Schedule European Summer University 2022

P - Opening event

The ESU starts on Wednesday with the opening event. In her speech, Birgit Mahnkopf will explore the question: "The world is changing - but where to? - What goals can be derived from this for the European social movements?". The lecture deals with ...

The ESU starts on Wednesday with the opening event. In her speech, Birgit Mahnkopf will explore the question: "The world is changing - but where to? - What goals can be derived from this for the European social movements?". The lecture deals with the major crisis context, which is emerging as an ecological and economic crisis, as well as a crisis in our food, health and social systems, and which is being exacerbated by geopolitical conflicts. It addresses the common causes of these crises and tries to make clear that and why we are feeding on "tipping points" in human development at a frightening pace. The opening event will be rounded off with a cultural contribution under the motto: "Who we are - What we want". In a colorful sequence, the participating groups and topics will be presented in various artistic ways.

Programme schedule
Part 1
Prelude / welcome / organisational matters by the moderator (the organisational side by the ESU project coordinator)
Greeting by the President of Niederrhein University of Applied Sciences
Greeting by the Lord Mayor of the City of Mönchengladbach
Speech by Birgit Mahnkopf

Part 2
Who we are, what we want
Artistic presentation o...

K1 - Oeconomia

Our economic system has made itself invisible and eludes understanding. In recent years, we have often had little more than a diffuse and unsatisfactory feeling that something is going wrong. But what?
The documentary film OECONOMIA reveals the r...

Our economic system has made itself invisible and eludes understanding. In recent years, we have often had little more than a diffuse and unsatisfactory feeling that something is going wrong. But what?
The documentary film OECONOMIA reveals the rules of the game of capitalism; an episodic narrative structure uncovers the fact that, paradoxically, the economy only grows when we are in debt, that profits are only possible when we are in debt.
Beyond the distanced phrases of media coverage, which ultimately make it impossible to understand the monstrous logic behind the basic structures of our everyday lives, OECONOMIA sets out with great poignancy and lucid stringency to break things down to the simple rules, to explain the capitalism of the present.
A zero-sum game is becoming recognisable, a game that places us and our entire world in the logic of an endless increase in capital – no matter the cost. This is a game that is being played to the point of total exhaustion and is perhaps nearing its end.

A005 Theories of Change and Conflict Escalation

How does change happen? How do we think change happens? How do we think that this particular change will happen? What do we need to do to make that change happen? In this strategy workshop the participants will explore what their underlying assump...

In this workshop we will discuss different theories of change that organisations have regarding different issues and analyse the strategies and tactics they use to achieve their goals. Then we will talk about conflict escalation, a tool that various "momentum-driven" movements have used in recent years.

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(Excerpt from a letter from Birmingham Prison, 16 April 1963, Martin Luther King Jr.)

A020 Forced labour - forms, causes and measures

There are currently 25 million people in forced labour worldwide. But what forms of forced labour are there, what structural abuses encourage them, and how can they be overcome? We will work this out together in the workshop.

Across the glob various forms of forced labour occur in various sectors. The problem area will be introduced to participants who, under the guidance of the workshop leader, will work with text excerpts and other templates to become familiar with the topic. There will be three examples of three forms of forced labour: 1. state forced labour in Uzbekistan and the positive changes that have been achieved in recent decades through international pressure; 2. forced labour in global supply chains; and 3. in the agricultural sector in the EU. The whole group will then come together to discuss the differences and similarities between the examples. The focus will also be on existing instruments to overcome forced labour and the challenges faced by both companies and policy makers. SÜDWIND's experience with this topic will be incorporated into the workshop.

A033 Stop Amazon

There has been organised resistance to Amazon's expansion in Europe for several years. Several successes have already been achieved: Abandonment of warehouse projects in France (Nantes, Rouen, Ensisheim, Fournès and more) and raising the awareness...

