decolonial-language

Decolonial Language Skill

Content strategy for cooperative software that centers relationships over extraction, stewardship over ownership, and collective wellbeing over individual accumulation. Built for Co-op OS but applicable across Design Machines projects.

Core Principle

Language shapes how members think about their own organization. Colonial and capitalist terminology embeds assumptions about hierarchy, extraction, and individualism. We use solidarity economy language internally while generating legally compliant documents externally. The goal is not to reject legal frameworks but to prevent them from colonizing how cooperators understand their own democracy.

The Three-Layer Architecture

Every piece of content in Co-op OS exists in one of three layers:

Layer	Purpose	Language	Example
Legal/Regulatory	State compliance, filings, formal documents	Statutory terminology required by BC Cooperative Association Act	"Special Resolution," "Rules of Association," "Director"
Bridge	Glossaries, tooltips, dual-label interfaces	Both terms connected	"Stewardship Circle (Board of Directors)"
Cultural/Internal	Member-facing UI, onboarding, daily use	Solidarity economy language	"Stewardship Circle," "Consent Decision," "Surplus"

Default to the Cultural layer. Use Legal layer only when generating documents for regulatory purposes. Use Bridge layer in contexts where members need to understand the legal equivalence.

Implementation Pattern

UI Label:        "Surplus"
Tooltip:         "Net income remaining after expenses — your co-op's collective gain"
Legal document:  "Net Income" or "Surplus" (both legally recognized)
Bridge context:  "Surplus (Net Income)"

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Quick Reference: Terminology Mappings

Financial Terms

Legal/Capitalist	→ Use Instead	Notes
Profit / Loss	Surplus / Deficit	ICA Principle 3; IRS-recognized for co-ops
Shareholders	Members or Worker-owners	Universal cooperative standard
Dividends	Patronage Refunds or Member Distributions	IRS-recognized; based on patronage not capital
Capital	Collective Funds or Member Capital	"Capital as servant, not master" (ICA)
Equity (financial)	Member Equity or Membership Shares	Tied to membership, not tradeable
Assets	Resources or Common Holdings	Informal; use "Assets" in financial statements
Liabilities	Obligations or Commitments	Informal; use "Liabilities" in financial statements
Revenue	Earnings or Receipts	Standard alternatives
Net Income	Net Margin or Surplus	USDA cooperative terminology
ROI	Community Benefit or Social Return	Success = member/community wellbeing
Stakeholder	Community Member or Participant	Removes financial framing
Buy-in	Membership Contribution	Emphasizes joining community
Debt	Mutual Obligations	Relational framing

Governance Terms

Legal/Corporate	→ Use Instead	Notes
Board of Directors	Stewardship Circle or Guidance Council	Note legal equivalence in bylaws
Chairman/Chairperson	Facilitator or Convenor	Non-hierarchical; from sociocracy
CEO/Executive Director	General Coordinator or Operations Lead	Cooperative federations use these
Officer	Steward or Coordinator	Non-hierarchical role language
Bylaws	Operating Agreement or Community Agreements	BC Act uses "Rules of Association"
Resolution	Consent Decision or Working Agreement	Sociocratic framing
Motion	Proposal	More accessible, action-oriented
Vote	Consent Round or Decision	Sociocracy; emphasizes agreement over winning
Quorum	Participation Threshold	Functional description
Proxy	Delegation	Note legal limitations
Compliance	Alignment or Accountability	Values-based framing
Audit	Review or Assessment	Less punitive connotation
Fiduciary Duty	Stewardship Responsibility	Care framing over legal obligation
Minutes	Meeting Record or Decision Record	Emphasizes substance over formality

Membership Terms

Corporate/Legal	→ Use Instead	Notes
Employee	Worker-owner or Cooperator	Mondragon uses "cooperator"
Probationary Period	Orientation Period or Pathway to Membership	Less punitive
Termination	Departure or Separation	Neutral framing
Human Resources	People & Culture or Member Support	Relational framing
Performance Review	Growth Conversation or Peer Reflection	Development over judgment
Onboarding	Welcome Journey or Orientation	Emphasizes belonging

Interface/UX Language

Extractive Framing	→ Use Instead	Notes
User	Member or Person	They own this, they're not being used
User pain points	Community needs
Target market	Communities served
Impact metrics	Relationships deepened
User acquisition	Community growth
Conversion	Participation
Engagement	Connection
Retention	Belonging
Dashboard	Overview or Pulse	Less surveillance, more rhythm

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Decision Framework: When to Use Which Layer

Use Cultural layer (default):

• All member-facing UI labels, buttons, navigation
• Onboarding flows and welcome materials
• Internal meeting agendas and communications
• Member handbook and policies
• Notifications, reminders, status messages

Use Bridge layer:

• First encounter with a legal concept (tooltip or parenthetical)
• Glossary pages
• Training materials that prepare members for regulatory interactions
• AGM agendas (members see cultural terms with legal equivalences)

Use Legal layer:

• Annual reports filed with BC Registry
• Tax filings and financial statements for regulators
• Legal correspondence
• Formal bylaw/rules documents (though even here, consider bridge approach)
• Any document a regulator or court might read

When in doubt: Use cultural language and add a bridge tooltip. Members should never need to learn legal terminology to participate in their own democracy.

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Content Principles

1. Relational, Not Transactional

Frame everything in terms of relationships between people, not transactions between entities. "Member contributions" not "buy-in." "Community agreements" not "compliance requirements."

2. Active, Not Passive

Members do things together. "The circle decided" not "a resolution was passed." "Members agreed" not "the motion carried." Agency belongs to people, not procedures.

3. Accessible, Not Simplified

Use clear, direct language without dumbing down concepts. A "consent round" is not simpler than a "vote" — it's a different and more precise concept. Explain, don't reduce.

4. Pluriversal, Not Universal

Allow different cooperatives to use different terminology for the same concepts. Some may prefer indigenous terms from their own traditions. Co-op OS should support configurable terminology where possible.

5. Honest About the Tension

Don't pretend the legal framework doesn't exist. Name it: "The BC Act calls this a 'special resolution' — we call it a 'major consent decision' because that better describes what's actually happening: your whole community agreeing on something important."

6. Grounded in Practice

Terminology should emerge from what cooperators actually do, not from academic theory. If a term doesn't make immediate sense to a cleaning co-op member or an animation studio worker-owner, it needs more work.

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Reference Files

Load these for deeper context:

File	When to Load
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/terminology-finance.md	Writing financial UI, reports, patronage flows
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/terminology-governance.md	Governance UI, meeting flows, decision tracking
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/terminology-membership.md	Member profiles, onboarding, lifecycle
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/terminology-ux.md	Interface copy, notifications, general UX writing
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/frameworks.md	Content strategy planning, philosophical grounding
${CLAUDE_SKILL_DIR}/references/case-studies.md	Precedent research, client conversations

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Cross-References

• governance skill (in this plugin): Domain knowledge for BC Act requirements — this skill provides the language layer on top
• assembly plugin: Technical implementation — use this skill when naming components, writing labels, seeding data