct people's lives, enforce ideology, or substitute itself for individual responsibility.
In our Assembly model, governing bodies — including the existing service‑provider corporations (governments) — are comprehended as servants of the people, tasked with delivering specific, agreed services. They are not masters, parents, or moral authorities.
If people are affected by decisions, they must be represented equally.
There can be no legitimate hierarchy of voices, no privileged class, and no permanent ruling group. Any structure that elevates one group above another ceases to reflect the will of the people and begins to serve itself.
For this reason:
Representation exists to carry the expressed collective will of the people, not to replace or act without it.
An Assembly is not a seat of power. It is a place of deliberation and service.
In practice, this often looks like people sitting in a room, listening carefully, disagreeing respectfully, and finding common ground.
Those elected or delegated to act do so as fiduciaries — people trusted to carry out specific tasks in behalf of others, within clearly defined limits.
Most people have experienced decisions being made far away, by people they never met, with little chance to be heard. Assemblies exist to reverse that experience.
No Assembly exists above the people. Every Assembly remains answerable and accountable to those it serves.
Living people cannot be bound indefinitely by past decisions, past officials, or past arrangements.
For governance to remain legitimate:
Continuity is maintained through transparent records and shared knowledge, not through permanent positions or entrenched influence.
Complexity is often mistaken for sophistication. In governance, complexity is a warning sign.
When systems become too complex to understand:
Our Assemblies are committed to:
If people cannot comprehend how decisions are made, they are not truly self‑governing.
Our governance structure is intentionally layered, not hierarchical:
Each level exists to serve the level below it. Authority flows upward. Responsibility flows downward.
This structure ensures that international and national engagement remains firmly grounded in the expressed will of the people.
No generation can legitimately govern the next from the grave.
The Assemblies forming today do not claim finality or perfection. They are living structures, intended to evolve as understanding deepens and experience grows.
We do, however, have a responsibility to future generations. We must steward our assets, resources and infrastructure - and the Earth herself - for enjoyment now and for those to come after us.
Participation is not only welcomed — it is essential.
Self‑governance is not something to be believed in. It is something to be practised.
If you value:
and governance that serves people rather than controls them, then we invite you to take part.
Attend a local Assembly. Listen. Ask questions. Offer your skills. Observe how decisions are made. There is no expectation to commit, agree, or take on responsibility — participation begins with observation. You don’t need to have answers. You don’t need to take a position. Simply showing up, listening, and asking honest questions is enough.
Legitimacy does not arise from declarations or symbols. It grows naturally when people assemble, participate, and act in good faith — together.
Takeaways from 'Dissertation on First Principles of Government' by Thomas Paine (1795)
