WEBVTT - CZM Book Club: Mutual Aid by Dean Spade, Part Two 0:00:01.720 --> 0:00:10.480 Cal Zone Media book Club book Club book Club, Hello 0:00:10.680 --> 0:00:13.200 and welcome nicols On Media. Book Club, the only book 0:00:13.200 --> 0:00:15.400 club where you don't have to do the mutual aid 0:00:15.680 --> 0:00:19.600 organizing because I do it. No, No, that's not our 0:00:19.600 --> 0:00:24.079 tack line. If you want to do some mutual aid organizing, 0:00:24.680 --> 0:00:27.000 then the book we are reading this week and last 0:00:27.080 --> 0:00:30.440 week is a good place to start. Dean spades book 0:00:30.840 --> 0:00:34.720 Mutual Aid. This book that we're reading excerpts from last 0:00:34.720 --> 0:00:35.880 week and this week, but you should go out and 0:00:35.920 --> 0:00:38.160 read the whole book. This book, Mutual Aid will teach 0:00:38.159 --> 0:00:39.839 you a lot of the most basic skills that you 0:00:39.880 --> 0:00:43.040 need for this work. It tends to be more forward 0:00:43.080 --> 0:00:45.760 facing and easy to get involved with mutual aid, and 0:00:45.760 --> 0:00:47.440 it's a great way to get connected to other folks 0:00:47.479 --> 0:00:50.120 doing good work around the scene. If you're shy or 0:00:50.159 --> 0:00:52.960 not a people person, that's fine, there's a role for 0:00:53.040 --> 0:00:56.640 you too. Plus, socializing is a muscle and it is 0:00:56.640 --> 0:00:58.920 a thing that you can exercise and practice and get 0:00:58.960 --> 0:01:01.279 better at, and so mutual Aid is a really good 0:01:01.320 --> 0:01:03.840 way to do that. Anyway, Welcome to book Club, the 0:01:03.960 --> 0:01:06.240 only book club where you don't have to read all 0:01:06.280 --> 0:01:08.720 of Dean Spade's amazing book about how to do mutual 0:01:08.760 --> 0:01:11.319 aid work because I'm going to read parts of it 0:01:11.360 --> 0:01:14.679 to you and says this is part two. We're going 0:01:14.720 --> 0:01:16.440 to be covering the second half of the book today. 0:01:17.480 --> 0:01:20.040 Last week, Dean Spade, the author of the book, has 0:01:20.080 --> 0:01:22.400 talked to us about some different definitions of mutual aid 0:01:22.400 --> 0:01:27.319 and established some important traits of mutual aid. To recap that, one, 0:01:27.840 --> 0:01:30.640 mutual aid projects work to meet survival needs and build 0:01:30.680 --> 0:01:35.759 shared understanding about why people do not have what they need. Two, 0:01:36.319 --> 0:01:40.680 mutual aid projects mobilize people, expand solidarity, and build movements. 0:01:41.400 --> 0:01:45.800 And three mutual aid projects are participatory, solving problems through 0:01:45.840 --> 0:01:50.400 collective action rather than waiting for saviors. Dean talks about 0:01:50.400 --> 0:01:53.840 the slogan solidarity not charity, and how mutual aid is 0:01:53.880 --> 0:01:57.360 different than philanthropy, going through some pitfalls of the charity 0:01:57.400 --> 0:02:00.360 model of aid. Dean also writes about how the state 0:02:00.400 --> 0:02:02.680 won't save us and how we'll need to be brave 0:02:02.800 --> 0:02:04.520 enough to rely on each other if we want to 0:02:04.560 --> 0:02:07.440 make it through the many crises at hand. But that 0:02:07.520 --> 0:02:09.440 was last week, and you can go back and listen 0:02:09.440 --> 0:02:11.760 to it all again if you want a more thorough recap, 0:02:12.320 --> 0:02:15.079 or you can go back if you never listened to 0:02:15.080 --> 0:02:17.760 it in the first place, although you should, but you 0:02:17.840 --> 0:02:21.560 know you do you. These are excerpts from Part two 0:02:21.800 --> 0:02:25.200 of mutual Aid, Building Solidarity in This Crisis and the 0:02:25.240 --> 0:02:31.960 Next by Dean Spade, Chapter four, Some Dangers and Pitfalls 0:02:32.040 --> 0:02:37.480 of mutual aid. Mutual aid groups face four dangerous tendencies, 0:02:38.120 --> 0:02:41.160 dividing people to those who are deserving and undeserving of help, 0:02:41.840 --> 0:02:46.560 practicing saviorism, being co opted, and collaborating with efforts to 0:02:46.560 --> 0:02:51.160 eliminate public infrastructure and replace it with private enterprise and volunteerism. 