Since the beginning of 2020, the sales of the e-commerce giant have exploded, just as the fortunes of its main shareholders have. The world according to Amazon is not sustainable: destruction of jobs and small businesses, unacceptable working conditions, land artificialisation, significant impacts on climate change, tax evasion, VAT fraud. Based on various contributions, this workshop will first of all allow you to better understand the world according to Amazon, to sharpen your arguments and to identify the means to stop its expansion. For several years, resistance to Amazon's expansion has been organised in Europe. Several successes have been achievedobtained: abandonment of warehouse projects in France (Nantes, Rouen, Ensisheim, Fournès, etc.), raising the awareness of the public and elected officials about the negative effects of this expansion, just to name a couple of examples.. What is the path forward? This workshop will allow us to exchange our strategies based on the experiences of different campaigns and local struggles.

A064 Cancelling Ukraine's debt?

War means destruction and economic mayhem. The question of cancelling Ukraine's debt has to be raised.

Ukraine has crippling external debt, mostly to private creditors. When, how and why was it contracted? What is the role of the IMF? How much is owed to Russia? What part of this external debt is illegal?
As a consequence of Putin's ruthless invasion of the country public attention has obviously been focused on the terrible damages of war. Yet there are other long-lasting sources of suffering for the population that result from economic and political mechanisms and must be understood and countered by informed citizens. The workshop will include a video contribution of Ukrainian economist Yuliya Yurchenko, speaking from Kyiv. We propose an exploration of the debt system and its ramifications in Zelensky's resisting/sacrificed country and will invite participants to contribute with factual information.

A072 Social and Anti-Social Reforms in Europe

Neoliberal reforms are undermining acquired rights and the redistributive social model in most European countries, except in Spain.

What are the main setbacks in labour and social rights in Europe and their causes? Are they redundancies, short-term contracts, social security, tax-funded replacement incomes, relocations, financialisation, decline in struggles? What role do they play in maintaining and developing rights? How to implement the reduction of working time? How to prevent dismissals, worse contracts and the reduction of insurance?

A105 How can social movements respond to the new geopolitical situation?

Today’s world is totally different from the world we knew twenty years ago. China is becoming a global power, the US try to contain this expansion, and Europe face the challenge of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Everywhere, the rise of new autho...

Today’s world is totally different from the world we knew twenty years ago, when the antiglobalisation movement emerged.

At economic level, China is now a global power that is expanding internationally through the “Belt and Road Initiative”. During the last decade, the US tried to contain this expansion with a series of military and economic alliances in Asia and in the Pacific, but the US and NATO are now confronted with the challenge of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Everywhere, the rise of new authoritarianism destroys democratic rights.

How can social movements, in Europe, Asia and in the rest of the world respond to these new challenges?

That’s the purpose of this workshop where we will invite activists and academics to exchange ideas, strategies and possibilities of campaigns.

A112 Geopolitical confrontation instead of green transformation

None of the major global problems have been dealt with in the spirit of multilateralism. Instead, we are witnessing a renaissance of geopolitical conflicts. The workshop will explain why the "perfect storm" brewing at the end of the second phase o...

There is no world region that has not been subjected to geo-economic competition since the late 1990s. But contrary to what was expected in the 1990s, not a single one of the major global problems has been dealt with in the spirit of multilateralism. This applies first and foremost to the planetary ecological crises that now threaten the future of humanity as a whole. Neither the EU nor other world regions have reacted with political measures that could avoid the worst-case scenario.
Instead, we are witnessing a renaissance of geopolitical conflicts: these still revolve around access to and prices of fossil fuels, but they also increasingly revolve around "critical metals" that are needed for the electrification of industry and transportation as well as for the digitalisation of the economy and society.
The ecological crisis has already become the "new normal" in many world regions and is accompanied by hunger, intra- and interstate conflicts and increasingly repressive measures of authoritarian control. The war in Ukraine is being used as an opportunity to postpone or avert even modest approaches to ecological regulation.
The workshop will explain why the "perfect storm" br...

A143 Street theatre according to Augusto Boal / Theatre of the Oppressed

There will be a practical introduction to this form of street theatre with warm-up exercises, especially to promote expressive body language. Together we will develop themes and roles, in the end we will put on a street theatre production for the ...

Street theatre is a creative form of political communication: political messages are conveyed through impressive images, especially through gestures, facial expressions and movement, and through only a few but concise words.

In this three-day workshop, the topic and the performance of the street theatre will be developed together with the participants, which will also be performed at the ESU in Mönchengladbach on Saturday evening. The "Theatre of the Oppressed" according to Augusto Boal is inspired by the methods of sociodrama and psychodrama according to Moreno and by the concept of "Pedagogy of the Oppressed" by Paulo Freire.

