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11/1 Jurists want to stay in Oudemanhuispoort

8/2 Mayor’s portrait

8/2 Websites for social cohesion

7/2 Spreading tourism proceeds with difficulty

7/2 GroenLinks on districts: Be a man

6/2 Zuideramstel opens new office on Sabbath

5/2 The truth about integration

4/2 Wilders has little support on Amsterdam

3/2 Elite involved in neighbourhood

2/2 Johnnie Walker avoids taxes in Amsterdam

1/2 Rotterdam to tinker with district councils as well

31/1 Wooden rowing boats to disappear from Amstel

31/1 ZeeburgTV launched

27/1 Privacy activists to mess up loyalty card system

27/1 A few were still coughing, but that was an act

27/1 Chrisis in de Baarsjes

26/1 Youth have positive view of districts

24/1 Action groups call for Carmel and Jaffa boycott

24/1 PvdA members dismiss plan for districts

23/1 KLM takes on crisis with new uniform

23/1 District office not squatted

21/1 Merge districts

20/1 Closing squat bar Vrankrijk not necessary

20/1 Cleaners welcome new Schiphol director

18/1 Palestine at the Jewish Historical Museum

18/1 What is the right size for a district?

17/1 PvdA Oost against fewer districts

16/1 Committee: 7 districts by 2010

15/1 Soldiers may attend Afghanistan debate after all

15/1 Bait bike leads to arrest

14/1 Youth for Christ to republish vacancies

13/1 Paintings of the Zuidas

13/1 New Youth for Christ contoversy

11/1 Social cohesion initiative raises eyebrows

10/1 Fewer districts in 2010

10/1 Zuidas: People feel that we are losers

9/1 Fun on the ice - but not for all

9/1 Supermarket coupon fraud thwarted

9/1 I Amsterdam must remain exclusive

8/1 Use term Apartheid in every discussion

8/1 No city kiosk in Amsterdam yet

7/1 Snow

7/1 Fatima Elatik to run Zeeburg

7/1 Municipal managers to return to shop floor

4/1 Police: take photo of strange people

3/1 Gaza protest criticises politicians

1/1 Thousands to protest against attacks on Gaza

1/1 Mustapha Laboui leaves district council

2008 Archive

2007 Archive

2006 Archive

2005 Archive

New magazine intends to stimulate debate

4 April 2008 - Klasse!, a new free three-monthly publication, intends to stimulate debate among progressives. Kees Hudig, one of the initiators, says that the Dutch find it difficult to disagree yet remain on speaking terms. One article was dropped three times before a compromise was reached that was acceptable to all involved.

The idea to launch a new publication originated in the campaign against the G8 summit in Rostock. “We published a one-off newspaper which was received rather well, so we thought it might be a good idea to do something similar on a more regular basis”, says Hudig.

Last week, a campaign was launched to save another free publication, the Amsterdam Weekly. Klasse! (Class!) is different in that it is based on ‘self exploitation’, explains Hudig: its contributors all work for free. The fact that it depends on volunteers is also why a higher frequency is not realistic.

Of the first issue, 7,000 copies have been printed. The initiators have funding to print the magazine four times; within a year it will have to prove itself. In the future, gifts and fundraisers will have to pay for the printing costs.

Another crucial factor is people’s willingness to help distribute the publication. “There are hardly any left-wing distribution channels left in the Netherlands”, says Hudig. “For example, there are only three left-wing bookshops left in the entire country”. Furthermore, the initiators want to reach people who are not necessarily involved in established left-wing groups.

Klasse! intends to present different views on important issues. An example is a large article by Katrin McGauran and Hudig on the recent organising campaign among cleaners, containing both a positive and a more critical evaluation. Criticism focuses especially on the degree of grassroots involvement and democratic decision-making.

The article was dropped three times before a compromise was reached that was acceptable to all involved. The editors even had an alternative article prepared in case they needed a replacement. “The Dutch find it difficult to disagree with each other yet remain on speaking terms”, explains Hudig. “But these are important issues that need to be discussed”.

English web page on Klasse! People who would like to help distribute the paper can pick up copies at the Het Fort van Sjakoo bookshop at Jodenbreestraat 24, or contact Klasse! and have copies sent to them

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