The document discusses the definition and meaning of the word "constitute" as a noun. It explores how a constitute could refer to a flexible social structure that connects a community's purpose to infrastructure and productive technologies. A constitute is described as drawing from grassroots democratic forces while also aiming to create structures and change laws by prototyping and prefiguring them to bring about change. Examples provided of potential constitutes include social movements, citizen networks, and non-hierarchical organizational models.

1. WHAT IS A
“CONSTITUTE”?
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE UK

2. PATKANE.GLOBAL. 2

3. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE UK

4. As a verb, you can institute something
As a noun, you can build an institute which is
a more defined or specific version of the
generic form known as an institution
The condition of being an institution is to be
institutional
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE
ALTERNATIVE UK

5. As a verb you, can constitute something
As a noun you can form a constitute which is
a more defined or specific version of the
generic form known as an constitution
The condition of being a constitute is to be
constitutional
????
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

6. Is it going to be this easy? Maybe not…
An institution (and its institutes) are static entities,
from bricks and budgets, archives and research
agendas, solid and established
A constitution (and its constitutes) are protocols,
principles, bodies of law, that are emerged and forged in
society, realised in a mass political moment, then tested
in courts and on parliament floors.
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

7. It’s still not clear from what kind of thing a constitute is,
or might be:
— Is a constitute what we mean by “convention” in
“constitutional convention”—a practical and concrete
convening of the forces?
—Is a constitute a specific court case brought to defend
or attack the principles of a constitution?The Supreme
Court wondering whether Downing Street has executive
power over Parliament…
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

8. That seems a really dull waste of a great opportunity... I
think the word has more mystery and possibly in it than
that.
Let’s roam around the semantics...
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

9. We don’t go for a morning institutional... but we might
go for a morning constitutional
We don’t say, she has the institution of an ox, but we do
say she has the constitution of an ox
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

10. So there’s something bodily and energetic, dynamic
and felt about things constituting, or that constitute
themselves.
Even an official constitution is often achieved by a
movement or even a revolution.
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

11. In that context, a constitute could be the thing - the
energy container (or generator) - that keeps a
or even a revolution going.
The thing that reminds us of bigger principles we
fought for, keeps us sharp and skilled in defending
them.
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

12. So...
Is Corbyn Labour’s Momentum platform a constitute?
The school climate strikes coordinated by social
media, or Extinction Rebellion’s city-centre
- were they constitutes?
Is each self-governing unit in Rojava a “constitute”?
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U

13. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
I believe we can surround the constitute with
different derivations, that hook it up to a much
more hypermodern reality.
A constitute as something that lives in the world of
networks and code, of affect and swarming, of
temporary structures and even sovereignties.

14. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
One final argument that threatens to close down
the meaning of constitute as a noun…
There’s a long standing discussion in political theory
around the difference between
• constituted power (the power of state and law)
and
• constituent power (the power of the people or
multitude - whichAntonio Negri recently
revived).

15. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
Does this mean that a constitute is merely that
which is constituted - that is, another word for the
state?
How sad—what an anti-climax! A boring definition
for a usefully empty word…

16. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
OR... could we at least imagine that a constitute, as a
thing, sits exactly between the constituent and the
constituted?
Meaning that it draws from deep, turbulent,
democratic, common, up-from-below forces…
However, it also aims to create a structure, build
assets, maybe even change laws—but to do so by
prefiguring, prototyping them, bringing into being?
Constituting them?

17. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
What does a constitute do? It constitutes. Meaning….
It invites a seething mass of yearning, dissatisfied people in
a community to ask:
• What are the powers and forces we seek?
• How do we keep dwelling on the ways we’re seeking
them, as we’re actually seeking them?

18. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
If that sounds a bit anarchist, or social anarchist, then I
confess my own tendencies.The writer of the recent
Penguin book on anarchismThe Government of No One,
Ruth Kinna, sent me a paper the other day titled Anarchic
Agreements: a guide to the process of constitutionalising
and group forming.
https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330728402_An
archic_Agreements_-
_Seeds_for_Change_and_Anarchy_Rules

19. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
Ruth defines constitutionalising as: “the continual process of
defining and redefining the identity and ethos of a
community and developing and changing the rules that
govern the behaviour of the community and its members”
Ruth’s 3 rules of thumb for constitutionalising for anarchists
is that it be:
1. Consensual
2. Changeable
3. Conscious

20. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
Finally, I have to say that in the political prototyping
platform that I’m part of with Indra Adnan & thousands of
others, called the Alternative UK
(www.thealternative.org.uk)
..We have been co-creating and initiating some constitutes
• Plymouth/South Devon
• Stoke-on-Trent

21. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
Our name for them is a Citizens Action Network, or a CAN.
A CAN is a network structure that tries to:-
Connecting the creative, post-party-political energies of
localities and communities, all the social enterprises and
mutual aid that they do and are capable of….

22. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
….with some of the small and soft infrastructures that are
technologically available, to enable these places to
immediately build assets for themselves, in energy, food,
housing, communication, light manufacture, etc.
(In my view, a constitute is pretty close to what Deleuze and
Guattari called an “assemblage” - an eclectic structuring of
elements that hangs together by virtue of its purpose or
narrative, than by a strict organogram)

23. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
The reason why these Citizen Action Networks are
constitutes - rather than any recognisable form of
incorporation or trust - is because of Ruth’s three principles:
they are consensual, changeable and conscious.
This means they are attractive, useful and evolving
collective practice. It’s not dissimilar to Rob Hopkins and the
TransitionTowns Networks and the Permaculture movement
it arises from…

24. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
…However we not only embrace market gardens and
microbreweries, but 3D printing, ledger technology,
electric cars, AI for Good…
Nothing productive or creative is alien to a CAN -
or a constitute.

25. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
OK!
So there’s my attempt to fill in the dictionary blank
under “constitute (n.)”.
What I’d like you to do in these break out rooms - you
can of course constitute yourselves as you wish - but
help me out with one of two things:-

26. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
1.Work on the dictionary definition - try to define
the word. Be lexicographers for 20 minutes
2.Explore the issues - about power, organisation,
community/locality, networks, technology and
planet - that thinking about a constitute might
raise
See you in 20 minutes for a report back!

27. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE U
My question for the end of this workshop, which
will go into a big Department of Dreams question
box at the end is:
What are the new forms of organisation
that will express the radical possibilities of
the moment? If not a constitute, then
what?

28. PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE UK
constitute [ kon-sti-toot, ‘-tyoot]
___________________
Noun
A composition, a forming
The constitute was designed to serve the community
The making and creating of leadership functions by a
community
It was decided by the constitute that she would plan the energy grid
energy grid
A flexible social structure that connects community
purpose with infrastructural and productive technologies
The local food system was convened and coordinated by the
by the constitute

29. WHAT IS A
“CONSTITUTE”?
THIS IS A CONSTITUTE!
PATKANE.GLOBAL/THE ALTERNATIVE UK