We will start with warm-up exercises, then practise role design, doubling, role reversal and maximisation of the performance through body language. Acting skills are not necessary - experience has shown that all people are capable of actively participating in street theatre.

A012 From Health to BigTech

The European Network for Corporate Research (ENCO) will discuss various experiences and successes. Reports will be given on different topics such as health and BigTech. The European Network Against Health Privatisation and BastaMag report from Fra...

The European Network for Corporate Research (ENCO) will discuss various experiences and successes. How can we enforce good health care against profit maximisation? Are we helplessly at the mercy of hate and fake news from Facebook and YouTube? Alliances and organisations will report on their struggles and successes: Which strategies (don't) work? What are the next steps at the regional and global levels? What can the participants take away from these experiences for their own engagement?
The French activist Vladimir Nieddu from PHM France and the European Network Against Health Privatisation" will explain the struggles against privatisation in the healthcare sector.
Dr. Thomas Dürmeier, board member of Goliathwatch of Hamburg and member of the scientific advisory board of Attac Germany reports on the successful defence against digital election campaigning Trump-style and the fight against blocking by Facebook.
Belgian activist Sebastian Franco from Gresea (Groupe de recherche pour une stratégie économique alternative) will present Gresea’s work.
French journalist Rachel Knaebel will report from BastaMag and anti-corporate work in France.
An activist from Multiwatch in Switz...

A053 2048 - Scenes from a world of tomorrow

In a radio play, scenes from a world in 2048 are presented in which capitalism has been overcome in favour of a solidary, ecological and peaceful society. Afterwards, two of the authors will discuss the feasibility of this utopia.

How will we live? Who will we be? What will the future bring? Will the common good influence our actions, will our actions be meaningful and will our life be a joyful one? The dream of a better future has inspired people for thousands of years. But also in the wrong direction. The fears of our time speak of the fact that humanity has taken the wrong turn at various crossroads over the last two centuries.
But fear alone is not a good motive to oppose these developments, it is not productive: A new principle of hope

We want to contrast the current lament with another scenario: The future was and is always a possibility, a change for the better. It is worth dreaming about, worth thinking about and even more worth fighting for. In our project, therefore, voices of different people tell of the year 2048; of a world after system change - with more time sovereignty, community, solidarity, self-determination, health and democracy. And with less wage labour, competition, environmental damage, violence and war.

In the form of a collage, the first-person narrators use many voices to report about their everyday lives, their views of life in 2048 - and of course also compare it again ...

F1.1 Health care - Public Health and the Pandemics

In this forum we will discuss the various consequences of the pandemic and the healthcare policies of our governments, the EU and international institutions. Health cannot be bought, we want to stand up for the common good and against the profits ...

In this forum we will discuss the various consequences of the pandemic and the healthcare policies of our governments, the EU and international institutions. Health cannot be bought, we want to stand up for the common good and against the profits of the pharmaceutical companies. Many studies show that the pandemic has increased inequalities at national, European and global levels. What alternatives can we propose to address this situation? What place do people in the global South have in this struggle? What place do healthcare workers in our countries have?
In a second part of the discussion we will talk more specifically about the struggles in the healthcare system in Europe. How are healthcare workers mobilising their unions and networks? What are their proposals and demands against hospital restructuring and privatisation? What struggles and networks are they organising? Is it possible to improve the coordination of our struggles in Europe and abroad?

B008 Fit for 55?

The programme proposed by the EU Commission will determine climate policy in the coming years. Will it be sufficient to meet the 2°C degree target? Where are its weak points? Which regulations are worth supporting?

In July 2021, the EU Commission proposed 14 regulations that will determine climate policy in the coming years.
The workshop will give an overview of the proposals, targets and regulation modes (e.g. ETS). Will they be sufficient to meet the climate change goals? How do they relate to the residual budget calculated by the IPCC?
The questionable premise of a potential absolute decoupling of GDP growth and energy throughput and the inevitable limits of the capitalist system logic are presented in detail using concrete individual examples (e.g. "green hydrogen," e-mobility). What alternatives must be fought for politically? Which allies are available for the necessary solidarity-based deconstruction of our economy?

