Last week we imagined what it would be like to have a thriving place - for people, animals, plants, water, and land. Recently, while studying a poem by Dionne Brand, I came across this thought from French philosopher Jean-Luc Nancy, who pointed out, “the modern city is not so much a civitas (a community of citizens) as it is a place in which something takes place that is different from place.” ~ Excerpt from Thirsty by Dionne Brand
This is subtle but points to something important. What takes place that is different from place? I would like to suggest that in a thriving place what happens has to do with how we care for all of the inhabitants of our place and the place itself. In a world where we face untold potential crises, what will make a place survive and thrive will depend on its resilience, ability to adapt, and the way we care for each other.
What if we had a Department of Care?
“Care is more comprehensive than maintenance. It encompasses social interactions and dynamics, and cultural practices.” ~ Alexandra Lange via Bloomberg.com
In this excellent article by Lange, she imagines a municipal Department of Care, especially in the context of the design of public spaces. Making buildings or public spaces wheelchair accessible might be one example of a responsibility in this department.
A Department of Care will look different for every place because the needs are different. In my place, we have a high proportion of elderly people. Some of my younger neighbors help the older ones by mowing their lawn or shoveling snow in the winter. We have a very popular Buy Nothing Facebook page where neighbors offer items or services for free to whoever might need them. There is a community garden available for those who don’t have the space to grow their own food. One neighborhood has created a tree inventory and they work to preserve their existing trees. There is a group that supports local migrant farm workers with transportation and goods, and even home-cooked meals. There is an organization that offers education to homeowners on how to care for the creeks that run through their properties.
Mutual Aid
A subset of general care includes how we take care of the most vulnerable in our place. This is often referred to as mutual aid and it’s different from charity.
“Mutual aid works on two fronts: meeting people’s survival needs in a destigmatizing way and raising people’s awareness about the problems that caused those needs to go unmet.” ~ Alisa Bohling, LitHub
When I looked up mutual aid services in my place (Niagara), most were for humans. There are services for those in poverty or who are homeless, those with addictions or mental health issues, and those who are immigrants or seeking education or employment. There are offerings of legal aid and support for those people with disabilities or experiencing domestic abuse.
Also on that list was an organization called Land Care Niagara, which is focused on tree planting and resource management. Of course, there are other organizations in the area devoted to working on climate change impacts and biodiversity loss and restoration.
An example of mutual aid that I support is called Small Scale Farms. The owner, Renee, started growing her own food as a way to feed her family and get out of poverty. Her mission grew beyond her own family to the community as she wondered how to support local, small production farmers and combat food insecurity in the region. Every week, I can order a bag of produce and have it delivered to my door. I get whatever local farmers have at the moment (and I’m never disappointed). For every bag I purchase, Renee gives a bag to someone else in need. It’s a win win.
Mutual aid is about nurturing social relationships so that everyone flourishes.
Practice
Do we prioritize care? How could we do better? This includes the health and other needs of citizens, land, and species.
What does your Department of Care look like? I’m sure that you already care in many ways, especially for friends and family, and maybe even neighbors. But, how can you expand your department? What other needs are you seeing and how can you respond with care? Where do you shut down? How are you prioritizing your own care?
Make a mutual aid map (condensed from here).
Start with you. What do you need to be okay? Who cares for you? How do you communicate with others? What resources do you already have in place?
What do you have to give? Who are the people in your life for whom you prioritize care? Names, ages, needs?
Who are you in your community, meaning what can people rely on you for? What’s one thing you do every day for your community?
What are the principles/values that ground you and your most important people? List them out and then name the value-driven actions you are taking now.
What issues do you anticipate coming up in the next week, year, ten years? year? How will you respond to those issues in ways that are reflective of your principles/values? What can you do right now to put the necessary systems in place to respond effectively?
What does care look like in your place? Start with your street. How do the neighbors care for each other? Extend that to the community. How are the elderly, youth, those with mental health issues, or the homeless cared for? How diverse and inclusive is your community? Are there public spaces where people can gather comfortably? How are the flora and fauna and water and air cared for? Are buildings designed to accommodate those with disabilities?
Start a list of organizations or volunteer groups in your place that prioritize care. Some examples might be cleaning up litter, planting trees, helping out seniors or people with illnesses, or having access to affordable housing and healthy food.
Resources
Chart showing the difference between mutual aid groups and charitable groups - Dean Spade