Autonomous direct action is direct action carried out through community initiative, shared principles, and voluntary coordination rather than through state or nonprofit command [@madrprinciples2020].
Within emergent disaster response, the term matters because it names a method of acting without waiting for permission while still orienting that action toward collective survival and accountability to impacted people [@madrmission2019; @madrprinciples2020].
Related terms
- Direct action - the broader practice of meeting needs without waiting for authorization
- Solidarity Not Charity - the political principle that often guides autonomous direct action in disaster work
- Mutual Aid Disaster Relief - a school that explicitly centers this method