Ecosocialist School 2012

Saturday 24/11 Arrivals, Introduction

1. The systemic crisis of capitalism, consequences for the exploited and the oppressed

Sunday 25/11 Introduction to our critical Marxism - Alex Merlo

• Historical presentation of Marx and historical materialism, questions of method.
• Basic concepts of value, surplus value, exploitation, rate of profit…
• The revolutionary Marxist current. Uneven and combined development.

Monday 26/11 The global economic crisis - Nacho Álvarez

• 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

Tuesday 27/11 Imperialism today

• 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

Wednesday 28/11 The new working class - Dan La Botz

• Origins of labour bureaucracy, the dialectics of partial conquests.
• The transformations 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, the situation of class consciousness

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

• The nature of women's oppression/exploitation under capitalism
• Women and the crisis (food, reproductive rights under attack, others)
• The need for autonomous movements

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

• Origins and different aspects of women’s oppression
• Patriarchal attitudes and mechanisms that influence our way of looking at the family, reproduction
• Sexual identities, the LGBT movement, homophobia and heterosexism

Saturday 1/12 Day off

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

• 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

Monday 3/12 Climate crisis - Marijke Colle

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

Tuesday 4/12 Food crisis

• Different causes, links with the climate crisis
• The politics of food sovereignty
• New peasants and indigenous peoples struggles, the fight against global agribusiness and capitalist agriculture

Wednesday 5/12 Ecosocialism - Daniel Tanuro

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

Thursday 6/12 Our socialist project - Catherine Samary

• The problem of bureaucracy before and after the overthrow of capitalism
• Human needs, ecological constraints and socialist democracy
• 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

Friday 7/12 Revolutionary strategy in the 21st century

• Balance sheet of the 20th Century experiences
• Rebuilding class consciousness and rebuilding mass organisations
• Mass mobilisation and united fronts, new movements (Occupy, indignados, …°
• The conquest of power in the 21st century.

Saturday 8/12 Day off

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

• 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.

Monday 10/12 The revolutionnary processes in the Arab region - Christian Varin

• Socioeconomic roots of the Arab spring;
• Dynamics of the processes in Tunisia, Egypt, Libya;
• The fight for dignity and democracy; role of Islamic forces; religion; women’s liberation.

Tuesday 11/12 Perspectives of the left in Latin America - Franck Gaudichaud

• The left governments in Latin America: Where are they going?
• The appearance of Indigenous movements
• Lessons from the Brazilian experience; new broad parties, Mexico?

Wednesday 12/12 The crisis in Europe - Alan Thornett

• 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.

Thursday 13/12 The current transfrmations in Africa

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

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

• Revolutionary strategy today
• The current situation of the Fourth International
• Perspectives

15/12 Balance sheet, cleaning.