B039 Benin, destruction of biodiversity and adaptation of agriculture to climate change

This workshop was born out of a desire to show that communities and society in Africa are able to thrive despite enormous difficulties. It aims to show both the difficulties currently faced by Benin through the marina club Med project and climate ...

The struggle against the marina project is an international struggle because the destructive multinationals come mainly from France. They hide behind the shell companies Gassim, Vinci, club Med, Bouygues, effage, Accor, Sofitel, and others. This fight is being waged jointly by France, Belgium and Beninese organisations.
The marina project destroys mangrove forests. This leads to coastal erosion and dike breaches, among other things. This environmental destruction affects the indigenous populations who have lived there since the 17th century. So far, 10,500 people have been displaced and 600 hectares of land have been appropriated.
This struggle for the protection of wetlands, traditional fishing and agriculture is similar to a Beninese letter (LND) and requires an international fight with a hearing at the Summer University.
We will also explain how Slowfood Benin has been implementing permaculture in its communities to cope with climate change and to preserve vegetable crop and animal biodiversity.

B058 How can a "just transition" succeed?

The workshop will present the research findings of the London Mining Network, which can be summarised as follows: "A just transition is a post-mining transition" and "a material transition".

The workshop will present the research findings of the London Mining Network, which can be summarised as "a just transition is a post-mining transition" and "a material transition."

The first part will explore competing definitions of a “just transition” and contrast mining companies and affected communities. We will then explore the limits of resource extraction driven by the transition to renewables, including lithium mining in Bolivia and Serbia, copper mining in Chile, nickel in New Caledonia and cobalt in Congo. Common issues such as habitat destruction, biodiversity loss, water, soil and air pollution, displacement and repression of community activists will be highlighted (taking into account recent research on the links between mining and militarism).

Building on a recent report, the second part will focus on alternatives to mining: this workshop will focus on the voices of affected communities, from the Amadiba Crisis Committee in South Africa to Latin America.

B134 Regulating finance for a future free of fossil fuels

Stopping the proliferation of fossil fuels means stopping their financing. EU regulation of the financial sector must be used to make it almost impossible for banks to lend money to fossil fuel companies. How do you build a movement to achieve this?

Since the Global Financial Crisis of 2008, Big Finance has blocked significant regulation. What’s more, it is greenwashing itself as the hero of sustainability, pretending to fund the climate transition while continuing to be the backbone of the fossil fuel industry.

The fight against the financing of fossil fuels has come a long way–coal projects are becoming uninsurable, pension funds are divesting big oil companies, and the call for an outright ban on investments in fossil fuel infrastructure is growing louder every day. Targeting individual financial institutions has been a powerful strategy, but we need a system change through financial regulation.

This session will provide an overview of how we can regulate finance to serve the planet and people, debunk the so-called “sustainable finance” agenda, and highlight which measures can potentially change the game at scale.

This in-depth dialogue between activists and researchers will help develop strategies to mobilise the people to bring finance under control, with a specific focus on the EU.

B162 The climate crisis is a class struggle

We need to cut emissions, and fast. We need structural change to do so. The Climate Jobs campaigns seek to build bridges between the struggles for climate justice, dignified employment, work security, and democratic access to natural resources by ...

The climate crisis is a class struggle. Climate science has told us that we need to drastically reduce emissions within a very short time frame.

There is no energy transition taking place within the capitalist neoliberal system. Rather, energy expansion is taking place, with the same companies profiting from both fossil and renewable energy sources over and over again. At the same time, affordable energy is still not a guaranteed resource for all, while many workers lose their jobs under the pretext of the energy transition.

We need to change the way we generate energy, build, move, produce food and much more.

Climate Job campaigns are revolutionary programmes. And they are the only real political programme that presents concrete steps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions while guaranteeing justice and working-class rights, including the right to secure, decent and fulfilling jobs with fair wages that contribute to the reproduction of humanity on this planet and ensure access to basic services and needs for all.

C125 Feminist strike

For several years, trade unions and feminist associations have called for a major feminist strike on International Women's Rights Day. The aim is to demand equal rights and recognition of female-dominated professions. And to demand to be paid the ...

