71 Ultimate Resources & Guide for Democratizing Your Daily Life

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Ultimate guide to make democracy tangible in our daily lives.

Welcome to the Ultimate Resource Guide for democracy activists, practitioners, supporters, and enthusiasts. This section will guide you through the purpose of the document and how to best make use of it.

Note: The links marked with an asterisk “*” are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no expense to you. See Affiliate Disclaimer for more information.

WHO IS THIS GUIDE FOR?

This guide is for anyone who seeks to learn how to improve and empower themselves and their community. In other words, these are tools and resources to make your life simpler (and many of them are actually free to use).

Even though this guide is titled Ultimate Resource Guide for Democracy Activists, Practitioners, Supporters, And Enthusiasts there recommendations for free and open-source tools to help you improve your financial literacy and personal finance skills.

HOW DO I FIND WHAT I AM LOOKING FOR? THERE ARE 6 SECTIONS

The guide is organized around six sections. Before you consult the sections, how did we conduct the selection criteria.

How we choose the tools, books and services to recommend?

  • Declared vision, mission and values in line with the principles of democratization (empowering individuals and communities without harming the environment or others).
  • Free and open source.
  • Contribute to democratization although they are not by definition and practice democratic organizations (these include tools, products and services we can personally vouch for because we use them or have used them but stopped using them due to costs or other reasons we will describe below. Also, we include those that are recommended by trusted individuals and partners. We will also disclose this).

SECTION 1: TOOLS

Name of Tool (Link)ApplicationComment
NewPipeAndroid App (YouTube Alternative)Watch YouTube on Android devices without ads or interruptions.
FdroidApp Store (Android)Alternative to Google Play Store.
AltStoreApp Store (iPhone)Alternative to Apple’s App Store.
AudacityAudio EditingFree and open-source audio editing software.
CryptomatorCloud securityFree and open-source file encryption software.
OwnCloudCloud storageOpen-source cloud service.
NextCloudCloud storageOpen-source cloud service.
CiviCRMCustomer Relations Management (CRM)Open-source CRM software for civil society organizations.
LoomioDecision-makingOpen-source software for decision-making.
ProtonMailEmailOpen-source email, storage, Virtual Private Network (VPN) provider.
TutanotaEmailOpen-source email provider.
CTemplarEmailOpen-source email provider.
FreeFileSyncFile synchronizationFree and open-source file synchronization software.
PexelsFree stock imagesRoyalty free and gratis image repository.
PixabayFree stock imagesRoyalty free and gratis image repository.
GreenGeeks*Hosting providerGreen and energy efficient provider.
BigScoots*Hosting providerHosting provider with excellent customer service.
FireFoxInternet browserFree and open-source browser.
InteractiveBrokers*Investing and/or Portfolio ManagementOne of the world’s most comprehensive brokers with some of the lowest transaction fees to purchase stocks, exchange traded funds (ETFs) and other securities to save and invest.
Portfolio PerformanceInvesting and/or Portfolio ManagementFree and open-source tool to track investment portfolio.
InvoiceNinjaInvoicingFree and open-source tool to invoice clients.
WikipediaKnowledge & Research DatabaseOpen-source and crowd-source encyclopedia.
EBSCOKnowledge & Research DatabaseA repository of free articles and research.
Gutenberg ProjectKnowledge & Research DatabaseA repository of free books.
TelegramMessaging and ChattingFree and open-source messaging and chatting application.
SignalMessaging and ChattingFree and open-source messaging and chatting application.
LibreOfficeOffice ToolsFree and open-source office tools. Alternative to Windows Office 365.
Aegis AuthenticatorOnline authenticator (Android)Free and open-source authenticator. An alternative to Microsoft Authenticator or Google Authenticator.
MercuryOnline bankingU.S. banking solution for international startup founders.
Wise*Online bankingBest fintech for international founders and businesses.
ZorinOSOperating SystemFree and open-source operating system.
UbuntuOperating SystemFree and open-source operating system.
Keepass or KeepassXCPassword managerFree and open-source password manager. Alternative to options such as LastPass.
LiberapayPayment gatewayOpen-source payment gateway.
PayoneerPayment ServicesMost international payment services provider.
HomeBankPersonal and Financial ManagementFree and open-source personal management software.
GNUCashPersonal and Financial ManagementFree and open-source personal management software.
GimpPhoto editing and illustrationsFree and open-source alternative to Adobe Photoshop.
InkscapePhoto editing and illustrationsFree and open-source alternative to Adobe Illustrator.
OpenVPNPrivacy, VPNFree and open-source VPN provider.
FreedcampProject management toolOpen-source project management tool.
OpenProjectProject management toolOpen-source project management tool.
DuckDuckGoSearch Engine  Free, open-source, and ad-free search engine.
MetaGerSearch EngineFree, open-source, and ad-free search engine.
SwissCowsSearch EngineFree, open-source, and ad-free search engine.
ShiftphoneSmartphoneResources used in the phone’s production are fairly sourced and the phones are modular and reparable.
FairphoneSmartphoneResources used in the phone’s production are fairly sourced and the phones are modular and reparable.
JitsiVideo ConferencingFree and open-source video conferencing software. Alternative to Zoom, Microsoft Teams, Google Meet.
BlenderVideo EditingFree and open-source video editing software.
OpenShotVideo EditingFree and open-source video editing software.
ShotcutVideo EditingFree and open-source video editing software.
OBSVideo Recording and StreamingFree and open-source video recording and streaming software.
Plausible AnalyticsWeb analyticsFree and open-source alternative to Google Analytics.
MatomoWeb analyticsFree and open-source alternative to Google Analytics.
Koko AnalyticsWeb analyticsFree and open-source alternative to Google Analytics.
WordPress.OrgWebsiteFree and open-source Content Management Service (CMS).
Ghost.OrgWebsiteFree and open-source Content Management Service (CMS).
WooCommerceWebsite, E-CommerceFree and open-source payment provider for websites and E-commerce. Free alternative to Shopify.

