Parallel Society Playbook
What the parallel society is
The creation of a parallel society is a form of non-violent civil resistance, where an organised group of people build parallel civil structures that work alongside harmful and unfair ones under which they live.
The concept comes from Czechoslovakian dissidents living under a totalitarian regime, where they were forced to create parallel institutions in law, education, media, infrastructure and culture to survive.
The parallel polis - as they called it - was not merely a cultural sphere or a political movement, but an alternative way of life. In this way it was not opposed to the official system so much as it existed beside it, in "parallel."
The Logos parallel society
Logos puts together a technology stack and a social movement to form our own version of a parallel society.
The stack provides the infrastructure: decentralised, private-by-default tools for communication, storage, and coordination. The movement builds local institutions on the stack and encourages community organisation and action, problem solving, skill building, mutual aid, and a culture of civic duty.
What the playbook is
The Parallel Society Playbook is a growing collection of practical knowledge from Circles documenting the first steps in the creation of the Logos parallel society.
Its purpose is simple: when a Circle figures out how to solve a concrete, winnable civil society issue, we want other Circles to be able to learn from that experience and adapt it locally.
Rather than every Circle having to start from scratch, we can turn local organising experience into shared knowledge.
Together, the issues we solve form the basis of a global parallel society.
Submission Template
Copy the template below into your Logos Forum post and fill in the sections. Ensure you use the tag 'playbook' so your post is included.
Title: A clear, specific title describing the issue and the outcome.
City: In which city is your Circle that solved the issue?
Issue bucket: Which civil society issue bucket does this belong to? Reference one of the issues here
The issue: What specific problem were you trying to solve?
Why was it winnable? Why did you believe this was something your Circle could realistically make progress on?
Who was affected? Who experienced this problem, and who had a stake in solving it?
Our goal: What specific outcome were you trying to achieve?
What we did: Describe the actions your Circle took. Include important steps, tactics, meetings, partnerships, outreach, or other activities.
Who we worked with: Which people, organisations, community groups, or other stakeholders were involved?
What worked: What approaches were particularly effective?
What didn't work: What would you avoid or change if you were doing it again?
The outcome: What happened? What did you achieve, and how did you measure progress?
What we learned: What are the most important lessons another Circle should know?
What could another Circle replicate? Which parts of your approach could be adapted and used in another city or community?
Resources: Add any useful documents, guides, contacts, tools, or other resources that could help another Circle replicate the work.
What happens after you submit?
Your contribution can become part of the Parallel Society Playbook, alongside experiences from other Circles.
The aim is to build a living, open-source resource rather than a static handbook.
Over time, the playbook should help Circles:
Find a winnable issue → learn from previous campaigns → adapt the approach locally → create a new win → share what was learned.
Every contribution makes the next issue easier for another Circle.
Last updated