Dean Spade

Three. Mutual aid projects are participatory, solving problems through collective action rather than waiting for saviors

Mutual aid is inherently antiauthoritarian

Mutual aid can also generate boldness and a willingness to defy illegitimate authority

Charity, aid, relief, and social services are terms that usually refer to rich people or the government making decisions about the provision of some kind of support to poor people—that is, rich people or the government deciding who gets the help, what the limits are to that help

the idea that activism is a kind of lifestyle accessory—is demobilizing to our movements

COVID-19, for example, has generated right-wing wins like closing the border

Elites and their nonprofit gatekeepers encourage us to make small, “reasonable,” or “winnable” demands, and they try to redirect our action to official channels that are non-disruptive, with narratives about “peaceful protest” and “coming to the table.”

Part of the reason our dream of a savior government is so compelling is that it is hard for us to imagine a world where we meet core human needs through systems that are based on principles of collective self-determination rather than coercion.

Locally operated mutual aid works better for meeting people’s needs in all kinds of situations, including disasters, because our needs are best met by those with the most local knowledge, and when we are the ones making the decisions affecting us.