Mutual Aid in Action with Sanae Lahgazi Alaoui, Alexa Baiano, Rain, Valinda Chan, Laurie Bertram Roberts, and Vicky Osterweil

We’re back with the fifth installment in our Mutual Aid 101 mini-series. This episode is going to be a little different from what we’ve shared before. Rather than extended presentations, you’ll hear six 5-10 minute “Rad Talks” covering examples of mutual aid in action.    We welcomed Sanae Lahgazi Alaoui from Metro Atlanta Mutual Aid Fund; Alexa Baiano and Rain from Mutual Aid Disaster Relief; Valinda Chan from Mutual Aid Eastie; Laurie Bertram Roberts from Mississippi Reproductive Freedom Fund; and  writer, organizer, and agitator Vicky Osterweil. These short talks explore the trans and queer underground, reproductive justice, immigration support, and community-led disaster response. At the live event, they were followed by breakout sessions on each topic, which were not recorded. So if you feel like the speakers were a bit reserved, it’s because what they are up to may or may not be suitable for the public record…  Resources: Mutual Aid Session 4 video recording Mutual Aid Session 4 transcript Mutual Aid Session 4 public slides  Mutual Aid Session 4 link document Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

Today, we're sharing excerpts from Shareable’s Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series' third session. Elijah Baucom of Everyday Security & UC Berkeley Cybersecurity Clinic discusses security for mutual aid groups before Sarah Philips of Fight for the Future shares the current state of mutual aid financial surveillance and privacy tech. The third speaker from Session 3, Erika Sato from Sustainable Economies Law Center, opened with a 30 minute overview of legal basics and the benefits and limitations of formal structures for mutual aid groups. We’ve left it out of this episode, but you can watch/listen to the video on Youtube. Resources: Mutual Aid Session 3 video recording Mutual Aid Session 3 transcript Mutual Aid Session 3 public slides  Mutual Aid Session 3 link document Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

We’re back with the third installment in our Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series. Today, we're sharing the audio from the second half of Mutual Aid 101 Session 2, featuring Julian Rose from the New Economy Coalition and EndState ATL.  Julian will start with a 25-minute presentation about power dynamics and how to work with others before addressing questions submitted by the live audience.  Resources: New Economy Coalition Sources of Power Tyranny of Structurelessness (Jo Freedman) Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Video) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Transcript) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Slides) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Links from Stephanie, Julian + chat) Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

We’re back with the second installment in our Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series.   Today, we're sharing the audio from the half of Session 2, and will be joined by Stephanie Rearick, to discuss how to start and build momentum for a new, or (re)newed mutual aid group. She’s a longtime organizer and advocate for cooperative economies, and the founder of the international Humans United for Mutual Aid Networks. We had Stephanie as a guest on the show a couple of years ago and knew she would have an important voice to feature in this series as well. Stephanie starts with a 25-minute presentation before addressing questions submitted by the live audience. Next week on The Response, we’ll feature Julian Rose from the New Economy Coalition and EndState ATL, who focussed on power dynamics and how to work with others during Session 2. Our next live event is tomorrow, Wednesday, March 5th, where we’ll focus on the benefits and limitations of formal structures, financial basics, and fintech for mutual aid, as well as how to understand risk and safety protocols for mutual aid projects.  Presenters include: Erika Sato, Attorney of Sustainable Economies Law Center; Elijah Baucom, Founder of Everyday Security & Director of UC-Berkeley Cybersecurity Clinic; and Sarah Philips, a Campaigner at Fight for the Future. Resources: Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Video) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Transcript) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Slides) Mutual Aid 101 Session 2 w/ Stephanie Rearick and Julian Rose (Links from Stephanie, Julian + chat) Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