In recent years, feminist strikes have been successfully organised in several European countries: Spain, Iceland, Poland, Switzerland. They have their own historical context. In Poland, women were opposing a very restrictive law on the right to abortion in a country where this right was already very limited. In Iceland, women were demanding equal pay, while referring to the historic strike of their elders 40 years earlier. A trade unionist and feminist from Switzerland will tell of the long mobilisation to organise the strike on 14 June, what the women have achieved and how the strike was revived.

In many countries around the world, trade unions and feminist associations are calling for a strike on the international day of struggle for women's rights. The aim is to demand equality! Massive strikes in Spain and Argentina, for example, brought together various demands. While the March 8 mobilisations are gaining momentum in France, attempts to strike face difficulties. The collective reflection will focus on the development of the strike, the obstacles encountered, the possible coordination between feminist associations and trade unions, but also at the international level. Wh...

D093 Solidarity Cities: Cities as places of refuge

Solidarity Cities, or "sanctuary cities," treat all people living in them as equal citizens, regardless of their residence status. However, the concrete implementation varies. What are some best practice examples and how can they be further streng...

Solidarity Cities, or "sanctuary cities," treat all people living in them as equal citizens, regardless of their residence status – at least that is the idea behind the concept. Today, there are already over 300 cities worldwide that have implemented specific solidarity regulations. However, the concrete implementation differs greatly. The workshop will provide information on the relevant approaches. We want to discuss what "best practices" are and how such solidarity-based practices can be further strengthened.

K2 - Route 4 – a dreadful journey

From the desert to the Mediterranean Sea: For more than 15 months, a media team accompanied the sea rescue ship ALAN KURDI on several missions on the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to numerous moving moments at sea, material was also produced in c...

From the desert to the Mediterranean Sea: For more than 15 months, a media team accompanied the sea rescue ship ALAN KURDI on several missions on the Mediterranean Sea. In addition to numerous moving moments at sea, material was also produced in countries such as Niger, Tunisia, Libya, Italy and Malta. Most of this material has not yet been published, and it is very close to our hearts. We would now like to present it to the public in the form of the documentary film "Route 4."
Although "Route 4" is framed by a theme, namely the emanant danger in and through Libya, the aim is not to tell a continuous story: We want to give viewers a glimpse into what has been experienced and seen.
We want to draw attention to problems of the EU's own making, to the suffering and hardships people face on their journeys, and to the incredible work of the NGOs (in this case Sea-Eye) who are the only the ones taking on the task of saving people in the Mediterranean. https://sea-eye.org/route4/
There is a possibility that Sea-Eye activists will be present for a post-film discussion.

F1.3 Capitalism - Towards a new type of capitalism? Continuities, ruptures, crossroads

The global financial crisis since 2007, the subsequent euro crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation, attempts to decarbonise the economy, the war in Ukraine and increasing imperialist rivalries have changed the face of contemporary capitalis...

The global financial crisis since 2007, the subsequent euro crisis, the COVID-19 pandemic, digitalisation, attempts to decarbonise the economy, the war in Ukraine and increasing imperialist rivalries have changed the face of contemporary capitalism. What is the relationship between continuities and ruptures? Are we witnessing a transition to a new developmental forms of capitalism? And if so, how is it taking shape?

F1.2 Intersectionality - How intersectionality makes our movements stronger

The use of the concept of intersectionality is becoming more common in social movements. Activists can now call themselves "intersectional" to convey the idea that they are paying attention to the intersection of multiple oppressive dynamics and f...

The use of the concept of intersectionality is becoming more common in social movements. Activists can now call themselves "intersectional" to convey the idea that they are paying attention to the intersection of multiple oppressive dynamics and fighting them without hierarchies.
Although activists' use of the concept is necessarily looser than academics', intersectionality has helped social movements develop an understanding of the past and present social and economic structures that oppress people, as well as the concrete struggles and mobilisations against these structures. All of this has been key to imagining possible paths to emancipation.
This panel will explore the implications of adopting intersectionality as an analytical concept and as a perspective for social movements. First, the panelists will help us bridge the gap between intersectionality as a theory and how it can be used to change the way we organise as social movements (e.g. recognising and addressing the power dynamics at play in our organisations). Then they will share their perspective on what it means to be an ally and give us a sense of the analyses and narratives that have already been incorporated ...

