People often ask how a Local Assembly should look in practice.
Perhaps a better question might be: what does a Local Assembly feel like?

Across Terra Australis, Local Assemblies are forming in many different ways. Some are just a handful of people meeting regularly. Others already have forty, fifty, or more neighbours gathering consistently. Others are simply one man or woman eagerly just starting out. Each reflects the people who show up, the relationships being formed, and the stage of growth the group is in.

And that is exactly how it should be.

At its heart, a Local Assembly is not a business meeting. It is a place where people come together because they care, about each other, about their families, about their community, and about the future they want them to live in.

When someone walks into an Assembly for the first time, they should feel an energy shift.

• They should feel welcomed.
• They should feel eager to listen.
• They should feel safe to speak when they are ready.
• They should feel that this is a place grounded in goodwill.

This work is done because we love our fellow man, and because we want to reveal, and live within, a more abundant, healthy, and peaceful way of being together. That energy matters. It is what brings people back. It also ensures that all decisions made by the Assembly are good for the whole community.

Local Assemblies are, and should remain, deeply respectful, caring spaces. Family-oriented. Neighbour-centred. Actions rooted in mutual respect.

Before we can govern together, we must learn to govern ourselves.

One of the most important conversations a Local Assembly can hold, particularly in its early stages, is this: what does self-governance really mean?

Often, these conversations reveal that self-governance means learning to take responsibility for our actions, our reactions, and our emotions. It means becoming more aware of how we communicate, how we listen, and how we respond when we disagree. It also means choosing to act with care and respect, even when discussions feel challenging.

Assemblies tend to function more smoothly when people are willing to regulate themselves, repair when needed, and stay engaged with one another over time. This work begins well before votes or decisions ever take place, and it continues as the Assembly grows.

Another question for an Assembly to explore is what the attributes or indicators of a successful Assembly might be. Decisions and outcomes matter, of course, but what about the less tangible signs? Conversation. Community events. Joy. Outreach. A growing sense of trust and belonging.

These conversations are not distractions. They are foundational, and they tend to become easier and more natural with practice.

At this early stage, Local Assemblies are not making binding decisions or directing external actors. Instead, they are building. They are engaged in outreach to grow participation, sharing knowledge, learning together, imagining what their communities might become, and strengthening connection through a range of activities.

This is the soil in which everything else grows.

As participation increases and standing strengthens, Assemblies naturally evolve. Authority to direct GovCo grows with numbers, with clarity, and with demonstrated care for both people and process.

• This work should feel good.
• It should feel meaningful.
• It should feel in-joy-able.

Assemblies are not something we endure. They are something we create together, patiently, imperfectly, and with care, heart and fun. When people leave a meeting feeling more connected, more grounded, and more encouraged than when they arrived, we are doing something right.

This is how the new Earth is being built, quietly, locally, and from the heart.