Last week, we were blown away by the 2,200 people who registered for our new Mutual Aid 101 Series.    We were fortunate to have Dean Spade, organizer, teacher, and the author of "Mutual Aid: Building Solidarity During this Crisis (and the Next)” and “Love in a Fucked Up World: How to Build Relationships, Hook Up, and Raise Hell, Together” lead the first session.   Dean dropped some serious knowledge for nearly 90 minutes straight. All the while, the chat was on fire while a new learing community was being formed.   The series continues tomorrow, on Wednesday February 26th with Julian Rose from the New Economy Coalition and Endstate ATL and previous guest on The Response, Stephanie Rearick from Human’s United for Mutual Aid Networks. They’ll be focussing on how to build and sustain mutual aid projects while not burning out.   The first phase of this series runs through the end of March with several more trainings scheduled throughout the rest of the year.   There’s also the Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas, where we’re posting recordings, resources, and session updates.   There are links to everything I just mentioned in the show notes.   Through out this season of The Response, we’ll be sharing a mix of original interviews, dispatches from the front lines of disasters, and excerpts from Mutual Aid 101 (like this one).    Today, we’ll be playing the full recording from Dean’s training. We’ve posted the video, slides, and transcript to Canvas, so you can create an account there to follow along. Resources: Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Mutual Aid 101 Community Canvas Mutual Aid 101 w/ Dean Spade (Video) Mutual Aid 101 w/ Dean Spade (Transcript) Mutual Aid 101 w/ Dean Spade (Slides) Mutual Aid 101 w/ Dean Spade (Links from Dean + chat) Dean's Books Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

Nearly 20 years ago, The Response host Tom Llewellyn was fortunate to experience Howard Zinn and Anthony Arnove’s Voices of a People’s History of the United States live at the Berkeley Community Theater.  In 2018, after we finished our first set of audio documentaries for The Response, it was clear that the personal stories shared with us by those on the front lines of climate, political, and social disasters should also be brought to the stage.  And so, in homage, we have called these live performances, Voices of The Response.  We’re still developing the full performance, but we were invited to workshop excerpts at  the Oregon Country Fair last year. With the support of Eric Brahman, we worked with local spoken word artists to perform unique pieces each day of the festival during the Storytelling Smorgasbord.  Today you’ll hear the recordings from that event, including stories related to previous California wildfires.  Resources: Mutual Aid Los Angeles Network Mutual Aid 101 Learning Series Audio documentaries: "The impact of Northern California fires on the undocumented community" "Radical approaches to disaster relief in New York" “Reimagining Paradise in an Age of climate disruption” Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Stories in this week’s episode written by Robert Raymond Stories in this episode were read by Shachar Efrati, Jen Hernandez, Tom Llewellyn, Jeany Snider, David Snider, Eric Brahman, and Shachar Efrati. A special thanks to Tzula for playing the harp during the performances Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

In this episode of The Response, we explore a devastating and ongoing story of environmental disaster, Indigenous resistance, and corporate exploitation in Brazil. This powerful installment brings listeners face-to-face with the catastrophic failures of Vale, a multinational mining corporation, and the resilient efforts of the Kamakã Mongoió people to protect their sacred land and water. The episode features a compelling conversation with journalist, filmmaker, and community organizer Allen Myers, whose recent article for Shareable,  Modern Day Colonialism and the Disastrous Fate of an Indigenous Water and Land Protector, offers a chilling look at the ongoing struggles in the region. Myers shares insights from his 2022 trip to Brumadinho, Brazil, where he witnessed the enduring scars left by a 2019 dam collapse and the fight for justice that followed. In January 2019, a toxic dam operated by Vale in the State of Minas Gerais failed catastrophically, releasing 12 million cubic meters of sludge into the surrounding environment. The disaster claimed 272 lives and decimated the livelihoods of countless others. This was not an isolated incident—just four years earlier, the Mariana dam collapse, also operated by Vale, caused Brazil’s worst environmental catastrophe. Despite warnings and inspections highlighting structural vulnerabilities, Vale failed to act, prioritizing profits over safety. For the Indigenous Kamakã Mongoió, the collapse was not just a distant tragedy but a direct assault on their way of life. Chief Merong, a prominent leader of the tribe, emerged as a steadfast protector of his community's land and water, standing against the encroachments of Vale. He and other Kamakã Mongoió have faced threats, harassment, violence, and even death for their resistance, a chilling manifestation of what Myers calls “modern-day colonialism.” While the subject matter of this episode of The Response is tragic, it’s also a call to action. Myers draws parallels between the disasters in Brazil and the 2018 Camp Fire in Paradise, California, highlighting the universal dangers of corporate negligence and environmental exploitation. Both of these stories serve as stark reminders that disasters exacerbated by greed are not inevitable but preventable. Resources: Survivors for Peace www.allen-myers.com Donate to The Response Episode credits: Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Produced and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