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:56.680 Deserving this hierarchies. When mutual aid projects make more stigmatized 0:02:56.720 --> 0:03:00.200 people ineligible for what they are offering, they replicate the 0:03:00.280 --> 0:03:04.840 charity model. The charity model often ties aid and criminalization together, 0:03:05.280 --> 0:03:09.760 determining who gets help and who gets put away saviorism 0:03:09.800 --> 0:03:13.960 and paternalism. The idea that those giving aid need to 0:03:14.200 --> 0:03:16.560 fix people who are in need is based on the 0:03:16.639 --> 0:03:20.560 notion that people's poverty and marginalization is not a systemic problem, 0:03:20.600 --> 0:03:24.040 but is caused by their own personal shortcomings. This also 0:03:24.080 --> 0:03:27.880 implies that those who provide aid are superior. Most mutual 0:03:27.880 --> 0:03:31.200 aid projects benefit from an explicit, ongoing effort to build 0:03:31.280 --> 0:03:35.200 shared analysis among participants about the harms of saviorism and 0:03:35.240 --> 0:03:39.800 the necessity of self determination for people in crisis co optation. 0:03:40.760 --> 0:03:44.080 Politicians and CEOs who fantasize about a world where nothing 0:03:44.160 --> 0:03:47.240 is guaranteed and most people are desperate and easily exploited 0:03:47.840 --> 0:03:52.040 love the idea of volunteerism replacing a social safety net. 0:03:52.440 --> 0:03:55.320 If we don't design mutual aid projects with care, we 0:03:55.400 --> 0:03:58.800 can fit right into this conservative dream, becoming the people 0:03:58.840 --> 0:04:01.360 who can barely hold the threats of a survivable world 0:04:01.360 --> 0:04:04.800 together while the one percent extracts more and more while 0:04:04.800 --> 0:04:10.280 heroizing individual volunteers. Wisdom from the feminist movement against domestic 0:04:10.360 --> 0:04:14.120 violence can guide us in building successful groups and movements 0:04:14.200 --> 0:04:20.560 and in resisting co optation. Characteristics of mutual aid versus charity. 0:04:22.040 --> 0:04:25.840 Most mutual aid projects are volunteer based and avoid the careerism, 0:04:26.040 --> 0:04:30.799 business approach and charity model of nonprofits. Mutual aid projects 0:04:30.800 --> 0:04:33.080 strive to include lots of people rather than just a 0:04:33.080 --> 0:04:37.040 few people who have been declared experts or professionals. If 0:04:37.040 --> 0:04:39.600 we want to provide survival support to as many people 0:04:39.680 --> 0:04:42.359 as possible and mobilize as many people as possible for 0:04:42.440 --> 0:04:45.680 root causes change, We need to let a lot of 0:04:45.720 --> 0:04:48.720 people do the work and make decisions about the work together, 0:04:49.400 --> 0:04:52.880 rather than bottlenecking the process with hierarchies that let only 0:04:52.920 --> 0:04:56.960 a few people lead. Despite these important goals, avoiding the 0:04:56.960 --> 0:05:01.560 pitfalls of co optation, deserving as hierarchies, saviorism, and disconnect 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:06.039 from root causes work requires constant vigilance. Here are some 0:05:06.120 --> 0:05:08.800 guiding questions for mutual aid groups trying to avoid these 0:05:08.920 --> 0:05:15.200 dangers and pitfalls. Who controls our project? Who makes decisions 0:05:15.200 --> 0:05:18.200 about what we do? Does any of the funding we 0:05:18.279 --> 0:05:21.160 receive come with strings attached that limit who we can 0:05:21.200 --> 0:05:24.960 help or how we help? Do any of our guidelines 0:05:24.960 --> 0:05:27.760 about who can participate in our work cut out stigmatized 0:05:27.800 --> 0:05:32.200 and vulnerable people. What is our relationship to law enforcement? 0:05:33.360 --> 0:05:35.599 How do we introduce new people in our group? To 0:05:35.680 --> 0:05:44.120 our approach to law enforcement? Chapter five? No masters, no flakes. 