T2 - Monologues with my "asocial" grandfather

In 2020, the Bundestag decided to recognise so-called "asocials" as victims of the Nazi regime. There are hardly any personal testimonies of them and remembering them can be challenging: the boozing great uncle who was violent at times? The homele...

In 2020, the Bundestag decided to recognise so-called "asocials" as victims of the Nazi regime. There are hardly any personal testimonies of them and remembering them can be challenging: the boozing great uncle who was violent at times? The homeless grandmother who prostituted herself? Our society is only hesitantly beginning to deal with the uncomfortable victims.
Theatre pedagogue Harald Hahn is now dealing with the forgotten suffering in the form of a play – on the trail of his own family history: His grandfather was in a concentration camp because he was an asocial. During this creative process, Hahn has uncovered uncomfortable continuities that have an impact right up to the present: What do guilt, shame and silence do to families over generations? And how do class and origin structure not only memory, but life in contemporary society?
http://asozialer-grossvater.de/

A024 Let's talk about redistribution!

In Germany, the "top" ten percent in the wealth distribution own 62.1 percent of all wealth. We are a small group of people from this ten percent and would like to discuss with you what tasks and roles we can take on in order to work together for ...

In Germany, the "top" ten percent in the wealth distribution own 62.1 per cent of all wealth, while the "bottom" 50 per cent own a total of only 3.4 per cent of all wealth.
We are a small but growing group of people who belong to the "top" ten percent and have made it our goal to counteract injustice. Together we are learning about how our wealth is based on wrongful appropriation: on other people's labour, the exploitation of natural resources or the avoidance of taxes.
We are ready to work together for a good life for all, but also know that as a privileged group, we are not the only ones who should decide where the resources we have access to should go.
We are convinced that this decision should be made by the people who are directly affected by social injustice. Therefore, we would like to discuss with you what role we as people with access to assets should take on the road to social justice, what solidarity partnerships could look like and how we can achieve our common goals.
Let's talk about the redistribution of land, power and wealth and end wealth inequality together.

A059 Socialising. Strategies for a Democratic Economy

With the success of the Berlin referendum "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen und Co.” (DWe), there is a chance that Article 15 of the German Basic Law will be applied for the first time. Based on this success, this event will be about how a renewal of t...

With the referendum "Expropriate Deutsche Wohnen und Co." (DWe), a precedent was set parallel to the 2021 Bundestag elections. For the first time in the history of the Federal Republic of Germany, Article 15 of the German Basic Law could apply. It would undoubtedly be a historic event if 240,000 flats in Berlin were to be socialised, as it would challenge the hegemony of private property in the production, administration and distribution of essential goods. Together with many other organisations we want to discuss how the question of property relates to other sectors of society. The basic theses underlying these reflections on the renewal of the social left regarding property will be presented and discussed with existing social movements. What alliances need to be forged in order to sustainably mobilise different social groups? How can a democratic economy of socialised enterprises be organised? Whatcould campaigns for socialisation look like in different sectors, from the car industry to general municipal services?

A070 The European Union today - beyond neoliberalism?

Recently there have been important changes in the areas of monetary policy, fiscal policy, industrial policy and the regulation of wage relations in the European Union. Is the EU moving away from neoliberalism? What are the limits of these changes...

In recent years, the European Union has changed in many respects. First, the European Central Bank de facto contributes to the financing of the national budgets of the member countries of the European Monetary Union, although it is actually prohibited from direct government financing by the EU treaties. Second, the communitisation of member states' debts has taken on a new quality with the NextGenerationEU programme. For the first time, the European Commission is borrowing on a large scale. At the same time there has been a discussion about a reform of the Stability and Growth Pact, meaning a relaxation of the debt rules. Third, industrial policy has taken on greater importance in the context of the desired decarbonisation and further digitalisation of the EU economy. In addition, new rearmament programmes are emerging in the EU. The background to this revival of industrial policy is the intensifying imperialist rivalries in relation to the USA and China. Fourth, the European Commission has recently put forward proposals for regulating wage relations that at least hint at a modification of the neoliberal mode of integration (minimum wage regulation etc.). How far-reaching are th...

