Ecosocialist School 2012
The ecosocialist school is organised by the IIRE in collaboration with progressive organisations from different countries.
All participants must be proposed by those organisations.
Contents |
Country reports
Program
Arrivals, introduction
Saturday 24/11
The systemic crisis of capitalism, consequences for the exploited and the oppressed
Introduction to our critical Marxism - Alex Merlo
Sunday 25/11
- Marx's materialism: The Theses on Feuerbach
- Introduction to historical materialism: The image of base and superstructure.
- Introduction to the Marxist critique of political economy: use value, exchange value, surplus value, exploitation.
Women and the crisis of the capitalist system - Marijke Colle
Monday 26/11
- A Marxist analysis of the place of women in capitalist society
- Women and ecology, ecofeminism
- The need for an autonomous women’s movement :some examples past and present
Imperialism today – Alex de Jong
Tuesday 27/11
- The classic theory of imperialism (origins, Lenin’s analysis, first world war)
- Imperialism under US hegemony (post Second World War)
- Geopolitics today, emerging imperialist powers and declining imperialist powers
The new working class - Dan La Botz
Wednesday 28/11
- The working class as a revolutionary class
- The transformations in the structure of production worldwide and in the composition of the working class (“postfordism”, delocalisation, rise of the service sector, precariousness, migrants, youth, women, etc.)
- The current situation of the labour movement and class consciousness,challenges.
A Marxist-feminist view on gender - Nadia De Mond
Thursday 29/11
- Origins and different aspects of women’s oppression
- Patriarchal attitudes and mechanisms that influence our way of looking at the family, reproduction and gender in society at large.
- Sexual identities, the LGBT movement, homophobia and heterosexism
Marxism and the national question - Jaime Pastor
Friday 30/11
- An historic and theoretical perspective on nations
- Struggles for national liberation and socialist revolution: strategic debates
- Current examples of national conflicts and struggles
The global economic crisis - Nacho Álvarez
Saturday 1/12
- The neoliberal answer to the crisis since the 1980’s
- Marxist analysis of the current crisis
- The responses of the bourgeoisie to the current crisis and their solutions
Day off
Sunday 2/12
The crisis of civilisation and our ecosocialist alternative
Ecosocialism - Daniel Tanuro
Monday 3/12
- An ecological reconstruction of Marxism
- The stages of development of the capitalist ecological crisis
- The foundations of an ecosocialist stratégy
Food crisis - Jack Whitman
Tuesday 4/12
- The origins of the current food crisis and a Marxist explanation
- The concept of food sovereignty as opposed to agribusiness and to ‘food safety’
- New peasants and indigenous peoples struggles, the fight against global agribusiness and capitalist agriculture
Climate crisis - Marijke Colle
Wednesday 5/12
- Technical explanation of global warming and its consequences
- The impossible green capitalist solutions
- Climate change and social justice
Our socialist project - Catherine Samary
Thursday 6/12
- The problem of bureaucracy before and after the overthrow of capitalism
- Democracy and political representation; democracy and the Law; importance of self organisation before and after the revolution
- Socialist democracy and political pluralism
Revolutionary strategy in the 21st century - Pierre Rousset
Friday 7/12
- Balance sheet of the 20th Century experiences
- Rebuilding class consciousness and rebuilding mass organisations
- Mass mobilisation and united fronts, new movements
- The conquest of power in the 21st century.
Day off
Saturday 8/12
Struggles and political challenges throughout the world
Dynamics of the left forces in Asia - Pierre Rousset
Sunday 9/12
- The economies of the emerging countries, the role of China
- Ongoing conflicts: workers movements, peasant movements, indigenous peoples movements
- The dynamics of the left, new parties.
The revolutionnary processes in the Arab region - Christian Babel
Monday 10/12
- Socio-economic roots of the Arab spring;
- Dynamics of the processes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya, Syria;
- The fight for dignity and democracy; role of Islamic forces; religion; women’s liberation.
Perspectives of the left in Latin America - Franck Gaudichaud
Tuesday 11/12
- The left governments in Latin America: Where are they going?
- The role of the Indigenous movements in different countries
- Lessons from the Brazilian experience; new broad parties, Mexico?
The crisis in Europe - Alan Thornett
Wednesday 12/12
- The political/class character of the EU
- The EU and the world crisis
- An action programme for the crisis
The current transformations in Africa - Paul Martial
Thursday 13/12
- An economic overview
- The political genesis of the Continent
- Overview of the social and political situation
Internationalism and the Fourth International - Penny Duggan
Friday 14/12
- Our concept of a revolutionary party
- The recent history of the Fourth International
- Current challenges in the different regions
Balance sheet, Cleaning up
Saturday 15/12
Structure of the day
- 9.00-9.40: Lecture part 1
- 9.40-9.50: Break
- 9.50-10.30: Lecture Part 2
- 10.30-10.40: Break
- 10.40-11:20: Lecture Part 3
- 11.20-11.30: Break
- 11.30-12.00: Questions and answers
- 12.00-15.00: Lunch and time for individual reading
- 15.00-17.00: Discussion in language groups
- 17.00-18.30: Final discussion starting with reports from the group
- 18.30-20.30: Reading time
- 20.30: Evening meal
