Reinventing politics, economy and identity: The ZAD of Notre-Dame-des-Landes as a concrete utopia within geographies of solidarity Msc. Thesis by Camille Bruneau June 2017 Reinventing politics, economy and identity: The ZAD of Notre-Dame-des-Landes as a concrete utopia within geographies of solidarity Master Thesis submitted as part of the study programme: Master International Development Studies (MID) Wageningen University and Research (WUR) Chair group: Rural Sociology Group (RSO) RSO-80436 Author: Camille Bruneau 910821140060
[email protected] [email protected] Supervisor: Dr.ir. Joost Jongerden Rural Sociology Group (RSO)
[email protected] Examiner: Prof.dr.ir. Han Wiskerke Date: 06th of June 2017 Pictures on cover page: Top:https://www.flickr.com/photos/ici-et-ailleurs-en-alsace/24776002204/in/photostream/ Bottom right: http://www.lefigaro.fr/actualite-france/2012/12/07/01016- 20121207ARTFIG00481-les-insurges-de-notre-dame-des-landes.php . Copyright Herveé Lequex © Bottom left: https://www.flickr.com/photos/cornofulgure/8439578178/in/photostream/ i Preface and Acknowledgments The idea for this thesis, further than intellectual interest, was at first triggered by a powerful experience, of spending a few days on the ZAD at the Bellevue occupied farm in the summer 2016. The ZAD (Zone to defend) of Notre-Dame-des-Landes is large scale anti-capitalist occupation against an airport project, where alternative lifestyles flourish since almost 10 years. It was not a big moment of mobilization but just a normal day in the daily lives of its welcoming and diverse inhabitants. It was however not a complete shock, as opposed to what it is for some people that arrive the first time.