(en) France, Alternative Libertaire AL #226 - Read: Rachid Ben Bella, Sylvain Erambert, Lakh?ch?ne Joseph Ponthus, Riadh and Alexander Philibert "We ... the city" (fr)

The story of this book from a desire. That of a street educator Paris suburbs to write 
chronicles the life of a city, with young people he meets in his work. The idea is to 
first set up a writing workshop where, for once, are interested in expressing themselves 
and not the people who talk about their lives in their place. This work was aimed in the 
first instance, to write an article for the Chained Duck on the relationship between youth 
and police. The project is carried out and the article. The taste of writing, putting 
words on things experienced is then felt. Its relations in the world of publishing, Joseph 
Ponthus (also newspaper contributor Article 11 ), then proposes writing a book on all 
aspects of life of these young people: school, training, religion , police, justice, 
prison, and deal delinquency, the galleys, the moments of joys and sorrows shared ...

The story, written in the form of a diary, narrated by the teacher and interspersed with 
texts written by young people, is fluid and well aware of the pace of implementation of 
the project, while telling moments of life appendices neighborhood while writing the book. 
It also makes the job of street educator forward and may question the presence of social 
workers and their role: ?ducs are they there to ensure social peace, cut corners or 
accompany these people to self- and emancipation? Extensive debate.

More than a testimony, this book is a compilation of moments of life of a young 
neighborhood. The place is not initially clear because ultimately, this newspaper could be 
modeled on that of many cities, tired of the stigma of the State and the economic system, 
the police oppression everyday people live, are doing and s 'organize themselves.

Far from the image that the media and politicians and politicians turns of neighborhoods, 
this book breaks many stereotypes and described in a simple way and without waffling a 
daily violence suffered or committed.

This work, undertaken while keeping all militant and partisan attachment, opens a 
discussion on activist practices and discourses to the people of the neighborhoods where 
the acts of solidarity and a more significant presence would probably make more sense than 
a propaganda ad hoc and often non-existent from political activists.

Vincent (AL Paris North East)

? Rachid Ben Bella, Sylvain Erambert, Lakh?ch?ne Joseph Ponthus, Riadh, Alexander 
Philibert, We ... the city , Zones, 2012, 250 pages, 15 euros.