Autonomous peasant struggles and left arts of government

I argue that self-organisation cannot account for how grass roots struggles can pursue transnational political change. I develop an account of some “left arts of government” through which resistance is facilitated and organised without reintroducing oppressive and hierarchical forms of rule. I do so by focusing on the practices of autonomous peasant mobilisations. Land occupation movements facilitate the ability of people to engage in ongoing resistance on their own behalf. They organise resistance through horizontal communication and through transnational networks involving representative structures. Finally, peasant mobilisations engage with states and international institutions to solidify gains made.