It’s the end of Royal Dutch Shell (as we know it)

One week ago, my dear comrades Marie-Sol and Archana from Shell Must Fall have launched the Future Beyond Shell podcast, discussing with distinguished researchers various pathways to dismantle the carbon major. The highlights for me were the episodes on Bankrupcy and Nationalisation, but I highly recommend you to check out all the flavours!

Today, we woke up to a MAJOR PLOT TWIST: Shell has decided to abandon its motherland of 130 years and its “Royal Dutch” moniker, and restructure the formerly Anglo-Dutch company under the Union Jack and become a fully UK-based entity. We are expected to believe that this change, dubbed ‘Simplification‘, has nothing to do with the Dutch court ruling that forces Shell to cut its full-scope emissions, and everything to do with their own passion for accelerating the transition to “net zero bla bla bla” by 2500 (or was it 2050?).

The company is also likely to evade a corporate ‘exit tax’ and set a precedent for other rogue companies wishing to avoid legal consequences. Now, in a free global market, one can set up shop wherever they want of course. Especially if you’re going through a major identity crisis, changing your name and your scenery is supposed to do you good. But one wonders; after everything that the Dutch state has done for the company, after decades of favours and pampering, is this how Shell expresses its gratitude? Other states should take note: getting too intimate with fossil fuel sector is a one-sided love story, never reciprocal, always extractivist.

We say: there is no Simplification, no “Get Out of Jail Free” card for Shell. The-company-formerly-known-as-Royal-Dutch-Shell cannot escape courtcases, disruptions and dismantling. Ben Van Beurden will certainly be back in the Hague, but for the International Court — you can run, but you can’t hide from Climate Justice.

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Building Beyond.

Last month I took part in an incredible summerschool on urban commoning! Organised by Permanent Brussels, “Building Beyond” prosed ‘collective strategies for just cities’ through (or beyond!) the lenses of property, type and participation.

Levente Polyak presented countless examples that fall in-between or beyond public and private ownership paradigms. Nishat Awan delivered a haunting, moving keynote on architectures of displacement and forms of non-belonging. Khensani de Klerk proposed a more fluid spatial lexicon for ‘beyonding’ architectural typologies. Darinka Czischke surveyed a wide range of collaborative housing models.

Following a delicious vegan lunch at Recycl’Art, the afternoons were dedicated to workshops that were hard to choose from. Much gratitude to Els Silvrants-Barclay, Menna Agha and Bas van Heur for organising this amazing gathering and bringing together such inspiring participants. See you all at the inaugural festival of dNM in 2023!

de Nieuwe Meent was featured on two roundtables, with Andrea Verdecchia presenting the legal, financial and architectural sides, and I discussed the challenges we encounter with our autonomy, solidarity, inclusion and diversity aspirations. It was an honour to share the stage with Paul Citron of Les Grands Voisins, Natassa Dourida of Communitism!

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Shell’s emissions Must Fall!

I am proud to be one of the 17,000 co-plaintiffs alongside Milieudefensie and other organisations who sued Royal Dutch Shell. And today, we won. The court agreed that the human rights consequences of climate breakdown are more important than the company’s right to operate freely and profit from fossil fuels. This is unprecedented.

One day we will look back and say, “obviously”. But until yesterday, it wasn’t clear if radical, global emission reductions could be enforceable to a private entity. Today, a judge in the Hague ruled that the multinational, which operates in 80 countries, has to nearly halve its emissions within this decade. 5 percentage points per year.

Crucially, this includes the emissions caused by the customers and suppliers of Shell’s dirty, dangerous, destructive commodities. And since we are talking absolute reductions, it unambiguously implies shrinking the oil and gas major’s business. No accounting trick nor ‘net’ offset scheme will be enough to pretend otherwise.

Shell will be forced to keep it in the ground. There will be financial consequences. There will be falling profits and reduced dividends. There will be discontent among the shareholders. There will be a reshuffling of the board. But one thing will not happen: Shell will not precipitate its own end. They would go rogue rather than comply.

