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.

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 30/12

• 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

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

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 - Paul Martial
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