The rural democratisation stream focuses on reclaiming rural democracy and traditional authorities. In South Africa, local democracy is often hollowed out and citizen participation is often undermined or even ignored. Increasingly, traditional authorities are being co-opted to facilitate corporate resource grabs in relation to the land and ocean, which has accelerated the process of land dispossession of small-scale farmers and peasants.

The movements and associations TCOE work with, aims to constitute alternative spaces for democratic participation.