When Sudanese photographer Ala Kheir took a photo of daily life in the Sudanese capital Khartoum on April 1, 2023, he had no idea that a few weeks later these very streets and the people walking just below him, would be engulfed in a vicious war that has gone on for three years.

Photo: © Ala Kheir, Khartoum, Sudan, 2023

People living in Myanmar, Haiti, Ukraine, Iran, Lebanon, Venezuela, D.R. Congo, Palestine, Sudan, South Sudan and other places hit by conflicts and disasters experience how the world they thought they knew is ripped apart in just seconds, minutes, or hours.

And even if many of us are looking at such disastrous moments from a distance, there seems to be a growing sense of unpredictably and mad (mostly male-driven) greed and reckless violence spreading across the globe. Poet and musician Leonard Cohen, writing about the end of a personal relationship, captured the sense many of us harbour today in a few lines of a song called “CLOSING TIME”:

“And it’s partner found, it’s partner lost
and it’s hell to pay when the fiddler stops
It’s CLOSING TIME”

When such feelings of doom and gloom begin to take hold, a close companion is often inaction, numbness and with that a growing risk of becoming immune to the violence, crimes and injustices experiences by others.

This issue of L2GP’s “Se la Vi” Newsletter focus on the complete opposite reaction. It highlights research and stories which showcase some of the thousand mutual aid initiatives across the globe which represent humanity at it best – at its most caring. The materials suggested below show how people caught up in disasters, violence, war, crimes and injustices stand up and try to help one another as they live through the crisis pushes upon them. It shows – in the words of another musician and poet, David Bowie, how: 

“We can be heroes, just for one day.
We can be heroes” 

Game Changing and Saving Lives

“Game changing and saving lives – supporting mutual aid in Sudan” is L2GP’s latest research with an in-depth exploration of the experiences of mutual aid and community led responses in Sudan in 2024 – 25. An article, a learning paper and a collection of testimonies from the 25 volunteers and aid staff interviewed during the research can all be found here.

“People are capable of serving under all circumstances – they have the motivation.” (Mutual aid volunteer, Sudan)

Photo: © Ala Kheir, Wad Medani, Sudan, 2023

These words by a colleague from Myanmar set the tone as 27 participants gathered in late October, 2025 to share experiences with Mutual Aid. The gathering brought together colleges from 20 countries working directly with supporting community-led responses and mutual aid, or engaged in research relevant to mutual aid. In this summary, we’ve tried to capture the richness of our joint reflection and discussions.

Drawings: ©Ylva Blondel / Local2Global

Irsho, La Minga, Chum, Talko, Konbit Kominote… round the world, sclr and mutual aid is known by many different names that capture the natural impulses to help each other. These names and terms are often an inspiration in themselves, so we continue to collect and share them. If you have examples to add please get in touch via the e-mail below. See more of these different names here.

Supporting mutual aid: what the evidence tells us

This report is a central output of phase 1 of a two-year research initiative led by ALNAP and Local to Global Protection (L2GP), focused on understanding and strengthening the evidence around supporting mutual aid in crisis-affected contexts.
This review explored what happens when international actors support mutual aid by looking across two dimensions:

• Dimension 1 examines the results experienced by mutual aid groups. By supporting mutual aid, can the international system deliver assistance that is more responsive, efficient and grounded?
• Dimension 2 examines the results and adaptations experienced by those providing support. Does supporting mutual aid provide a pathway to transformation?

A new version of L2GP’s work

If you find us a bit slow to respond to e-mails or other requests, please bear with us. Building on in-depths consultation and discussion, we’re currently working out the basics of a next version of L2GP. A version where resources, initiative and decision making will move from a hitherto rather Eurocentric core group towards the growing number of Communities of Practise and hubs. Much more from – and about – the new version of L2GP in forthcoming newsletters and other communication.