0:05:45.600 --> 0:05:48.680 Groups are more effective and efficient when participants know how 0:05:48.720 --> 0:05:52.240 to raise concerns, how to propose ideas, and when a 0:05:52.240 --> 0:05:55.039 decision has been made and by whom, and how to 0:05:55.040 --> 0:05:58.160 put that decision into practice. People who have gotten to 0:05:58.200 --> 0:06:00.960 participate in decision making and feel co ownership of the 0:06:01.000 --> 0:06:04.640 project stick around and do the work. People who feel 0:06:04.760 --> 0:06:07.320 unclear about whether their opinion matters or how to be 0:06:07.400 --> 0:06:11.600 part of making decisions tend to drift away. Strong structures 0:06:11.640 --> 0:06:14.560 also help us plug in new people, orient them to 0:06:14.600 --> 0:06:17.120 the work, train them in skills they need to build, 0:06:17.600 --> 0:06:21.320 and give them roles they want. And do you know 0:06:21.360 --> 0:06:26.760 what clear structure is our responsibility? That's right, it's ads. 0:06:27.640 --> 0:06:32.920 It's clearly our responsibility to show you ads. You don't 0:06:32.920 --> 0:06:50.120 have to listen to them, and we're back. This chapter 0:06:50.160 --> 0:06:53.880 will explore three organizational tendencies that often emerge in mutual 0:06:53.920 --> 0:06:57.359 aid groups that can cause problems and provide ideas for 0:06:57.440 --> 0:07:04.279 how to avoid them. Secrecy, hierarchy, and lack of clarity. 0:07:05.400 --> 0:07:08.920 Many groups that fail to create clear decision making methods 0:07:08.920 --> 0:07:12.920 and carrying emancipatory cultures end up with participants not knowing 0:07:12.960 --> 0:07:16.280 what is going on or who is making decisions, having 0:07:16.360 --> 0:07:19.000 all the decision making concentrate in one person or click, 0:07:19.560 --> 0:07:22.640 and risk the group being torn apart by conflict. Because 0:07:22.680 --> 0:07:28.840 of these dynamics two, over promising and under delivering, non 0:07:28.880 --> 0:07:34.520 responsiveness and elitism, many groups bite off more than they 0:07:34.520 --> 0:07:37.880 can chew, promising to help more people than they can help, 0:07:38.480 --> 0:07:40.680 or making it seem like they have a community need 0:07:40.800 --> 0:07:43.720 covered when they don't actually have the capacity to address it. 0:07:44.600 --> 0:07:48.320 This problem seems to be exacerbated when groups receive grants 0:07:48.320 --> 0:07:51.480 for specific projects so there is money at stake and 0:07:51.560 --> 0:07:53.960 falsely claiming to be able to accomplish more than they 0:07:54.000 --> 0:07:57.160 are able. It also happens when people are not making 0:07:57.160 --> 0:08:00.120 decisions together and someone makes promises for the whole group 0:08:00.160 --> 0:08:03.360 without consulting everyone else about whether that work is a 0:08:03.360 --> 0:08:08.880 priority or a possibility. This tendency can include being non responsive, 0:08:09.320 --> 0:08:12.680 especially to community members in need, and sometimes being over 0:08:12.760 --> 0:08:17.040 responsive to elites. Many groups, especially when money or ego 0:08:17.120 --> 0:08:21.200 is involved, answer calls from media or elected officials, but 0:08:21.320 --> 0:08:23.920 not from the community members that they are supposed to serve. 0:08:25.480 --> 0:08:32.240 Three Scarcity, urgency, and competition. Some groups also develop a 0:08:32.240 --> 0:08:36.840 culture of scarcity of money, time, attention, and labor, which 0:08:36.920 --> 0:08:39.840 makes sense giving the real scarcity that exists in many 0:08:39.840 --> 0:08:43.319 of our lives under capitalism. However, when we do our 0:08:43.360 --> 0:08:46.080 work from a feeling that there is not enough money, time, 0:08:46.160 --> 0:08:49.400 or attention to go around, we sometimes get competitive with 0:08:49.480 --> 0:08:52.160 other groups or with other people within our group, or 0:08:52.200 --> 0:08:55.160 we feel so much urgency about particular tasks that we 0:08:55.200 --> 0:08:57.840 don't take the necessary steps to do our task well, 0:08:58.360 --> 0:09:00.560 and we forget about being kind to each other in 0:09:00.600 --> 0:09:03.559 our rush to get something done. This can lead to 0:09:03.640 --> 0:09:08.840 conflict or making mistakes that harm our communities. This section 0:09:09.120 --> 0:09:12.400 will provide tools for addressing these tendencies in our groups 0:09:12.400 --> 0:09:16.839 and in ourselves, so that we can cultivate transparency, integrity, 0:09:16.880 --> 0:09:20.200 and generosity in our work and build our capacities to 0:09:20.240 --> 0:09:24.080 avoid the pitfalls discussed in chapter four. We will look 0:09:24.080 --> 0:09:26.719 at what decision making in leadership look like when these 0:09:26.760 --> 0:09:30.880 tendencies prevail, what alternatives to these ways of working look like, 0:09:31.480 --> 0:09:34.479 