What this crisis has demonstrated is that grassroots, bottom-up organising can be so much more effective and so much more responsive to local needs than top-down government programmes. The principles of spontaneous, participatory, open organising are the foundation of groups such as those closing a road to make it a play street. Currently this also includes many mutual aid networks, as well as of larger-scale, more political campaigns such as rent strikes or voluntary groups providing support for homeless people. The difference now is that with so many people involved in mutual aid organising, and with so many having their first experience of activism, there is a much wider momentum for continuing such grassroots work, organising for the good of communities at a local level.
Photo: Dan Smedley