This means it will be up to us to carry out the ruling and bring about a Future Beyond Shell. We will be there to make sure the company is nationalised, its shareholders dispossessed, its assets stranded, its infrastructure dismantled, its victims compensated and its workers retrained —to repair the damage and reverse the carbon cycle.

This is, by all means, just the beginning. Shell only amounts to about 4.5% of global emissions. We have more battles to fight. May this decision send ripples across the industry, heralding that the time is up for fossil capital. May this victory amplify and accelerate the just transition. It is now, more than ever, time to make Shell history. Let’s go.

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Postcapitalist.Design

It was a brisk late February when I got the news: I was offered a PhD fellowship at Amsterdam School for Cultural Analysis, chosen among hundreds of candidates, and together with two dear friends. It was a truly life-changing moment that allowed me to stay in Amsterdam, put down roots and grow a community. It gave me the economic security that enabled me to give myself to political organising —often at the expense of the academic work.

Eight years, four homes, three lovers, two burnouts and one pandemic later, this journey is finally coming to an end. On Tuesday 4th May 2021, at 15:00 in Agnietenkapel, I will be publicly defending my thesis to obtain the doctoral degree. It carries the title:

Unsustaining the Commodity-Machine
Commoning Practices in Postcapitalist Design

The physical ceremony will be closed to the public due to coronavirus measures. My paranymphs, Rana and Thijs will be by my side to support me. There will be an online livestream where you can watch me get trolled by tenured professors (it’s called an ‘ordered exchange of views’). There is also a Telegram group you can join to share your reactions with other guests before/during/after the event. Expect some exclusive behind-the-scenes footage!

While I truly wish to have celebration with all my loved ones coming together, the current course of the pandemic sadly makes it impossible and irresponsible to organise a physical gathering. You can count on me for organising a belated but utterly decadent party! I really hope we will be able to celebrate together, to mark the end of one journey, and onto some new adventures.

Finally, I built a website to make my research more accessible, so make sure you check it out and share it around! You can also download a digital copy directly on UvA’s Digital Academic Repository, or contact me for obtaining a hard copy (while stocks last!). You can read my Propositions if you’re short on time, and my acknowledgements, because I am truly grateful to everyone who played an indispensable part in making this happen.

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Everything you always wanted to know about De Nieuwe Meent (but were afraid to ask)

Almost exactly three years ago, I sowed the seeds of a project that grew into something truly magnificent. The housing cooperative De Nieuwe Meent (“The New Commons”) now has a life on its own.

Together with other dedicated volunteers, we have put thousands of hours of love and labour. We have won a tender competition, built a community, co-developed a design and convinced a bank.

Even the pandemic couldn’t stop us. We went through the most critical phases of this process without being able to physically come together. Now we are entering the very last stage.

At the end of this month, Gemeente Amsterdam will greenlight our Definitive Design. But they need to see we have enough support to create an affordable, social, sustainable and innovative building.

I am writing to you this to ask for your financial contributions. Because I believe we share the same vision, and I think you support our core values — commoning, sustainability, diversity and care.

We need to cover %8 (€450,000) of the investment with this crowdfunding. We have already secured 1/4 of this. We still need to raise €50,000 by 21 March. This is really the most crucial moment!

Every little bit helps. Perhaps you want to save some hard earned money for your future self. Perhaps a relative has deep pockets. Perhaps you know an organisation looking for a sound investment.

Here’s how it works. You buy a bond (or ten, or hundreds!). We build our housing cooperative. Each year you receive an interest (1.8%-2.2%). At the end of the duration, you get your money back.

You will receieve regular updates, and most certainly an invitation to the opening party (in 2023!). Your name will be carved on our walls and our hearts. The community will remain forever grateful.

This past year, more than ever, we all realised what a home is really worth. Not its real estate value, but its safety and comfort. Its inhabitans and neighbours. Cherish how precious these all are.