and what personal qualities and behaviors we need to cultivate 0:09:34.840 --> 0:09:43.600 to address these tendencies. Group culture groups have cultures. Group 0:09:43.640 --> 0:09:46.120 culture is built from the signals we give people when 0:09:46.160 --> 0:09:49.600 they join or attend an event norms the group follows, 0:09:49.920 --> 0:09:53.160 how we celebrate together, how we engage in small talk, 0:09:53.559 --> 0:09:56.200 what our meetings feel like, how we give feedback to 0:09:56.240 --> 0:10:00.240 each other, and more. There is no one correct or 0:10:00.240 --> 0:10:03.680 perfect group culture. Groups should be different from each other 0:10:03.840 --> 0:10:05.800 because the people in them are different and we all 0:10:05.800 --> 0:10:09.920 bring different quality, skills and viewpoints. Ideally, we want a 0:10:09.960 --> 0:10:12.600 group culture that supports participants in doing the work they 0:10:12.640 --> 0:10:15.679 came together to do, to be well and to build 0:10:15.720 --> 0:10:20.160 generative relationships. We want to be flexible, and we also 0:10:20.240 --> 0:10:23.640 want to have a culture of responsiveness, reliability, and punctuality. 0:10:24.480 --> 0:10:27.480 How do we work to cultivate both? Most of us, 0:10:27.480 --> 0:10:31.679 having received our concept of responsibility from dominant culture, associate 0:10:31.720 --> 0:10:34.920 it with being forced, lured, or shamed into being good, 0:10:35.520 --> 0:10:38.240 ignoring our needs and fearing punishment if we do wrong. 0:10:39.040 --> 0:10:41.840 How do we hold our values of flexibility, compassion and 0:10:42.000 --> 0:10:44.240 justice while building a culture where we show up and 0:10:44.640 --> 0:10:47.800 do what we said we would. These tensions are real. 0:10:48.520 --> 0:10:50.839 If we do not talk about them together, we run 0:10:50.880 --> 0:10:54.280 the risk of falling into automatic behaviors, driving out new 0:10:54.280 --> 0:10:59.120 people and falling apart. Creating a group culture intentionally and 0:10:59.200 --> 0:11:01.200 having a shared vis about how we want it to 0:11:01.240 --> 0:11:03.520 be does not mean we all need to be just 0:11:03.720 --> 0:11:08.600 like each other. We can acknowledge differences in our capacities, talents, desires, 0:11:08.640 --> 0:11:12.000 and difficulties and still aim to create a culture where 0:11:12.000 --> 0:11:14.840 we support each other in the work, learn new skills, 0:11:15.120 --> 0:11:18.480 and are connected and kind to each other. The goal 0:11:18.559 --> 0:11:20.880 is not that everyone be similar, but that we all 0:11:20.920 --> 0:11:24.480 complement each other and build some shared practices based in 0:11:24.520 --> 0:11:32.280 shared values. MADR Mutual Aid Disaster Relief. Madr's slogan mutually 0:11:32.280 --> 0:11:37.640 a disaster relief slogan is no masters, no flakes, and 0:11:37.720 --> 0:11:40.280 it is a great summary of key principles for collective 0:11:40.360 --> 0:11:44.440 mutual aid work. This dual focus on rejecting hierarchies inside 0:11:44.440 --> 0:11:48.360 the organization and committing to build accountability according to shared 0:11:48.440 --> 0:11:52.840 values asks participants to keep showing up and working together, 0:11:53.080 --> 0:11:55.400 not because a boss is making you, but because you 0:11:55.480 --> 0:12:01.360 want to making decisions together. Perhaps the most central group 0:12:01.400 --> 0:12:06.000 activity that makes everything else possible is making decisions. When 0:12:06.040 --> 0:12:08.320 we do it well, we make good decisions on the 0:12:08.320 --> 0:12:11.560 basis of the best information available, We feel heard by 0:12:11.600 --> 0:12:14.320 each other, and we are all motivated to implement what 0:12:14.360 --> 0:12:18.640 we decided. When we do it poorly, our decisions are unwise. 