Ecosocialist School 2018

Module 1. Concepts in Marxism

Saturday 17 November,
15.00 Introduction to the school

Sunday 18 November
1 The historical materialist method
- Place of marxism in history
- Historical Materialism
- Marxist critique of political economy
Alex Merlo

Monday 19 November
2 The working class
- What is the working class? The notion of class in Marx and marxism
- The historical changes in the class composition of the working class
- The working class today
Maral Jefroudi

Tuesday 20 November
3 Women's liberation
- A Marxist-feminist analysis of women’s oppression and exploitation
- Gender, sexuality, intersectionality: the question of oppression in a broader framework
- Women's Liberation struggles

Wednesday 21 November
4 Relationship human society/nature, productivism
- Technology & productivism
- The notion of progress
- Ecosocialist answers
Marijke Colle

Thursday 22 November
5 LGBTIQ liberation struggles
- Marxist view of LGBTIQ oppression
– heteronormativity, gender identity, racism and imperialism
Anthony Rizk

Friday 23 November
6 Long waves and crises
- The marxist analysis of crisis, rate of profit
- The theory of long waves
- The neoliberal answer to the crisis since the 1980's

Saturday 24 November
Free day

Module 2. Deepening globalisation and its contradictions

Sunday 25 November
7 Imperialism, crisis and geopolitical chaos today
- The classic theory of imperialism
- Permanent revolution versus stageism and campism
- Imperialisms today

Monday 26 November
8 China's global role: challenging the US
- The rise of China as a global power
- The changing character of China
- China on the world stage

Tuesday 27 November
9 Neo-Colonialism, imperialism and struggles in Africa
- Impact of colonial and imperialism
- Modern day imperialism in Africa
- Social struggles today

Wednesday 28 November
10 A balance sheet of the progressive cycle in Latin-America
- Experiences with different kinds of 'progressive governments' (Ecuador, Brazil, Argentina, Venezuela, Bolivia)
- The so-called 'pink tide' and the start of a new cycle?
- Popular power and the state

Thursday 29 November
11 The Middle East today
- Socio-economic roots of the Arab uprising and dynamics of the process
- Reactionary counter-offensives and the role of the Left
- Syria and imperialist interventions

Friday 30 november
12 EU imperialism
- History of the EU as a project for the formation of an European bourgeoisie
- The contradictions in the EU leading to the current political and economic crisis
- Greece and Brexit

Saturday 1 December
Free day

Module 3. Strategic questions in changing the world

Sunday 2 December
13 Climate change and social transformation
- Linking climate change and social struggles
- Sustainability and democracy
- Transitional demands

Monday 3 December
14 The anti-racist struggle
- Historical roots of racism in colonialism and imperialism
- Institutional racism and racist ideologies today
- Migration and migrant solidarity

Tuesday 4 December
15 Fundamentalism/ Religion and Politics
- Marxist view of religion
- Global rise of religious identities as a world-wide phenomenon
- Far right, religious fundamentalism
Alex de Jong

Wednesday 5 December
16 'Socialism or Barbarism' today: the centrality of self-emancipation
- "Transitional strategy" in contemporary capitalism
- Permanent revolution to-day
- Lessons from the past for struggles today

Thursday 6 December
17 The feminist challenge in changing society, feminizing our perspectives and our movements
- The role of the women's movement
- Centrality of women's oppression in liberation struggles
- Feminist policies in revolutionary parties

Friday 7 December
18 The strategic importance of internationalism and the role of an international
- Historical aspects of the Four internationals
- World capitalism and internationalism
- The FI today
Penny Duggan

Saturday 8 December Evaluation, cleaning

9.30-10.10: Lecture part 1

10.10-10.20: Break

10.20-11.00: Lecture Part 2

11.00-11.10: Break

11.10-11:50: Lecture Part 3

11.50-12.00: Break

12.00-12.30: Questions and answers

12.30-15.00: Lunch and time for individual reading

15.00-16.30: Discussion in language groups

16.40-17.10: Final discussion starting with reports from the groups. Part 1

17.10-17.20: Break

17.20-17.50: Final discussion. Part 2

17.50-18.00: Break

18.00-18.30: Country report

18.30-19.30: Reading time

19.30: Evening meal

[Practical Information]