Survival programs are practical programs that meet immediate needs while building collective capacity and political consciousness [@madrprograms2024].
Within emergent disaster response, the term matters because it names a method that refuses the split between relief and organizing. Supplies distribution, community kitchens, wellness centers, infrastructure, and other practical supports are treated as ways of helping people survive while also strengthening self-determination and long-term resilience [@madrabout2025; @madrprograms2024].
Related terms
- Solidarity Not Charity - the principle that distinguishes survival programs from paternalistic aid
- Autonomous Direct Action - the method through which many survival programs are built
- Methods of Mutual Aid Disaster Relief - a research text on this current’s wider method set