0:12:19.120 --> 0:12:22.079 Some people are left resentful or hurt or disconnected from 0:12:22.080 --> 0:12:24.920 the group, and there is less motivation to proceed together 0:12:24.960 --> 0:12:28.959 on purpose. It's important to remember that no decision making 0:12:29.040 --> 0:12:33.119 structure can prevent all conflict or power dynamics, or guarantee 0:12:33.120 --> 0:12:35.720 that we will never be frustrated or bored or decide 0:12:35.720 --> 0:12:39.400 to part ways. But consensus decision making at least helps 0:12:39.440 --> 0:12:42.480 us avoid the worst costs of hierarchy as a majority rule, 0:12:43.000 --> 0:12:46.600 which can include abuse of power, demobilization of most people, 0:12:46.840 --> 0:12:51.160 and inefficiency. Consensus decision making gives us the best chance 0:12:51.200 --> 0:12:54.719 to hear from everyone concerned, address power dynamics, and make 0:12:54.760 --> 0:12:57.680 decisions that represent the best wisdom of the group and 0:12:57.760 --> 0:13:01.160 that people in the group will want to implement. What 0:13:01.280 --> 0:13:06.040 is consensus decision making. Consensus decision making is based on 0:13:06.120 --> 0:13:08.440 the idea that everyone should have a say in decisions 0:13:08.480 --> 0:13:11.640 that affect them. If we are working on a project together, 0:13:11.679 --> 0:13:13.640 and we should all get to decide how we are 0:13:13.679 --> 0:13:16.360 going to do the work rather than someone telling us 0:13:16.400 --> 0:13:19.720 how to do it. We will honor people's different levels 0:13:19.720 --> 0:13:22.720 of experience and wisdom as we listen to each other's ideas, 0:13:23.200 --> 0:13:26.000 but we will not follow someone just because they act bossy, 0:13:26.200 --> 0:13:28.800 god here first, or have a higher social status in 0:13:28.880 --> 0:13:33.080 the dominant culture because they're a professional, white, older male, 0:13:33.240 --> 0:13:38.280 formally educated, etc. Consensus decision making happens when everyone in 0:13:38.320 --> 0:13:42.199 the discussion hashes out possibilities and modifies a proposal until 0:13:42.200 --> 0:13:46.960 everyone can live with it. Consensus cultivates interest in the 0:13:47.000 --> 0:13:50.840 whole group's purpose and wellness, rather than cultivating a desire 0:13:50.880 --> 0:13:55.599 to have things exactly my way. In consensus, any participant 0:13:55.600 --> 0:13:58.320 can block a decision, so we take time to actually 0:13:58.360 --> 0:14:01.600 talk through each member's concerns because we cannot move forward 0:14:01.679 --> 0:14:04.920 without each other, because we are trying to build agreement 0:14:05.040 --> 0:14:07.640 by modifying the proposal until it comes as close as 0:14:07.679 --> 0:14:10.240 possible to meeting the full range of needs and concerns. 0:14:11.000 --> 0:14:13.760 We also build the skill of making decisions with group 0:14:13.800 --> 0:14:17.120 members and community members in mind, not just ourselves and 0:14:17.160 --> 0:14:19.920 our clicks, and being okay with something that is not 0:14:20.000 --> 0:14:23.920 our most preferred version going forward. That is, we learn 0:14:23.960 --> 0:14:27.160 to imagine how decisions affect us all differently and how 0:14:27.200 --> 0:14:30.720 to productively move forward taking other people's needs and desires 0:14:30.720 --> 0:14:36.600 into account. People can stand aside in consensus processes, letting 0:14:36.640 --> 0:14:39.360 others know that while they are not totally behind this proposal, 0:14:39.800 --> 0:14:41.560 they agree it is best for the group to go 0:14:41.680 --> 0:14:44.120 forward with the decision given all the views that have 0:14:44.160 --> 0:14:48.880 been expressed in the efforts made to address concerns. Here's 0:14:48.880 --> 0:14:53.320 an example of what consensus could ideally look like. Over 0:14:53.360 --> 0:14:56.080 a period of time, a group has hashed out a proposal, 0:14:56.560 --> 0:15:00.320 heard concerns, and collective discussions and tweaked it until it 0:15:00.360 --> 0:15:03.760 seems like everyone may be ready to agree. Someone calls 0:15:03.800 --> 0:15:05.840 for consensus and checks to see if there are any 0:15:05.880 --> 0:15:09.640 stand asides, those who want to signify disagreement but don't 0:15:09.640 --> 0:15:13.440 want to block the proposal for moving forward, or blocks, 0:15:14.080 --> 0:15:17.160 those with disagreements significant enough that they feel the proposal 0:15:17.200 --> 0:15:21.520 cannot be passed without modification. If there are blocks, it 0:15:21.600 --> 0:15:25.400 means the proposal needs more work. The person or people 0:15:25.440 --> 0:15:28.040 blocking can share their concerns, and the group can either 0:15:28.120 --> 0:15:31.720 work further on modifying the proposal then and there, or 0:15:31.760 --> 