ABSTRACT
This chapter narrates episodes of activism that unfold around attempts to create egalitarian spaces, spaces open to differences beyond an assumption of rigid boundaries of collective belonging. These activities draw on a repertoire of creative, experimental activities. The common aspect is that they contribute to form transversal countercultures. In contrast to those activities described as institutional lobbying, the principal goal is here not to generate media and public attention. Rather the strength of these forms of activism is their capacity to reelaborate the categories of conflict, rethinking cross-cutting dividing lines and boundaries of collective belonging, without losing sight of the power relationships of the context. Three different episodes are recounted: A peace march inspired by the methods of Mahatma Gandhi, a conversation with one activist who describes how he ‘became a multi-identity’, and a retreat seminar for activists at the Gaza border. I am interested in moments where things did not work as expected. For example, the meditation exercises during a seminar for activists were interrupted by the sound of falling bombs, forcing the participants to improvise and invent new activities. Each of these events aims to underline a different aspect.
