INURA Zurich (1)

1997 Zurich annual Conference   is an important date as there was a clear attempt to relate more closely with social movements.

Following the goal of Luton, at the Zurich conference were invited:

- Gilde van Werkgebouwen, Amsterdam (did the Amsterdam Broedplaatsen Project develop out of the Gilde’s activities, Patrice?)

- Glenn Jenkins, … (others?) from the Exodus Collective, Luton

 - Wagenburgen Berlin

 - Centro Sociale Forte Prenestino Roma

Together with these people from social movement, well known academics were invited such as Margit Mayer, David Harvey, Saskia Sassen (the first INURA book is all about the conference).

This meeting is anecdotal within INURA for the exchange between Glenn and Margit with Margit starting her speech saying that movements were an object of studies and Glenn saying to Margit “I’m the object“.

The book Possible Urban worlds contain all the discussion, even the last panel.

Possible Urban Worlds (book, see bibliography)



The meeting in Zurich has been important for sharpening some contradiction which became clear in this conference, such as :

- The relation between academics and activists

- The polarities action and academia, research and practice.

- Socialize and solidarize, bodily expression of contradiction [lc1]

- Theoretical key questions

<p class="MsoNormal">-   The inclusion of Movements. Debate whether (and how much) INURA should be open to social movements or not.

<p class="MsoNormal">- Within INURA Academics seemed to be too dominant, and as results activists didn’t want to continue.

<p class="MsoNormal">- We, esp. the Zurich group, had become established,   formal academic position people like Roger and Christian