Elemental Anarchy: A Discussion on the Elements of Mutual Aid

The concept of mutual aid has become popularized in the past two decades as an approach to everything from disaster response to meeting basic needs. Even though the term mutual aid is not unique to anarchists, these projects have become a primary way that anarchists spend their time and intervene in the world. While this is promising, some of the roots of the practice, and some of its insurgent possibilities, have been lost throughout this popularization .We sit down with Casa and Maroon to discuss their new documentary series The Elements of Mutual Aid. We discuss the roots of the practice in communities, the ways that mutual aid can escape simple political orthodoxies, and how it can form the foundation of not only a response to the crises that we are living through, but also a route through which we can build the capacity to fight for something better in the midst of collapse. For more information on the documentary, including information on upcoming showings, go to https://theelementsofmutualaid.com/ The series is available for viewing on PeerTube at https://kolektiva.media/c/elementsofmutualaid/videos