Ten fora at the end of each day

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Each evening, your day at the Summer University will be conclude by big fora with keynote speakers (researchers or activists) known for their fights all around the world.

Wednesday, 23 August 17:00-20:00 – Opening session

The European Summer University of Social Movements will open with the intervention of some great international figures:

Susan George, writer, honorary president of Attac France, president of the Council of the Transnational Institute, USA / France
Edwy Plenel, journalist and founder of Mediapart, France
Achille Mbembe, historian and philosopher, Cameroon
Zoe Konstantopoúlou (tbc), lawyer and former President of the Greek Parliament, Greece

Thursday, 24 August 17:00-20:00 – Two simultaneous fora

The crisis of establishment politics in the EU and new ways forward

The crisis of the EU’s establishment seems to leave the citizens of the union with a “choice” between exclusivist nationalism vs. a globalised neoliberalism (not exclusive of each other). How then could credible alternatives appear with social justice at their heart? And how can we build European convergences?

Panel:

Felipe Von Keirsblick, Altersummit, Belgium
Eric Toussaint, spokesperson CADTM International
Marina Albiol Guzman, Member of the European Parliament GUE, Spain

The End of the Western World? Emancipatory answers to the transformation of the international system towards a multipolar world

We witness a profound transformation of the international system. After 500 years of dominance of Western Europe and its North American offspring over the „rest of the world,“ we are heading towards a multi-polar world. This transformation contains new opportunities and new risks. Is there a chance for peace and democratization of the world order or will instability, conflict and war prevail? The panel will look into the complexity of the new problems beyond simplistic black and white schemes. A focus will be on the Middle East and Europe - from the Atlantic to Vladivostok.

Panel:

Janette Habel, Institut des hautes études d’Amérique latine, France
Jürgen Wagner, Info Center on Militarization, Germany
Gilbert Achkar, political scientist, Lebanon

Friday, 25 August 17:00-19:00 – Three simultaneous fora

Neoliberal globalisation: end of a cycle?

Shalmali Guttal, Focus on the Global South, India

Bridges not borders: Building a Europe where migrants are welcome

Giusi Nicolini, Mayors of Lampedusa, Italy (tbc)
Cédric Herrou, Roya Citoyenne, France (tbc)

The Future isn’t Working?

Irene Escorihuela Blasco, Observatori DESC, Spain
Carol Marelli, Transnational social strike platform
Nick Srnicek, writer, UK (tbc)

Saturday 26 August 17:00-19:00 – Three simultaneous fora...

Collapse of the Casino? Debt mountains, zero interest rate, flooding markets with money - Is finance capitalism coming to its end?

Liberalization and deregulation of finance has been the economic gravity centre and the engine of globalization. Transnational capital markets have changed economy and society dramatically. What is behind the new phenomena? Is finance capitalism heading to its collapse? How does an emancipatory answer look like? There are a lot of new questions for which we need to discuss.

Panel:

Aline Fares, Finance Watch, Belgium
John Christensen, Tax Justice Network, UK
Peter Wahl, Attac, Germany

Tactics for social and ecological change

Elena Gerebizza, Re:common, Italy
Massa Koné, spokesperson Convergence Malienne contre l’Accaparement des Terres (CMAT), Mali
Aracelli Lozano, Plataforma Contra la Privatización del Canal de YII, Spain
Richy C., Plane Stupid, UK

At the Intersection of Struggles: Class, Race, Gender, Ecology

Already in the 1970s, radical feminism strongly claimed that social revolution would not come about without women’s liberation. Similarly, antiracism was slowly integrated into the fights lead by the Left. If women and other discriminated-against groups do not make up a homogeneous group, their struggles across the world speak volume of the importance of mixing analyses. How do relationships of domination interact with each other? How can these analyses participate in the elaboration of an alter-globalisation project?

Speakers: