Mutual Aid for the Modern World

Stephanie Murphy Organizer at Fr33 Aid

Things I hear when I bring up mutual aid:

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“Is that like mutualism? What are you, some kinda pinko commie?”

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“You mean like the Freemasons? Are you in the illuminati?”

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“Oh, mutual aid… like they used to have back in the 1800’s?”

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What is Mutual Aid?

Mutual aid is people helping one another for the success of all involved.

Distinct from charity

Why is Mutual Aid Important?

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Creating alternatives to state services Empowerment of those who are marginalized Increasing standard of living and prosperity Strengthening social bonds and community Support and security – voluntary safety net

Historical Mutual Aid

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Religious organizations Fraternal societies Schools Immigrant communities Lodge doctors

Who Does Mutual Aid?

If you think you don’t currently participate in mutual aid, you may change your answer before the end of this talk!

The purpose of this talk is to show you the diverse forms that mutual aid can take… ... And to point out modern examples.

Modern Mutual Aid

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Modern mutual aid is a market driven process which is highly diverse and varied!

Need addressed: food, child care, mental and physical health, housing, insurance, women’s issues, banking etc etc… Scope: local to global Ideology: secular, religious, political Structure: co-operative, decentralized, unstructured, hierarchical… Membership standards: stringent to lax

Cooperative Principles

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Rochdale Society of Equitable Pioneers, 1840s England Cooperatives still follow these principles

• • • • • • • Voluntary and open membership – Anti-discrimination – Motivations and rewards Democratic member control Member economic participation – Democratic control (over capital) – Limitations on member compensation and appropriate use of surpluses Autonomy and independence Education, training, and information Cooperation among cooperatives Concern for community

Food Co-ops and CSA

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Co-op grocery stores – follow cooperative principles.

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Member owned, not for profit, typically specialty, natural, organic foods

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Alternative to corporate grocery stores

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“2 nd wave” in the 1970’s CSA – Community supported agriculture

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Members support food producers and receive share of crops

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Some accept labor in lieu of financial support Food criminalization leads to raw milk raids

Child Care & Preschool Co-ops

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Parents run and manage Often “common bond” Update of an old idea Illegal in many localities

“In a co-op pre-K, parents work together to create a school that matches their educational philosophy and worldview. They also run it, finance it, staff it, clean it and administer it — whatever is necessary to keep costs as low as possible. Often, schools operate from members’ homes. Some pupils are taught by parents; others by professional teachers… Oh, and in many cases, forming a co-op school is illegal, because getting the required permits and passing background checks can be so prohibitively expensive and time consuming that most co-ops simply don’t.” – Soni Sangha The Pre-K Underground NYT

Cooperative Banking

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Credit Unions

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Member-owned, democratically controlled (one vote per member)

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Banking and financial services, issue credit, other benefits

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Usually a “common bond”

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Community development services

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Not for profit

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Occupy Vermont

Micro-Lending

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Small loans to individual or small group borrowers who usually lack collateral or credit history.

2006 Nobel Peace Prize - Muhammad Yunus, founder of Grameen Bank Internet takes micro-lending global

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Kiva (microlending through local intermediaries), Zidisha (direct peer-to-peer lending), Vittana (student loans), United Prosperity (building credit), Lend for Peace, Microloan Foundation, Count Me In for Women’s Economic Independence (lending and business coaching to women) Empowerment of poor borrowers

Crowdfunding

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Popular method of funding projects, typically organized online and involving multiple “investors.” In some cases, the funds are held in escrow until a goal is reached and in some they go directly to the project.

Examples of crowdfunded projects:

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Films

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Music Startup businesses Journalism Tech products Community centers Medical (genome sequencing)

Self Help/Support

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Alcohol and drug addiction Weight management Coming out Therapy/healing from trauma Grief support HIV/AIDS Parents of children with special needs, illnesses, etc.

Job training/work skills

Mutual Aid in Security - Neighborhood Watch

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1960s – Kitty Genovese stabbed in Queens NYC, 38 neighbors possibly witnessed but did not stop it.

Neighborhood watches started organizing as a response Meant to deter attacks, not intervene if one occurred

Mutual Aid for Women

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Women’s health clinics Intimate partner violence prevention and transitional housing Business collectives (developing world and beyond) DIY Gynecology

http://imaginenoborders.org/pdf/zines/HotPantz.pdf

Mutual Aid in Life Logistics

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Shared housing Carpooling Study groups Neighborhood association

Best of all

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All of these are completely voluntary None rely on force!

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Hear more of my work:

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Fr33 Aid.com or visit the Fr33 Aid booth at Libertopia

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CPR workshops 1 PM!

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Hear me on my podcast & live show, Porc Therapy – PorcTherapy.com

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Hear me on Free Talk Live Sunday night edition – FreeTalkLive.com

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Download (free!) the audiobook of Markets Not Capitalism, eds. Gary Chartier and Charles W. Johnson, narrated and produced by me – at PorcTherapy.com and C4SS.org

Thank you!

Questions?

Image credit: afed.org.uk