A029 Defending housing - from practical resistance to a housing policy strategy

Three workshops will take place on the theme “defending housing - from practical resistance to a housing policy strategy.”

Two workshops will take place simulataneously: The first deals with the rental housing market in Germany and Austria (A02...

In this workshop, which focuses on the rental housing market in Germany and Austria, local forms of protest and resistance and their experiences will be presented. Who are the actors and initiators of these approaches, what are the goals they pursue: from the preservation and defence of affordable housing to the socialisation of housing and land. Do the initiatives also have overarching strategies that strive for resident-oriented rent, housing and land legislation? What are their specific approaches to action and forms of resistance, what have been their successes and failures, and what are the decisive causes?

F1.4 Trade - How trade and investment agreements entrench corporate power and the climate crisis

Six years ago, social movements in Europe and the US successfully blocked the TTIP free trade agreement. While this was a great victory for people and the planet, the corporate-driven trade and investment agenda has continued doing business as usu...

Six years ago, social movements in Europe and the US successfully blocked the TTIP free trade agreement. While this was a great victory for people and the planet, the corporate-driven trade and investment agenda has continued doing business as usual and is already enshrined in existing treaties.
For more than 30 years, the Energy Charter Treaty (ECT), an investment protection treaty specifically for energy investments, has protected the majority of fossil fuel investments in the EU. Attempts to divest from coal, gas and oil can lead to ISDS proceedings in corporate courts and make the energy transition unaffordable for citizens. But social movements across Europe and beyond are campaigning to end the ECT once and for all.
At the same time, the EU continues to try to conclude new free trade agreements. The EU-Mercosur trade agreement is a particularly scandalous one, as it serves corporate interests at the expense of planetary boundaries and animal welfare and advances unsustainable social inequalities. Resistance to this agreement is growing not only in Europe, but also in South America.
The forum on trade and corporate capture will discuss how the EU's trade and investment p...

E007 Linke Lernen Lachen - Leftists learn how to laugh - La Gauche Qui Rit

Especially in difficult times, social movements need a special, peaceful weapon: satire and humour, especially in our actions. We will inspire ourselves with examples from different countries and develop new ideas. Because: Capitalism is the most ...

Especially in difficult times, social movements need a special, peaceful weapon: satire and humour, especially in our actions.

In the first part (c.a. 45 - 60 minutes) we would like to look at and listen to various successful examples of satire in action (as well as on the Internet and at events). Participants are welcome to bring in their own examples (clips, videos, photos; maximum three minutes long). This is best done in advance, but it is also possible during the event.
And then we want to talk about which ideas work and why, where the problems are and how we can come up with new ideas.
Ideally, concrete new ideas for action will emerge in our format and we will be inspired by examples from other countries.
At Attac in Germany we have often tried out such forms and gained a lot of experience. For example, at the 2016 German Summer Academy in Düsseldorf, we delivered neoliberalism in a satirical art performance to the museum.

E049 There’s no safe Europe without a safe world

War is changing the security, human rights, social and ecological contexts across Europe and the wider Mediterranean and Middle Eastern regions; parts of which, such as Syria, have been in a state of war for over a decade.

War is changing the security, human rights, social and ecological contexts. We bring together a panel of experts and activists to discuss how we build solidarity across borders and support progressive solutions to present-day conflicts. In the context of Russia’s war on Ukraine, how do we build a model of collective security across Europe and surrounding Mediterranean regions? How do we support progressive and civil society movements that oppose war and authoritarianism? How do we protect human life, support de-militarisation and build links with the peoples of Russia, Syria, Afghanistan and surrounding areas?

E106 Latin American debates at the time of the return of the "leftists”

The return of the left in Latin America is accompanied by fierce debates between political forces and social movements around extractivism, development models, the position of indigenous peoples and their organisations, democratic measures and eve...

While a few years ago the so-called "progressive" governments were in deep crisis and often driven from power to the benefit of reactionary and ultraliberal governments, we are now witnessing a series of victories by left-wing parties in Chile, Peru, Bolivia and Honduras, hybrid parties breaking with reactionary parties in Mexico and Argentina, and the possibility of victory for the left in Colombia and Brazil.

