Mutual Aid Organizations, Community Organizations, and Co-operatives Liaison Delegation (MACOCo)
The Foundation of A New Economy
Co-operative enterprises, community organizations, and mutual aid form the bedrock of an economy built on democracy in the workplace and community care. Because there forces are so powerful at creating lasting impact and change, and because they interrupt the logic of capital, they receive virtually no support from the current system, and in many cases active hostility from both “public” and private sources.
If you do mutual aid or work for a community organization, you probably run into some common issues. For one, these organizations typically run as small cells. Small cells mean small reach and small resources. A lot of the time mutual aid just becomes one sided monetary mutual aid and is alienated from the MUTUAL aspect of mutual aid.
Another issue is that people seeking aid are often strangers you can’t or understandably dont want to vet who may have endless financial needs and continuously drain the whole fund dry. Another issue is that the leader of the mutual aid group often faces an undue burden in trying to fund all requests at their own expense, leading to an empty cup trying to pour into an endless sea of helpless individuals. Not only that, but many operations are subject to police scrutiny like food not bombs.
Mutual aid should be more than that. Imagine having access to additional resources to help meet more fundamental needs instead of being sucked into a money pit. Imagine having access to other organizations to direct people in need straight to help. Imagine having a common space for those who need help to gather, share their problems and skills and solutions, and be activated to participate in the operation of their society, without employers or landlords there to derail proceedings. Imagine being able to host continuing deconstructive education courses, racial trauma therapy, addiction assistance groups, indigenous councils, disability accommodation programming, self and group defense seminars, or any number of other mutual aid initiatives directly from, and supported by, the council structure!
Having a Worker-Tenant Council also means having working people who are experts at various skills, able to teach or fix instead of needing to source new items. Your council is a mutual aid center, a hub of all crisis aid and community resilience! If you’re in a mutual aid group, ask them to consider setting up a Worker-Tenant Council in your town, reaching out to other organizations to assist you. A council isn’t just a mutual aid center, but being a mutual aid center is what allows the Worker-Tenant Council to unburden membership while enabling them to active participation in their community at the same time, embodying mutual aid.
What is the MACOCo Delegation?
As a model of community economy, the delegation for Mutual Aid Group, Community Organization, and Co-operative Liaisons of the Worker-Tenant Council is a co-equal delegation, meaning no matter how few representative members are in this delegation, it is still entitled to one full delegatory vote in Council proceedings.
All working members of these organizations are voting members in the Council, while elected leadership does not get a vote, as with other delegations. This delegation will elect its own leadership to facilitate productive discussion and serve as the point of contact on matters pertaining to this delegation or the members of it.
On council matters related to co-operative structuring, the organizations themselves, the food and crisis aid resources provided at each council meeting, community programs and initiatives like community defense and disaster planning, this delegation will assist the Houseless and In-Crisis Delegation to open, lead, and close discussion.
As organizations, association with the Council as a body is voluntary and non-binding. The Council may not force an organization to engage with any Council actions, and at the same time, the full Council may vote to expel any organization from representation on the Council for misconduct, or for becoming compromised, or for engaging in unethical private structuring.
As members of the community who serve the most in need, organizations are encouraged to perform their aid work at the start of council meetings, including meals and crisis aid. It is highly recommended that one organization two organization volunteers to serve as a financial pass-through for all council financial matters, this could also be an associated credit union, as those are co-operatives.
Other areas these organizations can assist with may include the acquisition of community land, tools, machinery, factories, third spaces, and the creation or conversion of existing businesses to a co-operative community-centered model.