IndyMedia - Vrij Media Centrum Nederland

Wanneer: 01/07/2016 - 20:23

New book about the Amsterdam Squatters Movement in the 2000's published.

In 2005, Nazima Kadir, an anthropologist from New York City, came to Amsterdam to ponder the subject of her PhD dissertation. She became quickly drawn into the political and cultural sphere of the city's radical housing movement. After a short sneak preview as an outside observer, her own housing problems pushed her to actively join as a squatter for a couple of years. She shared the movement's struggle in work and pleasure, victories and defeats and (most importantly) in it's intense external and internal discourse around all things political.

Her book, 'The autonomous life?' is a lively portrait of the Amsterdam Squatters Movement during the early 2000's, its campaigns for affordable housing and non commercial cultural space, its loud demonstrations, wild parties, endless meetings, tenacious resilience, unconditional solidarity, vicious gossip and its struggle to live up to its own high ideals. Nazima observes with a sharp eye, describes with a sharp tongue and reflects with a sharp mind, with all the depth and insight of a thorough scholar and the fierce conviction
of an experienced activist. 'The autonomous life?' stands in sharp contrast to the academic zealotery romantically glorifying social movements observed from the outside and movement politicians using pseudo science to push their political agendas.

In the acknowledgements, she writes:

'Thanks to all twenty of my housemates and the residents of a specific squatted neighborhood for making space for me in your lives. I treasure the bonds that I share with all of you despite the evictions and the heartaches. Looking back, we were a family,
experiencing the joys and the struggles of family life. I also want to extend special thanks to the collective of a particular squatted social center as well as to the activists with whom I worked on the defense campaigns of the houses where I resided. I would
also like to thank the brave members of the black bloc, who powerfully avenged my evictions.'

The full book is available online Open Acess ( CC license ):
https://www.oapen.org/view?docId=608061.xhtml

Paperback's should be available in your local Radical Bookstore or at Manchester University Press
http://www.manchesteruniversitypress.co.uk/9781784994112/