Chosen by Rebecca Solnit for her "Secret Library of Hope: 12 Books to
Stiffen Your Resolve" (Dec. 2007).
"The movements in Argentina have been among the most creative and
inspirational in recent years. Marina Sitrin's collection allows us to
learn from the activists themselves and continue the experiments in
autonomy and democracy they have begun."--Michael Hardt, co-author of
Empire
"...a fascinating account about what is fresh and new about the
Argentine uprising."--John Holloway, author of Change the World Without
Taking Power
The popular rebellion that began in December 2001 in Argentina with the
IMF melt-down and subsequent capital flight sparked a process of
creativity that continues to this day. Different from so many social
movements of the past, this rebellion rejects political programs, opting
instead to create directly democratic spaces on street corners, in
factories, and throughout neighborhoods. Many have come to call this new
social relationship, "horizontalidad."
Horizontalism is an oral history of the exciting transformations
taking place since the popular rebellion. It is a story of cooperation,
vision, creation and discovery. It is a history told by people in the
various autonomous social movements, from the occupied factories,
neighborhood assemblies, arts and independent media collectives, to the
indigenous communities and unemployed workers movements.
Marina Sitrin is a New York City-based lawyer, writer, and activist
who has spent large portions of the past three years in Argentina. Her
work has appeared in Left Turn and Perspectives.
