Do you have Burner infrastructure that could be deployed in response? Many Theme Camps, Mutant Vehicles & Art Collectives have valuable infrastructure and tools that can only be used for a few months of the year. The rest of the year this infrastructure can be utilized in response efforts. Burner Infrastructure maybe needed in COVID Response. Check out our Resource Partners page here— and let us know what you have that can support the cause.
Resources for Artists:
In collaboration with the Art Activation team at Burning Man (Civic Arts & Global Granting Programs) we’ve been collecting resources to support artists during this time:
City of San Franciscohas announced an Arts Relief Program to support working artists and arts and cultural organizations financially impacted by COVID-19.
There’s been an ongoing conversation at Burners Without Borders about how we seem to be living in a time when disasters and crises are piling on top of one another. This ‘new normal’ requires a different frame of reference and adaptation of our skill sets. Resilience is about agility, and our ability to change together. A BWB community member wrote a nice concept piece on this idea called ‘The Long Disaster’, we recommend taking some time with it.
The sudden appearance and rapid scaling of COVID-19 is affecting more than just our physical health. It is affecting the global markets, how we interact, and our mental well-being.There are glimmers of beauty, Italians singing, new ways of virtual interaction, cooking lessons online, a focus on the most vulnerable, lots of bright spots of hope in this time to remind us of our humanity.
In moments like these, the perspectives we take are vital to navigating the storm. The danger is real, and the precautions we need to take are disruptive (and effective). So how might we all use this moment to look for a deeper message about what is possible?
In our stories about Black Rock City we sometimes characterize the desert conditions as a common enemy that brings us all together. Could this health crisis be the same thing for the global community? Entrenched global systems that seemed almost insurmountable and impossible to change just weeks ago are showing vulnerabilities. Air pollution hasn’t been this low in China for years, proof that fast action on a large scale is possible when people feel an emergent threat to themselves and their families.
Panic is never our friend, but the unfolding pandemic is opening eyes everywhere in the world to the fragility of our global systems. People are getting why we need hyper-localized food networks, decentralized power systems, and robust health infrastructure..
What sort of world do we want to dream as possible with this moment at hand? None of this is new. We’ve known our systems didn’t quite fit us, and we’re seeing their fragility in new ways. The reality is stark, and we can’t turn away. Community preparedness and resilience is paramount in the days, months, and years to come– but that was always the case. More people are awake to it now.
It’s comforting to know Burners are some of the best prepared for situations like this. The Burning Man Principles are great guideposts to think about the future. Let’s play the long-game and wield positivity and strength along with preparedness and civic responsibility. We’ve got the infrastructure, and we’ve got training. Now what are we going to do with it?
Resilience: Community Resources in Response to COVID-19
Image by Monica Trinidad
One amazing thing about a crisis is how community comes together and responds. Digital tools and collaborative documents make it easier than ever to crowdsource and share information. Together, we are pioneering these new tools so we can all be more resilient and agile in moments of crisis.
There’s a lot of information out there, and not all community documents are created equal. It’s important to practice due diligence by checking your sources and trusting your collaborators. Be responsible with the information you distribute – false information is dangerous. Responsibly created community docs are a great way to distribute life-saving information in a peer to peer, free, and transparent manner. Here are a few created in response to COVID-19*:
Carona Camp: Join this BwB member created project. Based off the prinicples, and following the format of the Theme Camp Organizer’s guide. This team is forming a daily updated resource center with how-to’s and live support on all things Coronavirus. Join this virtual camp to support in all things COVID-19.
Coronavirus Planning March 2020 – The Hearth (Sharable): This resource document was created by a 7-person community house. It includes their personal resilience plan, plus links to resiliency kits and plans. This is a fantastic example of how folks are organizing themselves as a community resource, even on a household scale. Any co-living or neighborhood group can do the same to prepare as a community.
Mutual Aid Organizational Form Template: Here is a form you can copy to start organizing mutual aid in your community or local burner group.
Open the document, click on the three dots in the upper right hand corner,select “make a copy”, it will create a new editable document (don’t forget to “rename it”). IT IS IMPORTANT TO MAKE A COPY or else you’ll be collecting information into a document shared publicly and not just for your group.
If you’d like to continue this conversation, now may be a good time to join our slack workspace, where we’ll be sharing more resources as they come in. Are you a mutual aid/community organizer? Please get in touch, we’d love to support you.
Got another community resource doc you think is great? Share it with us!
*Remember, use critical thinking skills and do your research. These are some resources that we have found being circulated and some of us have found helpful, but they are purposefully in constant flux, so we don’t know what’s in there moment-to-moment. USE YOUR NOGGINS!
Fostering a more Connected, Creative & Resilient World
