Tldr:

The revolutionary idea at the core of the concept of mutual aid is that those who have a problem can solve it themselves by working together.

I live in an area where most of the unhoused people in my city stay.

It has started getting insanely hot. People are going to die.

If I load up my little buggy with an ice chest and water bottles, what would be the best way to get people water?

I’ve thought it might be good to wear some kind of church’s shirt or something - I know that police tend to fuck with people who help the homeless, especially in my area.

I’m too broke to give out sunscreen or other sundries but are there other things I should carry with me too?

I get if the answer is “just do it” - just looking for advice if other people have done this.

I have heard that putting sugar in my fuel tank may lead to my vans not working anymore. This is an outcome I am looking to avoid.

I use these vans to transport children, who I usually pick up from sites about a few miles out. I would be really miffed if those vans were disabled in such a way that they were not able to make it to those children.

Are there any other actions I should avoid taking with my vans? I really wouldn’t want to cause damage to them in such a way that they would fail before the children got inside them.

Cross-posted from "For Saturday protests" by @seahorse@midwest.social in !ohio@midwest.social

Inpatient rights don’t seem to be on anyone’s radar. The only organization I know of is MindFreedom, which organizes letter writing and phone campaigns to try to protect people from forced medications and electric shock.

In the Southern US, it is One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. But I don’t hear about protests at hospitals and troubled teen facilities. I don’t hear about people pushing for things like a patient “bill of rights” in care. I don’t see a recognition of the ways that psychiatry is weaponized against harmless but “deviant” behavior.

Children in care especially seem to be utterly voiceless. A “troubled teen” is automatically assumed to be a liar, so any allegations of abuse can be (literally!) dumped in the paper shredder.

archived (Wayback Machine)

A reminder folks: people engage in this kind of radical protest because it works:

Results of two online experiments conducted with diverse samples (N = 2,772), including a study of the animal rights movement and a preregistered study of the climate movement, show that the presence of a radical flank increases support for a moderate faction within the same movement. Further, it is the use of radical tactics, such as property destruction or violence, rather than a radical agenda, that drives this effect. Results indicate the effect owes to a contrast effect: Use of radical tactics by one flank led the more moderate faction to appear less radical, even though all characteristics of the moderate faction were held constant. This perception led participants to identify more with and, in turn, express greater support for the more moderate faction. These results suggest that activist groups that employ unpopular tactics can increase support for other groups within the same movement, pointing to a hidden way in which movement factions are complementary, despite pursuing divergent approaches to social change.

cross-posted from: https://lemmy.ml/post/29115119

archived (Wayback Machine)

The report highlights the growing influence of the Animal Outlook Network, launched in 2024, which combines behavioural science with animal advocacy. Volunteers supported legal actions leading to criminal animal cruelty charges, aided farmers transitioning from animal to plant-based agriculture, and helped organise VegWeek events at universities.

Jenny Canham, director of outreach and engagement at Animal Outlook, emphasised the crucial role of volunteers: “Volunteers enable us to extend our reach and deepen our impact in ways that would otherwise be impossible.”

Likely very useful information for the near future.

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/20700097

archived (Wayback Machine)

cross-posted from: https://slrpnk.net/post/20681926

Thousands of young people from across the Midwest are expected to converge on Chicago's Loop Friday afternoon for the Global Climate Strike, which is being led by Fridays for Future Chicago.

The march starts at 4pm at Daley Plaza.