Abolitionist Cybernetics
In the Tech Workers Coalition newsletter, an organizer for the South Bay Mutual Aid project shares insights into how cybernetic analysis can support mutual aid efforts in times of emergency.
I observed common tendencies and structural problems, including burnout and power consolidation, across various mutual aid efforts. Promising efforts can slide backwards and revert to top-down, unaccountable models, which is why organizers need to think about these efforts systemically. To make mutual aid sustainable, we need systems that empower as many people as possible to get involved and do the work, share the load, and grow the effort at scale.