0:15:33.640 have some people work on it and come up with 0:15:33.680 --> 0:15:37.720 a way forward before the next meeting. If no one blocks, 0:15:37.880 --> 0:15:41.040 but many people stand aside, the group may decide to 0:15:41.080 --> 0:15:43.360 discuss the reasons for the stand aside for a bit 0:15:43.440 --> 0:15:45.600 longer to see if they can be resolved by making 0:15:45.600 --> 0:15:49.560 the proposal better. If someone finds themselves blocking a lot, 0:15:49.880 --> 0:15:52.080 it may be worth examining whether they are in the 0:15:52.160 --> 0:15:56.000 right group, Do they believe in the shared purpose, or 0:15:56.040 --> 0:15:58.720 whether they are withholding their views earlier in the process 0:15:58.840 --> 0:16:02.600 or feeling not life listen to in the group. In general, 0:16:03.120 --> 0:16:06.720 blocking should be rare. It is worth noting that this 0:16:06.760 --> 0:16:10.760 process often unfolds over multiple meetings, with step one happening 0:16:10.800 --> 0:16:12.840 at one meeting and a group of people agreeing to 0:16:12.840 --> 0:16:15.360 come to the next meeting with a developed proposal to 0:16:15.400 --> 0:16:19.680 be discussed. Consensus decision making does not mean that every 0:16:19.680 --> 0:16:23.000 decision is made by the whole group. Decisions can still 0:16:23.040 --> 0:16:25.800 be delegated to teams working on implementing part of the 0:16:25.800 --> 0:16:30.880 group's larger plan. For example, if the group does grocery deliveries, 0:16:31.280 --> 0:16:34.080 a specific team can work on filling out the delivery 0:16:34.080 --> 0:16:38.160 schedule and assignments. For consensus to work well, people need 0:16:38.200 --> 0:16:41.200 a common purpose, some degree of trust in each other, 0:16:41.600 --> 0:16:45.280 an understanding of the consensus process, a willingness to put 0:16:45.320 --> 0:16:47.960 the best interests of the group at the center, which 0:16:48.000 --> 0:16:50.320 does not mean people let themselves be harmed for the 0:16:50.360 --> 0:16:53.080 good of the group, but may mean being okay not 0:16:53.120 --> 0:16:56.920 always getting their way. A willingness to spend time preparing 0:16:56.960 --> 0:17:02.800 and discussing proposals, and skillful facilitat and agenda preparation. These 0:17:02.800 --> 0:17:05.639 skills and qualities can develop as any new group learns 0:17:05.640 --> 0:17:08.639 to work together. It is okay that we don't have 0:17:08.760 --> 0:17:11.840 all these in place at the start. The greatest area 0:17:11.880 --> 0:17:15.080 of strength for most mutual aid groups is a common purpose. 0:17:17.240 --> 0:17:24.560 Advantages of consensus decision making One better decisions. When more 0:17:24.560 --> 0:17:27.720 people get to talk through a decision, openly sharing their 0:17:27.720 --> 0:17:31.440 insight without fear of reprisal from a boss, parent, or teacher, 0:17:32.200 --> 0:17:35.440 more relevant information and wisdom about the topic is likely 0:17:35.480 --> 0:17:40.680 to surface. Two. Better implementation when we get to look 0:17:40.680 --> 0:17:43.080 at a proposal together and tell each other how it 0:17:43.160 --> 0:17:46.320 might be improved. Hashing out our best ideas until we 0:17:46.359 --> 0:17:48.560 have something that we all like or at least can 0:17:48.600 --> 0:17:51.679 live with, We are more likely to vigorously do what 0:17:51.720 --> 0:17:55.000 we all decided, instead of drifting apart or failing to 0:17:55.000 --> 0:18:00.920 follow through. Three. Bringing more people into the working them involved. 0:18:02.000 --> 0:18:05.840 People come to contribute, but they stay because they feel needed, included, 0:18:06.000 --> 0:18:10.760 and a part of something. Four helping to prevent co optation. 0:18:12.320 --> 0:18:14.520 When a small number of people have the power to 0:18:14.560 --> 0:18:16.800 shift the direction of a project, it can be hard 0:18:16.840 --> 0:18:21.480 to resist the incentives that come with co optation. Five. 0:18:22.600 --> 0:18:28.360 We learn to value and desire other people's participation. If 0:18:28.400 --> 0:18:31.000 the goal of our movements is to mobilize hundreds of 0:18:31.040 --> 0:18:35.160 millions of people, we need to genuinely want each other's participation, 0:18:35.800 --> 0:18:38.880 even when others bring different ideas or disagree with how 0:18:38.880 --> 0:18:44.760 we think things should be done. Making consensus decisions. Practicing 0:18:44.840 --> 0:18:51.439 meeting facilitation. Skillful facilitation helps us make decisions together, feel 0:18:51.480 --> 0:18:55.080 heard and included by each other, prevent and resolve conflict, 0:18:55.440 --> 0:18:59.000 celebrate our accomplishments and wins, grieve our losses, and become 0:18:59.080 --> 0:19:03.680 people who can be together in new, more liberating relationships. 