Mutual Aid 101: Navigating conflict when building power with Dean Spade

On November 20, 2025, we hosted activist, organizer, and writer Dean Spade to lead a Mutual Aid 101 session about navigating conflict.

So many of our mutual aid groups and solidarity economy projects are dealing with burnout, conflict, and the pressure of doing real care work with limited capacity. We currently find ourselves in a particularly " horrible f#ck*ng moment in the history of humans," to quote Dean Spade. And it's leading many of us to feel judgmental, aggravated, and resentful, which, in turn, can strain our relationships to the brink.

But Dean was also quick to remind us that internal conflict has always been part of movement work, and will always be. So we'd best lean into it.

This workshop focused on practical tools for staying grounded, building trust, and keeping our groups strong.

The video version, slide deck, human-edited transcript, and all resources shared during the session are available here: https://www.shareable.net/podcasts/navigating-conflict-when-building-power-with-dean-spade/

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Please take a minute while you're listening to click the link in the show notes to donate $5, $10, or $50. Every bit helps! https://www.shareable.net/donate/

Episode credits:

• Hosted and executive produced by Tom Llewellyn
• Produced and edited by Paige Kelly
• Theme Music by Cultivate Beats