Working with We All We Got (WAWG) this quarter has been a singularly unique experience for a few reasons.
First, and most prominent, is that WAWG is a mutual aid organization. What this means is that the way the organization is structured is unlike any other we’ve worked with, in that there seemed to be no structure at all. There is no hierarchy within the organization, no one told anyone what to do. Of course, people would listen to folks with more experience, not because they were higher on the ladder, but because they had valuable input to give and people respected that. Indeed, even the work itself is very uniquely structured. There is a google sheets document accessible to all members that contains all the tasks that need to be done in any given week, and everyone simply picks whatever task they want to do during whatever day and time is most convenient to them. There are no obligations beyond what you yourself commit to doing. Even “membership” in WAWG is a very loosely defined term, members come and go and then come back again, depending on the circumstances of their lives and what they can contribute at any given moment, but even inactive members have equal footing with everyone else. Another unique feature of WAWG is that there is no line that demarcates who the “givers” are and who the “receivers” are, every individual gives according to what they can, and receives according to what they need, and the only person who determines either of those things is that individual. You might wonder how anything at all gets done in such a chaotic environment, where there are no bosses or schedules to listen or adhere to, and yet WAWG operates more smoothly than any workplace we’ve ever been a part of. It has a built-in flexibility and adaptability that simply wouldn’t be possible in a more structured setting, and it stands as a testament for anti-capitalist and decolonial community organizing.
Second, a reason inseparably entwined with the first, and equally as important, is the people we met there. Working at the Brown Building and attending the weekly meetings exposed us to such an array of unique and interesting characters, all united in their burning passion and unwavering dedication to Community. There, we met the most staunch anti-racist, anti-capitalist, and anti-colonial abolitionists. People dedicated with all their being to fighting the systems of oppression that impact and marginalize so many in our communities. They do all this not through campaigning or appealing to any sort of powerful institution, but by bringing the people within their communities together in mutual solidarity and support. There are very few things more inspiring than watching how they engage with those around them. You can see the good they do in the kindness and care they show to each other and to those who come for aid, and you can hear it in the encouraging words of the various neighbourhood denizens that walk or drive by the Brown Building. There’s few places as welcoming and accepting as those at WAWG and the Brown Building.
Our project was to create a short guide to be put on a flyer or shared on social media that aims to educate people on how to get started doing mutual aid and bringing their communities together. The flyer also provides insight into what food items or supplies are most needed at WAWG on a regular basis, as well as culturally relevant foods, and household/baby items. The hope is to make donating and volunteering less daunting and more accessible through a clear and easy to digest guide as well as inform people of mutual aid and the work they do with the community. (Hasan Badrig and Josie Ballard)
June 8, 2021