Now imagine creating this new home for about 50 people:

  • 15 independent social rental homes
  • 5 self-organised residential groups
  • completely energy neutral building
  • communal spaces and shared functions
  • workers cooperative for and by refugees
  • construction starts end of this year!

Pplease consider sharing this in your own network, and for questions about the campaign, don’t hesitate to send a mail. Looking forward to the day I will personally welcome you into de Nieuwe Meent!

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dNM: the origin story

Reinilde Jonkhout interviewed me for Amsterdam Alternative about the beginnings of De Nieuwe Meent!

13 december de Nieuwe Meent has started their crowdfunding campaign to realize housing in Watergraafsmeer. But how did it all get started? How does one come up with the idea to build an independent housing cooperative? An interview with initiator Selçuk Balamir.

To Selçuk, sweet dreams are made of self-built housing coops. How does one get to that point?

‘I have to give a shoutout to my parents here. One is a city planner, the other an architect. So the imagination of building something was there.’

Knowing what to dream about is great, but there’s a lot involved in trying to get a living coop built from the ground up. Selçuk knows this from his direct surroundings. He lives in the NieuwLand building at Pieter Nieuwlandstraat 93-95 in Amsterdam Oost in self-produced social cohousing as part of an 11-member woongroep. NieuwLand is more than co-organised housing, there is also a volunteer-run event space.Time to Access i.c.w. Roel van der Zeeuw Architects.

While I initially thought NieuwLand was a squatted building, maybe because of their logo that resembles the symbol of the squatting movement, it is actually not. I wondered when they would all be kicked out of their building. Thankfully they won’t be, as they are a much-needed exception to ongoing evictions of important cultural hubs such as De Slang. The NieuwLand building was actually acquired by social housing association Soweto – founded by housing activists. This required a lot of legal, financial and bureaucratic work. Where to start?

Five years ago Selçuk had ‘absolutely no idea’ how a housing coop would work, but by living in NieuwLand he learned all about it. ‘It gave me a realistic sense about what commoning is on a daily basis: the sweat, blood, and tears, that gave me a sense of its potential. Not only that, I experienced firsthand what difference it can make in someone’s life’. (What is commoning?)

With commoning, rather than having everything decided for by markets or governments, it is possible to take matters in one’s own hands according to a shared vision. For example, should there be an empty lot in a city, a group of people could decide to develop a project there such as a community garden.

The difference commoning can make
What is that difference commoning can make in someone’s life? ‘Living at Nieuw-Land, I enjoyed the benefits of income adjusted rent. The rent is adjusted to each living group member’s work situation. I had no mental stress around rent, and it gave me the possibility to dedicate myself to social activism and social projects.’ One of those became de Nieuwe Meent. ‘This was in part because I benefited from the commitment and work of the people who started Soweto- and therefore NieuwLand. Since I can’t pay them back, I aim to pay it forward -that is how commoning works- by creating the same opportunities for other people.’

‘Soweto supported the beginnings of de Nieuwe Meent on multiple levels, which at first was called Nieuw[er]land as a pilot name. Working together with them earlier gave me an invaluable network and the necessary experience. And in the way that we were meeting at Joe’s Garage to organise ourselves for NieuwLand, and de Nieuwe Meent congregated at NieuwLand, soon de Nieuwe Meent can offer space to the project of the future.’

What Strange Hobbies Can Lead To
It is clear that Selçuk was sitting on fertile ground in which to plant housing coop seeds. In 2017, Selçuk learned about the tender that de Nieuwe Meent ended up applying for. Winning the tender would mean that de Nieuwe Meent got the rights to build a housing complex at Archimedesplantsoen in Watergraafsmeer, Amsterdam. How did he come across this unique opportunity?

‘It was quite a coincidence. I love looking at maps online, and in 2018 I was browsing the Amsterdam municipality website when I stumbled upon a map of do-it-yourself building (zelfbouw) plots, and behold, there was a pin on the map very close to NieuwLand, well within the city’s ring road. I said, what is this thing?!’

