I really wish the term 'mutual aid' was not synonymous with online begging, not because online begging is bad (it's fine and often necessary) but because there is nothing mutual about it.
The whole point of mutual aid is the expectation of reciprocity - you receive help through some kind of centralized org or fund, and it is expected that you will assist the same org to help other people if you can. By setting that expectation but not setting barriers to help (or setting them minimally i.e. for a specific oppressed group), you build community around a concrete institution that can be relied on.
Individual giving is kind and vital, and you should give when you can, but a gofundme (or an aggregation of gofundmes) cannot do the same thing, because of both implicit barriers-to-access (social promotability etc.) and because there neither can nor should be the same expectation to give back. It is important, but it is not mutual aid.
=> More informations about this toot | More toots from apisashla@www.librepunk.club
text/gemini
This content has been proxied by September (ba2dc).