Youth School 2013

PROVISIONAL PROGRAM

0. Tuesday 20/08 Arrivals, introduction

Wednesday 21/08
1. Introduction to our critical Marxism - Alex Merlo
- Marx's materialism: The Theses on Feuerbach. Self-emancipation.
- Introduction to historical materialism: The notions of base and superstructure.
- Introduction to the Marxist critique of political economy: use value, exchange value, surplus value, exploitation.

Thursday 22/08
2. The global economic crisis
- Historical origin of the crisis: the neoliberal era
- Marxist analysis of the crisis : falling rate of profit, over accumulation, etc.
- Nature and possible outcomes of the current crisis

Friday 23/08
3. The global ecological crisis - Marijke Colle
- Climate crisis, biodiversity crisis, energy crisis and link with the capitalist mode of production.
- The notion of progress put into question, struggle of indigenous peoples, land grabbing etc.
- Our ecosocialist answers

Saturday 24/08
4. Women’s oppression, autonomous women’s movement - Nadia De Mond
- A Marxist-feminist analysis of women’s oppression and exploitation
- Gender, sexuality, intersectionality: the question of oppression in a broader framework
- Strategic necessity of an autonomous women’s movement; feminism and ecosocialism

Sunday 25/08
5. Imperialism and permanent revolution in the 21st Century - Peter Drucker
- Classic theory on imperialism, imperialism today
- Uneven and combined development
- The example of the Arab region revolutions and the dynamics of “permanent revolution”

Monday 26/08 Day off

Tuesday 27/08
6. Latin America: New progressive governments and ecosocialist struggles
- The new situation in Latin America: Characterisation of the progressive governments
- the New social movements, the role of the indigenous movements
- Ecosocialism vs neo-extractivism: our project of society

Wednesday 28/08
7. Africa
- The economic changes in the region
- Reactionary movements and religious fundamentalisms
- Party building experiences and the relations to social movements and unions (South-Africa)

Thursday 29/08
8. Europe: the power of finance and strategic discussions
- Characterisation of the EU
- The debt crisis and the orientation of the bourgeoisie
- Discussion on transitional demands and strategic perspective (anti-austerity governments, etc.)

Friday 30/08
9. Building broad parties and the Fourth International - Penny Duggan
- our strategic goal
- the role of the revolutionary party
- how can broad parties be a bridge between where we are now and what we want

Saturday 31/08
10. Evaluation and general cleaning