0:19:04.800 --> 0:19:08.359 Some very basic elements of good meeting facilitation worth considering 0:19:08.440 --> 0:19:13.600 are start and end on time. Write out an agenda, 0:19:13.920 --> 0:19:15.719 a list of what the group will talk about at 0:19:15.720 --> 0:19:18.600 the meeting, a sign, a note taker who will take 0:19:18.640 --> 0:19:20.720 notes that the group can refer back to or share 0:19:20.760 --> 0:19:24.200 with people who couldn't be at the meeting. Assign each 0:19:24.200 --> 0:19:27.760 agenda item a time amount, and have a timekeeper watch 0:19:27.800 --> 0:19:29.720 the time so the group doesn't end up running the 0:19:29.760 --> 0:19:36.040 meeting too long or not getting to important items. Provide food, beverages, poetry, 0:19:36.119 --> 0:19:39.680 a game, or music. Also consider opening with a go 0:19:39.720 --> 0:19:42.720 around check in question that is funny or invites people's 0:19:42.760 --> 0:19:46.320 personalities to shine a little to help the meeting be 0:19:46.359 --> 0:19:51.119 a participatory in supportive space. Establish group agreements. The group 0:19:51.160 --> 0:19:53.679 can agree, for example, that each person will wait for 0:19:53.720 --> 0:19:57.600 three other people to speak. Before speaking again sometimes called 0:19:57.960 --> 0:20:02.200 three before me, or that they will respect people's pronouns, 0:20:02.640 --> 0:20:05.159 or whatever else the group decides will create a caring 0:20:05.240 --> 0:20:09.080 and respectful space. Go over these agreements at the beginning 0:20:09.119 --> 0:20:12.320 of each meeting and make sure newcomers understand them and 0:20:12.400 --> 0:20:17.040 get to ask questions or suggest editions when talking about 0:20:17.040 --> 0:20:20.199 something important. If time allows, consider a go around so 0:20:20.240 --> 0:20:23.600 that the group hears from everyone. This is especially important 0:20:23.640 --> 0:20:26.280 if the same people are usually talking and others are 0:20:26.359 --> 0:20:30.120 usually quiet, And do you know what else is talking 0:20:30.359 --> 0:20:35.800 while we are quiet? That's right, the advertisements for the 0:20:35.840 --> 0:20:40.520 products and services that support this show and keep the 0:20:40.680 --> 0:21:02.800 pods casts podding, and we're back leadership qualities that support 0:21:02.880 --> 0:21:08.480 mutuality and collaboration. When we get a sense of ourself 0:21:08.560 --> 0:21:12.000 from fame, status, or approval from a bunch of strangers, 0:21:12.960 --> 0:21:16.000 we're in trouble. It is hard to stick to our 0:21:16.040 --> 0:21:18.760 principles and treat others well when we are seeking praise 0:21:18.760 --> 0:21:23.919 and attention. If we are to redefine leadership away from individualism, competition, 0:21:24.040 --> 0:21:27.360 and social climbing, we have to become people who care 0:21:27.400 --> 0:21:30.800 about ourselves as part of a greater whole. It means 0:21:30.840 --> 0:21:35.200 moving from materialist self love, which is often very self critical. 0:21:35.880 --> 0:21:38.400 I will be okay and deserve love when I look right, 0:21:38.480 --> 0:21:41.840 when others approve of me, when I am famous, and 0:21:41.920 --> 0:21:45.680 toward a deep belief that everyone, including ourselves, deserves dignity, 0:21:45.720 --> 0:21:49.560 belonging in safety just because we are alive. It means 0:21:49.560 --> 0:21:53.840 cultivating a desire to be beautifully exquisitely ordinary, just like 0:21:53.920 --> 0:21:58.960 everyone else. It means practicing to be nobody special. Rather 0:21:59.000 --> 0:22:01.800 than a fantasy of being rich and famous, which capitalism 0:22:01.840 --> 0:22:04.760 tells us as the goal of our lives, we cultivate 0:22:04.800 --> 0:22:07.200 a fantasy of everyone having what they need and being 0:22:07.240 --> 0:22:11.080 