QG Zazalé, a laboratory of political and social innovation in Réunion
The history of QG Zazalé originates from the Yellow Vests movement. Strong in Réunion from November 17, 2018, this significant social movement crystallized the expression of anger and structural difficulties of the Réunionese population: the cost of living, social inequalities, the confiscation of citizen’s voices, distrust towards elected officials, access to land, and the defense of Réunionese Creole culture and language.
Originally, the Yellow Vests.
The island was quickly paralyzed by the movement. Like everywhere in mainland France, roadblocks were set up, and roundabouts became spaces for citizen speech and gathering. In December, the government of Edouard Philippe sent Annick Girardin, the Minister of Overseas Territories, to extinguish the fire. Promises were made to elected officials and representatives of the Yellow Vests movement. With the year-end holidays approaching as well, the movement came to a rather abrupt halt.
Au Sud de l’île, dans la commune du Tampon, le grand rond-point des Azalées, du nom de la tour qui le surplombe, a été un noyau actif du mouvement des Gilets jaunes. Pendant les barrages routiers et les manifestations, de nombreuses personnes s’y sont retrouvées. Les unes apportant les marmites de cari pendant que les autres bloquaient la route, axe majeur reliant Le Tampon à Saint-Pierre sur le littoral. Un aménagement sommaire du rond-point commence avec l’installation de chaises pour les ronkozé (assemblées générales), d’une bâche pour se protéger du soleil, de tables pour prendre les repas ensemble. Le QG zazalé est né.
The permanent installation on the roundabout!
After the end of the Yellow Vests movement on the island, a very small group of people decided to permanently occupy the roundabout to show that the demands of the population had not been heard. Jean-Albert, Xavier, Jade, Lola, Richard, settled on the roundabout or provided material support to those who settled there. The first cabins were built, as well as the collective reception space. The organization of life in the QG Zazalé became clearer with values, principles, rules, and regular appointments. The QG Zazalé calendar includes Monday evening meetings, concerts, food distributions, and participatory construction sites.
En 2020, le rond-point est déjà bien aménagé et comporte une dizaine de résidents permanents. Des plantations et l’élevage de petits animaux et de volailles s’y sont développés, illustrant par le faire l’objectif d’autonomie alimentaire. Des journées de convergence des luttes y sont organisées pour transformer la société réunionnaise et ses cadres politiques. Une véritable éducation politique et populaire s’y déroule, que n’entame pas l’épidémie de covid-19.
A project for La Réunion
In parallel, the QG Zazalé is working on the development of a more comprehensive and inspiring project for Réunion, which could resemble an ecovillage but adapted to the Réunionese way of life and the traditional values of solidarity and mutual aid in Creole society. The traditional model of family subsistence agriculture would be developed there to achieve food self-sufficiency, drawing on the knowledge of the elders. Political voice would be restored to citizens through the establishment of collective governance. The roundabout is the laboratory for political, social, economic, and ecological experimentation, which already foreshadows the larger-scale project. In an open-source approach, the Zazalé project aims to inspire a change of model in Réunion and to empower the Réunionese people to take control of their destiny “for ourselves, by ourselves!”.
