The Mutual Aid Working Group (MAWG) recognizes we as a people thrive most when working as a community in solidarity to one another. The goal of MAWG is to create and restore solidarity through education of self-sustaining skill sets and resource security. Technology has been a boon to civilization and has improved countless aspects of our quality of life. However with the advent of technology coupled with minimal to absent regulation on who controls and distributes these benefits, a significant and growing percentage of our population are being neglected or ushered into lifestyles that provide them less autonomy and self sufficiency. This group recognizes that while the community works to implement policies that are accessible to all, we must develop amongst ourselves the means of self-sufficiency. These are systems that countries who recognize the necessity of providing the basic infrastructure to allow the populace to thrive already have in place or are actively working on implementing. This working group does not claim to be ground breaking, we are simply striving to catch up to where other communities have already figured out.
Community Building Through Skill Shares
A large percentage of the populace does not have a clear idea of how to balance finances, preserve food, mend clothes or fabrics, gather natural resources available to them, complete minor house repairs, etc. Our MAWG recognizes this is not the fault of individuals as a whole, but a failing of a system that put knowledge of these life skills secondary to standardization and achieving results. Fewer mandatory courses are offered, opportunities to expand on how to maintain a homestead are absent – all of this sacrificed for the sake of productivity. We offer a growing category of skill shares to educate or supplement existing skills that are focused not on what pulls in profits, but improves quality of life.
Solidarity Building Through Resource Security
A primary project of the MAWG is to connect and expand a network of community gardeners. Industrialization as well was a wonder to have been built by civilization. Lack or absence of regulation and social equity has transformed this wonder into arbitrary high priced goods, exponentially lesser quality of goods, and expanding food deserts to name a few harms. The purpose behind developing this network is not only to bring knowledge and self-sustainability for the populace to be able to create and manage their own needs, but to expand that ability to those who simply do not have the infrastructure just yet. This allows food banks, temporary housing, and pantries to be included in a more robust network to provide to those who have been neglected by our poorly regulated system. As much as individualism is pushed in this society, we cannot go it alone and you – despite systemic measures – are not alone.