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Paper short abstract:

Drawing on research in the exilic space of Exarcheia in Athens this ethnography examines the dynamics between volountourists,transnational solidarity activists,anarchists and refugees that create international solidarity and political radicalisation through the negotiation of friction.

Paper long abstract:

This exploratory ethnography examines the dynamics of international solidarity between volountourists, transnational solidarity activists, anarchists and refugees as a form of justice tourism (Higgins-Desboilles 2008). It gathers data in four social centres and squats in Athens, Greece through participant observation and semi- structured interviews and primary data from anarchist publications. The paper then utilizes grounded theory to demonstrate that solidarity in praxis is the negotiation of friction (Tsing 2005).

The meeting of everyday needs such as housing and food is linked to agitation for 'revolution', and lay concepts of 'holidarity'. 'soul kitchens' and 'skipping' offer opportunities for collaboration and discordance and at times, in an arena fraught with identity politics, the status of individual's is challenged. Local activists closed resistance strategies such as the secretive Exarcheia security force are also examined. The informal experiential learning in the exilic space of the neighbourhood of Exarcheia catalyses a transformative radicalization towards the left in political views and a performative social justice with wide ranging future potential.