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Hexbear Proposals chapo.chat matrix room.
This will be a place for site proposals and discussion before implementation on the site.
Every proposal will also be mirrored into a pinned post on the hexbear community.
Any other ideas for helping to integrate the two spaces are welcome to be commented here or messaged to me directly.
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I think the non-monetary aspect of "mutual aid" could be focused on better in this community, instead of "aid" just being solely monetary donations, we could organise groups and discussions devoted to keeping each other honest with finances, and helping each other budget, find potential sources of income, things like that. Have it work like an actual mutual aid org instead of just a donation bucket. Maybe have a monthly/weekly discussion topic about financial issues and ways to deal with them, or more emphasis on mentorships and accountability, if people have trouble organising their finances and would like someone to help keep them on track for their longer term goals.
This isn't unique to this mutual aid comm, I've seen way too many people spiral despite getting financial aid, because they don't have the emotional support network they actually need to push past their current issues. I don't think we can do things on the same level as an IRL organisation, but a little bit of help beyond just financial aid, might end up going a long way, both for the health of the comm and the people in it.
At the same time, I do recognise that being too open about locations and events is bad opsec, and I'm honestly not really sure how to square that circle.
I feel caught in this tension of paternalism vs being solution oriented, you know? I don't want to be lecturing on what a person needs to do or feel the money has strings... but also if a person is requesting the amount they are as frequently as they are - they are in a real crisis, crisis even a sudden infusion of quite substantial semi-anonymous cash (as much as hexbear could donate) won't fix because some of what's keeping them down is systemic society level issues and maybe more intractable personal health issues like mental health or chronic medical health. I could care less if they wanna service an addiction or buy ubereats (I waste plenty of money on both), that's their perogative - but I do hope there's some forward momentum and, really, a spot of cash here or there is probably not gonna be that. What I would hope for is they stabilize out of a crisis and hook into their local scene not just for aid coming to them but ways they can assist others as well but I feel so trapped by a sense that this is a paternalistic or whatever attitude!! Ugh
I agree completely. I've been worrying overnight about how my statements will come across as overly paternalistic, which isn't my intention, I think mutual aid has a lot more avenues, even anonymous online mutual aid, than just financial aid. But as someone (currently) in the position to donate and not need help. I've been there in the past though, not here, but I know how dehumanising some of these systems feel, refusing to view someone as a person, and making them take "courses" or "classes" that do nothing but waste time in order to jump through hoops to get a little bit of aid so they can get back on their feet. No allowing of long term planning outside of the few narrow avenues within their scope, trying to just push people back into being cogs at the bottom of the machine being ground into dust for profit ASAP. Even a "well intentioned" system can still prove dehumanising to the people using it, and any choice made is going to upset someone, there's never going to be a "one size fits all" system. All we can do is try to organise a system that attempts to help people within the scope and scale we are capable of.
I do still stand by my idea that organising and focusing on the non-financial aspects of mutual aid, as best as we can online, will help with the "mutual" part of mutual aid. Just reading the comments here I've seen plenty of great ideas I never would've had by myself. I think there is a way to leverage the online forum aspect of Hexbear to create something that might not be as good as an IRL mutual aid org, but can do some additional good beyond just helping people keep their heads above the water. Even if the system is opt-in and no one actually opts in, because they don't want a "lecture", they want their rent paid, it still gives us ways to organise, fix and improve things. Refusing to change things because "it might make things worse" is how liberals behave. We can always change things back if a new rule system doesn't end up working well.