On this episode of The Response, we’re joined by author and organizer Andrew Lee. In his book Defying Displacement: Urban Recomposition and Social War, Andrew writes about how gentrification is often seen as inevitable or automatic and an “economic, social plan.”  In that sense, the resulting displacement of people from their homes and communities is, in essence, a planned disaster. Andrew brings a nuanced perspective to this issue, drawing from his work and experiences in neighborhoods facing rapid economic transformation.  Gentrification, as he sees it, is not just about rising rents or new developments but about the displacement of people, histories, and cultures that have shaped these communities for generations. Much like our previous episodes—whether discussing mutual aid in disaster-hit regions or grassroots movements reclaiming public space—this conversation reminds us that collective action is a powerful tool. Andrew shares stories of resistance: how communities are organizing to protect their homes, create alternative housing models, and ensure that development serves the people already rooted in these spaces. Thanks for tuning into The Response. We’re back after an unanticipated summer break. We love making this show, but have a small team at Shareable, and often have to redirect our efforts to other parts of our work. That said, we’ve got new monthly episodes scheduled for the rest of the year. Please email [email protected] with feedback about the show or if you have suggestions for people you want to hear us interview.  Resources: Defying Displacement by Andrew Lee In Struggle substack by Andrew Lee Follow Andrew on Instagram and TikTok Andrew’s website Shareable zoning series Free ebook: How racism shaped the housing crisis & what we can do about it today Donate to The Response Episode credits: Co-hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Co-hosted, produced, and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

On this episode of The Response, we're joined by Arvind Dilawar, an independent journalist who has recently written a piece for Shareable about the union supplying Palestinian journalists with safety gear amid the ongoing Israeli genocide. His articles, interviews, and essays on everything from the spacesuits of the future to love in the time of visas have appeared in The New York Times, Time Magazine, The Daily Beast, and elsewhere. He was also formerly a columnist at Pacific Standard. In the following conversation, Arvind illuminates the dire situation in Gaza and the challenges journalists face amid the turmoil. Arvind reports back on his conversations with journalists on the ground in the West Bank and shares the story of the protective equipment library that has been set up by the Palestinian Journalist Syndicate (PJS) to provide journalists with the essential tools they need. Arvind also highlights how journalists face increasing repression for covering Palestine, both in the US and abroad, and the impact of media censorship and biased narratives on the perception of the Israeli occupation of Palestine, particularly among Western outlets. Join us as we uncover the crucial role of independent journalism in times of crisis and how we can collectively support those documenting the reality of the frontlines. Resources: Life-Saving lending library: Union supplies Palestinian journalists with safety gear amid ongoing Israeli genocide If you would like to support journalists in Gaza so that they can continue their work, please make a contribution to the IFJ’s International Safety Fund with the comment “For the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.” Episode credits: Co-hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Co-hosted, produced, and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more. Want to help spread the word? Please rate and review us on Apple Podcasts and Spotify — it makes a huge difference in reaching new people who may otherwise not hear about this show.

On this episode of The Response, we get to the heart of reproductive justice with Rafa Kidvai, the director of the Repro Legal Defense Fund at If/When/How. The RLDF champions the rights and freedoms of people criminalized for their pregnancy outcomes, offers bail support, and stands as a bastion for strong defenses in the face of criminalization, spanning from miscarriages to self-managed abortions.  Rafa shares insights into the organization's holistic approach, emphasizing the critical support they provide through litigation, a helpline for those fearing criminalization, and ensuring clients receive the best possible defense.  Join us as we explore interconnected struggles, the challenges of surveillance, and the power of community in the fight for reproductive justice. Resources: If/When/How Repro Legal Defense Fund No Body Criminalized Podcast How to Become a Lawyer without Going to Law School Episode credits: Co-hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn Co-hosted, produced, and edited by Paige Kelly Theme Music by Cultivate Beats Follow The Response on Twitter and Instagram for updates, memes, and more. Our entire catalog of documentaries and interviews can be found at theresponsepodcast.org — or wherever you get your podcasts. The Response is an award-winning podcast series produced by Shareable exploring how communities respond to disaster — from hurricanes to wildfires to reactionary politics and more.