KangAi Commune Explores the Move from “Platform Governance” to “Joint Governance by Platform and Members”

KangAi Commune has long been thinking about one question:

In a mutual-aid community where everyone shares costs and helps one another, who should decide its rules and its future?

In the past, the platform carried almost all of the governance responsibility: making rules, reviewing cases, handling disputes, amending the covenant.

But we have come to realize more and more that since the mutual-aid funds come from members, the rules are observed by members together, and the Commune ultimately exists for all its members, some important matters should not forever be decided by the platform alone.

So, building on the member Adjudication Panel, we are gradually exploring a community joint-governance mechanism for KangAi Commune. Three mechanisms are now live.

1. Adjudication: when there is a dispute, let members judge

When a member’s application for mutual aid is rejected, or when they disagree with the platform’s review conclusion, they may — where the rules allow — submit the case to the Adjudication Panel.

The platform states its reasons, the applicant states their position, both sides present fully based on rules and facts, and then qualified adjudicators vote independently.

It addresses the most basic of questions:

The platform says “no mutual aid should be given,” the member says “it should” — whose word finally decides?

Our attempt is this: hand the final judgment to the members.

This is both a remedy for the applicant and a constraint on the platform’s power.

2. Deliberation: when there are different views, let everyone discuss them openly

A community cannot consist only of mutual-aid cases; different views on the rules, on operations and on direction will constantly emerge.

In the past, those views might be scattered across customer-service calls, complaints, WeChat groups and messages, and it was hard for them to become genuinely effective public discussion. We previously launched a member forum at club.kags.cn, but it was taken down for various reasons. Now we have implemented the function in a new form.

The deliberation mechanism aims to provide a formal public space:

Problems can be raised; differing views can be discussed; important matters can be opened to broader member participation.

Turn complaints into proposals, proposals into discussion, and give discussion a chance to drive real change.

3. Amendment: the rules are not one person’s rules

The mutual-aid covenant determines who may join, under what circumstances mutual aid can be obtained, what obligations everyone bears, and how the Commune operates over the long term.

Such rules certainly need professionalism and stability, but they should equally listen to the voices of those who live under them.

So we are exploring a system in which members propose amendments, discuss them openly, form formal motions, and finally have them voted on through the member governance mechanism.

This means the mutual-aid covenant of the future will no longer simply be “made by the platform, observed by members,” but will, we hope, gradually become:

A compact formed with everyone’s participation and observed by everyone together.

What does this mean for KangAi Commune?

We hope gradually to change a traditional logic of platform governance:

The platform no longer tries to be forever the one who decides on everyone’s behalf, but becomes more of a guardian of the rules, an organizer of procedure and a servant of community governance.

Of course, joint community governance does not mean that everything is simply decided by majority vote.

Mutual aid involves medicine, law, risk control, fund security and long-term sustainability; some matters are responsibilities the operating entity must bear by law, and others require professional judgment. Therefore, joint governance must have boundaries, procedures and rules.

But on matters that are suited to joint decisions by members, we are willing to keep handing participation and decision-making power to them.

What does this mean for every member?

It means that joining KangAi Commune is not only about applying for mutual aid when you need it and fulfilling mutual-aid obligations the rest of the time.

You can also become a participant in this community.

You can take part in adjudicating cases, express opinions, discuss public affairs, put forward proposals, and take part in forming and amending the rules.

Members are not only those who observe the mutual-aid rules; they can gradually become co-makers of the rules and co-governors of the community.

We do not know how far this exploration will ultimately go.

But we believe:

A true spirit of “all for one, one for all” should be shown not only in everyone chipping in to help one person, but also in everyone upholding the rules together, resolving disputes together and deciding this community’s future together.