SECTION 2: INSPIRATION

Coming soon.

SECTION 3: BOOKS & ARTICLES

Please note, that the links contained in section are affiliate links. We may earn a small commission at no expense to you. It is your way to support the work we do. You can purchase the book from our bookstore via Bookshop.org or via Amazon.

Name of Book or Article (Link)Comment
Open Democracy: Reinventing Popular Rule for the Twenty-First by Hélène Landemore (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)Provides insights how to improve the state of our political democracy.
Power, for All: How It Really Works and Why It’s Everyone’s Business by Julie Battilana and Tiziana Casciaro (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)Power is something that even those perceived as marginalized can have. Those in authority do not necessarily have power.
Democracy at Work: A Cure for Capitalism by Richard Wolff (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)An excellent overview of how to democratize the economy and workplaces.
Summerhill School: A New View of Childhood by A.S. Neill (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)One of the oldest and longest-running democratic schools founded in the United Kingdom. In 2021, it celebrated its 100-year anniversary since its founding.
Democratic Education – A Beginning of a Story by Yaachov Hecht (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)One of the oldest continuously running democratic schools in Israel, founded by a leading education Yaachov Hecht in 1987.
Humanizing the Economy: Co-Operatives in the Age of Capital by John Restakis (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)The book chronicles how to make the economy more equitable and humane, i.e., democratic by forming worker cooperatives.
The Making of a Democratic Economy: How to Build Prosperity for the Many, Not the Few by Marjorie Kelly and Ted Howard (Our Bookstore* or Amazon*)How cooperatives, democratically owned and managed enterprises can expand economic and social well-being.

SECTION 4: EDUCATION

Name of Organization (Link)Comment
SummerhillA democratic school founded by A.S. Neill in 1921. It has inspired other schools around the world such as the U.S. based Sudbury Valley School.
Sudbury Valley SchoolSudbury Valley School was inspired by Summerhill School in the United Kingdom. It is one of the most advanced democratic schools as it allows the students not only to set their own rules, but also to manage the school’s budget and manage the hiring and firing of adult staff.
Democratic School of HaderaOne of the first modern democratic schools in Israel. It was founded by Yaacov Hecht in 1987 as a response to the lack of learner-centered educational opportunities for children in Israel. The following video features the school’s philosophy, approach and outcomes.

SECTION 5: WORK

Name of Tool (Link)Application
Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC)Mondragon Cooperative Corporation (MCC) is the largest worker-owned conglomerate based in Basque Country, northern Spain. It was founded in 1956 by Catholic Priest, José María Arizmendiarrieta. MCC has grown to employ over 80,000 workers in over 100 countries. It has been subject to many academic studies, but also criticism.
Tesa CollectiveWorker-owned co-op that creates board games focusing on raising awareness and promoting social justice.
Sí Se Puede (We Can Do It!) Women’s CooperativeIn Brooklyn, a group of immigrant women created a cooperative housecleaning business in 2006. Before joining the collective, many of these women worked independently, which meant they had little power when dealing with clients; their clients often decided when they worked, how much they got paid, and what products they used, typically minimum wage.

SECTION 6: PRODUCTS AND SERVICES

Coming soon.

Photo of author
Hi! I am Stefan Ivanovski, founder of Lifestyle Democracy, a knowledge platform that empowers individuals and communities through sharing and teaching how to apply actionable democratic principles and practices, one day at a time. I am currently a PhD student at the School of Industrial and Labor Relations at Cornell University studying the democratization of ownership and management of companies that are shaping the future of work, especially those that rely on remote work and cutting-edge technologies such as artificial intelligence.

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