When Selçuk looked into the DIY building plot specifications further, he noticed the municipality cited Soweto and NieuwLand as a good example for types of buildings for the location. ‘This to me was a surprise, to be listed as an example of good practice. But it did give me a sense of confidence that we were on the right track, that we could find common ground with the municipality, that maybe we can indeed collaborate.’

‘A housing project of a bigger scale, and making a building from scratch would provide us with the opportunity to build the family aspect and accessibility right into the design’

Selçuk was counting on his network to seed this exciting new idea. Selçuk had a vision to bring together creatives, researchers, activists… people who are dedicated to progressive urban politics and cultural practices and more. ‘Starting a housing coop requires a lot of free labor, with uncertain outcomes and no guarantees. It requires expertise, experience and a lot of availability’.

Connections All Over Europe
After learning about the DIY building plot in Watergraafsmeer, in March 2018 Selçuk created a Facebook post in which he called for help with a ‘post-capitalist urban commune’. While this may leave certain people with a ‘question face’ emoji, friends of Selçuk were aware he was knee-deep in theory about the political economy of commoning in design, doing a PhD on post-capitalist design. So people in Selçuk’s network understood the tongue-in-cheek reference and soon enough the core team of de Nieuwe Meent was brought together.

‘People seem to appreciate my ability to hype things, my post got a lot of likes and shares. People I knew, but also people I didn’t know responded with enthusiasm.’

The architects who are now working on de Nieuwe Meent got in touch through that Facebook post. Selçuk was on the road at this point and interestingly ended up first meeting the architects in Barcelona, which coincided beautifully with a visit to La Borda, ‘a very comparable housing cooperative which was in its finishing stages’. Selçuk knew the initiators. ‘It couldn’t have been a more inspiring moment, to both meet my collaborators and to get inspiration and energy from an actual standing building. Without even discussing much, we knew right away -this is what we want-’.

More than a building to be inspired by, Selçuk was inspired by the example that was citizen-led platform Barcelona en Comú, translated ‘Barcelona in common’. ‘They won the municipal elections and got into the local government and so it came to be that Ada Colau, a housing activist became the mayor. We live in a different context, politically, economically, not everything translates to Amsterdam. The grassroots movements to put actions to words are weaker here. That’s where we thought we could have a role to play.’

This illustrates the potential connections that can be made in the city of Amsterdam on a grander scale, that Selçuk has in mind.

‘We have a shared vision of how the city could look like, how it could function, in terms of its power relations and how to overcome the democratic deficiency around it. And since in Barcelona they were so much at the frontline of urban struggles at large like gentrification and displacement, we could see a common cause, and the problems Amsterdam faces have their answers in these kinds of experiments. And in the case of Barcelona, more than experiments: Ada Colau are in their second term running the city so there is a relative position of strength in commoning the city.’

La ZAD in France And The Blossoming of Commoning Ideals 
Before Selçuk met the architects and was applying to the tender to gain the building rights to the plot in Amsterdam, he travelled to a self-organized autonomous zone near Nantes, France to visit a ‘lab of commoning’, commonly known as the ZAD (Zone à Défendre, or “Zone to Defend”).

Selçuk got inspired by the success of the community of La ZAD, which resisted the construction of an airport for over 40 years. These development plans ultimately got cancelled in 2018, showing that it is possible to fight for one’s ideals and to then win.

‘Seeing that scale and diversity of that struggle, duty and responsibility, there are no excuses left to not realize our goals, we have the duty to be cutting edge.’

In Conclusion
Since first learning about an available building plot by chance, a lot of work has been done to realize the housing project of de Nieuwe Meent by a group of over 50 people. Now they are in the middle of their crowdfunding campaign, help spread the word! There are bonds for sale and it is possible to donate.

Read a longer version of this article on de Nieuwe Meent.

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