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Meeting for English speaking housing activists in Amsterdam
Asiye and Rogier - 10.08.2007 18:38
On 19 August, 16.30, 't Blijvertje (Derde Oosterparkstraat 64h, Amsterdam) hosts a brainstorm for English speaking housing activists in Amsterdam. The provisional purpose is to create an informal network for people who run into a language barrier when they try to get involved with housing politics and policies.
Hi!
On 19 August at 16.30 (Sunday), 't Blijvertje (Derde Oosterparkstraat 64, Amsterdam) hosts a brainstorm for English speaking housing activists in Amsterdam. The provisional purpose is to create an informal network for people who run into a language barrier when they try to get involved with housing politics and policies. Of course many non-Dutch speakers want to learn Dutch but there is no reason to postpone collective action till the time we are fully proficient.
Just some tentative ideas what such a network could do:
* arrange translations or summaries of important legal regulations or policy documents to English;
* reach out to communities in Amsterdam that so far are not as involved in housing activism as they could be. For instance, through Moroccan, Turkish or Surinamese associations we could inform people of their housing rights and try to get them involved.
* study European urban and housing politics. Squatters are usually very much aware of the regulations in the Netherlands, their city and their neighborhood but so far Europe is beyond reach. But Europe is becoming more and more important and so we could see which possibilities we could use or which obstacles we would need to overcome;
* share knowledge about regulations in relation to permits, visas and all those other things that the state requires before it allows people a place;
* share experiences from outside the Netherlands. There are millions of squatters worldwide but we usually do not consider them part of “the squatting movement”. Still, there's a lot to learn from these struggles and it would maybe be inspiring to place our own struggles for housing in a wider perspective;
* socialize and have drinks;
This list is probably far from exhaustive and probably contains some silly ideas. But that's what the brain storm is for! There we would see if there is a need for this type of network and to find out what people want and can do.
Just to be entirely clear: the goal would *not* be to create a sort of multicultural enclave but instead to create or improve linkages between different groups and to get some inspiration from experiences and people. Of course you don't have to be a foreigner to join – all are more than welcome!
By the way, after the brain storm, 't Blijvertje will show a film on the Indonesian liberation struggle (start: 19.30).
Adios,
Asiye and Rogier
A meeting for
A “Brain-storm” among English speaking Housing Activists from different countries
on 19.08.07 at 16:30
t Blijvertje/ 3e Oosterparkstraat 64
? to create a network
? to get the voice up for housing struggle and ?
to act as a link in Amsterdam squatting scene and beyond overcoming the linguistic barrier that would help to reduce the feeling of marginality that many non-Dutch speaking housing activists experience in the squatting movement.
 E-Mail: oosterparkbuurt@gmail.com
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