able to creatively express the beauty of their lives. This 0:22:11.240 --> 0:22:14.160 is a lifelong, unlearning practice because we have all been 0:22:14.200 --> 0:22:18.959 shaped by systems that make us insecure, approval seeking, individualist, 0:22:19.240 --> 0:22:23.679 and sometimes shallow. Yet we also have all the deeply 0:22:23.760 --> 0:22:26.719 human desire to connect with others, to be of service 0:22:26.720 --> 0:22:29.320 in ways that reduce suffering, and to be seen and 0:22:29.440 --> 0:22:31.920 loved by those who truly know us. So we can 0:22:32.000 --> 0:22:35.760 notice these learned instincts and drives in ourselves and unlearned them, 0:22:36.359 --> 0:22:39.040 that is, make choices to act out of mutuality and 0:22:39.200 --> 0:22:43.439 care on purpose. Margaret, here, I'm going to interject with 0:22:43.480 --> 0:22:45.360 my own thoughts, which I like never do. But this 0:22:45.400 --> 0:22:48.000 is a thing that I think about a lot because 0:22:48.040 --> 0:22:51.240 I actually come to a position where I'm, you know, 0:22:51.920 --> 0:22:54.919 an anarchist, socialist or whatever, like someone who's very pro community. 0:22:55.400 --> 0:22:59.640 I come at it from a much more i would 0:22:59.640 --> 0:23:03.640 sayessentially individualist background, right, And I'm not ashamed of that. 0:23:03.800 --> 0:23:06.680 And actually I think that this piece is really important 0:23:06.760 --> 0:23:11.040 to that this idea having a fantasy of trying to 0:23:11.040 --> 0:23:14.640 be rich and famous is bad for you as an individual, 0:23:15.040 --> 0:23:19.080 even if you're less concerned about the community, being more 0:23:19.160 --> 0:23:21.800 concerned about the community, like cultivating a fantasy where everyone 0:23:21.840 --> 0:23:24.159 has what they need to be able to creatively express 0:23:24.200 --> 0:23:28.399 the beauty of their lives. That is a nicer and 0:23:28.640 --> 0:23:35.119 freer way to live. Because if you're constantly seeking points 0:23:35.200 --> 0:23:38.720 in this point system that we've been sold, you're never 0:23:38.800 --> 0:23:41.720 going to be happy. And I know that's like easy 0:23:41.760 --> 0:23:44.080 to say or whatever, but it's just true. And so 0:23:44.280 --> 0:23:46.600 I think that even if you are coming from an 0:23:46.640 --> 0:23:49.600 individualist position, which I don't think is inherently bad, it's 0:23:49.640 --> 0:23:52.080 just a thing to be careful around. I think that 0:23:52.200 --> 0:23:57.080 this sort of pro social way of organizing and imagining 0:23:57.119 --> 0:24:00.879 life to be better is frankly better for you as 0:24:00.880 --> 0:24:06.320 an individual anyway. Again, I'm sorry to add commentary Dean. 0:24:06.440 --> 0:24:11.040 I hope you forgive me for that. Back to Dean's writing, burnout. 0:24:12.440 --> 0:24:15.399 Burnout is a reason people often give for why they 0:24:15.520 --> 0:24:19.520 leave mutual aid groups. Burnout is more than just exhaustion 0:24:19.720 --> 0:24:23.159 that comes from working too hard. Most often, people I 0:24:23.240 --> 0:24:25.680 meet who describe themselves as burnt out have been through 0:24:25.720 --> 0:24:28.720 painful conflict in a group they were working with and 0:24:28.840 --> 0:24:31.479 quit because they were hurt and unsatisfied by how it 0:24:31.520 --> 0:24:37.119 turned out. Burnout is the combination of resentment, exhaustion, shame, 0:24:37.280 --> 0:24:40.679 and frustration that makes us lose connection to pleasure and 0:24:40.760 --> 0:24:46.200 passion in the work and instead encounter difficult feelings like avoidance, compulsion, control, 0:24:46.320 --> 0:24:50.159 and anxiety. If it were just exhaustion, we could take 0:24:50.200 --> 0:24:53.080 a break and rest and go back, But people who 0:24:53.119 --> 0:24:55.679 feel burnt out often feel they cannot return to the 0:24:55.720 --> 0:24:58.240 work or that the group or work they were part 0:24:58.280 --> 0:25:03.400 of is toxic. These feelings and behaviors are reasonable results 0:25:03.400 --> 0:25:06.000 of the conditions under which we do our work. We 0:25:06.080 --> 0:25:09.560 are steeped in a capitalist, patriarchal, white supremacist culture that 0:25:09.680 --> 0:25:14.760 encourage us to compete, distrust, hoard, hide, disconnect, and confine 0:25:14.800 --> 0:25:17.199