Last weekend, mutual aid organizers from all over the world gathered together for the Solidarity Summit. Hosted by Humans United for Mutual Aid Networks (or HUMANS), the virtual event took place in order to build skills, relationships, and momentum while benefiting local work.

During the Summit, we co-hosted a 2-part session which began with a screening of "The Response: How Puerto Ricans Are Restoring Power to the People" before transitioning into a live recording of The Response Podcast.

Today we're bringing you the audio from that event which featured several organizers from Mutual Aid Disaster Relief (or MAD Relief), a grassroots disaster relief network based on the principles of solidarity, mutual aid, and autonomous direct action.

Rather than focussing on the nitty-gritty, of how MAD Relief is successfully organizing with a non-hierarchical decentralized structure, this conversation illustrated 4 of the many stories of what the work actually looks like on the ground.

Featured Speakers:

• Rain: co-founder/co-coordinator of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief focused on sustainable disaster response and rebuilding – Louisiana (transplanted from Florida) mostly responding to events in the Gulf South/SE states
• Vanessa Bolin: Richmond Indigenous Society, Community Roots Garden, madr, and The Eyes Wide Open Project – Occupied Virginia on traditional Pamunky Territory
• Siren Saricca: founder of the Michigan mutual aid coalition, a service that delivers groceries to seniors – Detroit MI
• Tyler Norman (co-host): mutual aid disaster relief – Wisconsin

Episode credits:

• Host and executive producer: Tom Llewellyn
• Series producer: Robert Raymond
• Theme Music: "Meet you on the other side" by Cultivate Beats

The Response from Shareable.net, is a documentary film, book, and podcast series exploring how communities are building collective resilience in the wake of disasters.

Find out more information about Mutual Aid Disaster Relief at mutualaiddisasterrelief.org/

Check out the work of Humans United for Mutual Aid Networks by visiting mutualaidnetwork.org