Ecosocialist School 2012

Program

Arrivals, introduction
Saturday 24/11

1. 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.

The global economic crisis - Nacho Álvarez
Monday 26/11

• 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

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.

Women and the crisis of the capitalist system - Marijke Colle
Thursday 29/11

• The nature of women's oppression/exploitation under capitalism
• Women in the current crisis: attacks on women ( as workers, reproductive rights, influence of reactionary ideologies , violence against women, prostitution as a global system)
• Women and the climate crisis; ecofeminism
• The need for an autonomous women’s movement :some examples past and present

A Marxist-feminist view on gender - Nadia De Mond
Friday 30/11

• 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

Day off
Saturday 1/12

The crisis and specific identities - Peter Drucker Sunday 2/12

• National identities, right to self determination
• Religious identities, the roles of religion in different societies and contexts
• The problem of intersectionality of different identities

2. The crisis of civilisation and our ecosocialist alternative

Climate crisis - Marijke Colle
Monday 3/12

• Technical explanation of the global warming and consequences
• The impossible green capitalist solutions
• Climate change and social justice

Food crisis - Jamie M
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

Ecosocialism - Daniel Tanuro
Wednesday 5/12

• A criticism of the concept of linear progress
• The fight for another ecosocialist society,linked to the characteristics of the current combined economic and ecological crisis;
• Use value and human needs; the commons and public services;

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

3. Strategic questions and situation in the different world regions

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

Dynamics of the left forces in Asia - Pierre Rousset
Sunday 9/12

• The economies of the emergent countries, the role of China
• Ongoing conflicts: workers movements, peasant movement, indigenous peoples movements
• The dynamics of the left, new parties.

The revolutionnary processes in the Arab region - Christian Varin
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 current economic crisis in different parts of Europe;
• The debt crisis and transitional demands, action program;
• The crisis of the current European project and of parliamentary democracy; our answers.

The current transformations in Africa
Thursday 13/12

• Sub-Saharan Africa, economic trends; different neo-colonial regimes; role of former colonial powers;
• Role of South-Africa, role of China and Brazil;
• Agriculture, land grabbing, climate change; struggles by social movements

Internationalism and the Fourth International - Penny Duggan
Friday 14/12

• Our conception 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

• 15.00-16.30: Discussion in language groups

• 16.30-18.00: Final discussion starting with reports from the group

• 18.00-20.30: Reading time

• 20.30: Evening meal