Youth School 2015
Final programme
Wednesday 19/08 Arrivals, introduction. The Fourth International
- Starting at 4 pm.
Thursday 20/08
1. Introduction to our critical Marxism
- 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.
Friday 21/08
2. Marx and ecology, the global ecological crisis
- 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 22/08
3. The working class today - Maral Jefroudi
- What is the working class? The notion of class in Marx and marxism
- The changes in the class composition of the working class during the late 20th Century
- The problem of class conciousness and intersecting identities
Sunday 23/08
4.Imperialism and new emerging powers in the 21st Century - Peter Drucker
- Classic theory on imperialism
- US Imperialism since WW2
- The emergence of new powers - towards a multipolar world?
Monday 24/08
5. Women's liberation and LGTB struggles - Nadia De Mond
- A Marxist-feminist analysis of women’s oppression and exploitation
- Gender, sexuality, intersectionality: the question of oppression in a broader framework
- LGBTQ theories and struggles
Tuesday 25/08 Day off
Wednesday 26/08
6. 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
Thursday 27/08
7. Revolution and repression in the Middle-East
– The structural causes of the Arab revolts
– The reactionary counter-offensive
- The role of the left and the revolutionaries in these movements
Friday 28/08
8. Europe in crisis
- The authoritarian and austerian offensive in Europe
- The state of the European Left (from the Left party to anti-capitalists)
- Southern Europe as the laboratory of the crisis and the focal point of resistance
Saturday 29/08
9. The Fourth International and strategic debates - Alex de Jong
- 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
Sunday 30/08
10. Evaluation and general cleaning
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