But this return of the lefts in Latin America is accompanied by lively debates between political forces and social movements around extractivism, development models, the position of indigenous peoples and their organisations, democratic measures, and the geopolitical positioning of these governments.

We have invited Latin American activists and solidarity movements in Europe to this workshop.

A056 The unconditional basic income (UBI)

An unconditional basic income (UBI) would unconditionally secure everyone's material existence; they would not have to earn it and could not lose it. That is how society could evolve because people would want to form a society with each other with...

We will test this thesis in three concrete fields: war, gender and health.
Just as the UBI guarantees livelihoods, war radically challenges livelihoods without affecting everyone equally. While men usually instigate and wage wars, others suffer more than they do.
Especially in the private sphere it is women who organise and maintain everyday life. War is also a very specific issue for the basic income movement, even if we don't know the answer to whether a society with a basic income would be more peaceful.
Would a UBI keep women out of the labour market and entrench patriarchal structures, or would it offer the chance to reconcile family life and work in a more relaxed way for both men and women? We think that decoupling work and income would make invisible but necessary work visible as well as highlight this work’s social relevance.
People are willing to pay for their health, making it possible to dobusiness with health. While poverty is a threat to people’s health (poor people die earlier and are sick more often and more severely), material inequality is an even greater threat. A UBI would reduce both poverty a...

E071 EU-water policies

The workshop will illustrate EU water standards, the path to implementation of the right to water and the lack of acceptance by EU institutions.
It will take stock of EU policies and reflect on the current situation and possible future actions.

The workshop will present the legal framework (European Water Movement – EWM; Water Framework Directive – WFD; Drinking Water Directive – DWD; the 2010 UN General Assembly Resolution; European Citizens' Initiative - ECI Right2Water and the EU Parliament Resolution). What is the response of the EU institutions?
Recent developments give little reason for hope: the impact of pandemics with their social and economic hardships, the listing of water on the stock exchange and the concerns of the UN Special Rapporteur, the EWM and the political, social and cultural issues.
What about the temporary NextGenerationEU (NGEU) recovery programme and the economic recovery programmes of the EU member states? And how is the risk of water privatisation to be assessed?
We will discuss the position and initiatives of the EWM and the national/territorial movements and possible future actions.

K3 - UBI - Our right to life

This 41-minute film explains what basic income is and what it is not. What are the differences between the UBI and minimum wage or social security? What progress has been made in public perception and what pilot studies can be drawn on? It traces ...

This 41-minute film explains what basic income is and what it is not. What are the differences between the UBI and minimum wage or social security? What progress has been made in public perception and what pilot studies can be drawn on? It traces its history, explains its motivations and explores why and how the idea has reached a much wider audience and unprecedented support in recent years.
"UBI, Our Right to Live" makes a compelling case for the need for the measure; it is a manifesto for UBI in the modern age and an excellent introduction to the subject.
The documentary addresses two of the main factors that put UBI at the centre of public debate: economic inequality and technological development. The risk is the increase in unemployment and the growing inequality between highly-skilled and unskilled workers.
We will exchange views on all these issues in the debate after the screening of the documentary.
Contact persons: Ángel Bravo, Francisco Álvarez, Klaus Sambor.
Klaus Sambor is Austrian and speaks German: klaus.sambor@aon.at

B022 Pulling the emergency brake to stop climate collapse

What transformative strategies are there and how do they relate to each other? What elements are missing from the movement and which capacities have not been mobilised? How can we get an overview of the big picture? And how can we plan for systemi...

This session is about connecting two dots: capitalism is the main cause of the climate and social crisis and the climate emergency, meaning action must be taken now. The logical conclusion is that we need to dismantle capitalism in the short term.

Speakers will challenge the lack of ambition in social movements and deconstruct theories of change based on pressure on governments. They will make proposals that go beyond campaigning. They will propose a movement-level organisational structure and grand strategy aimed at systemic change before it’s too late?

What transformative strategies exist and how do they relate to each other? What elements are missing from the movement? Which capacities of the movement have not been mobilised? How can we get an overview of the big picture? And how can we plan for systemic change?

B041 Labour union movement and ecology - diverse and complementary approaches?

Through an exchange of experiences and practices, the workshop will allow participants to approach the different possibilities that unions have to learn about environmental challenges, as well as integrate and work on them.

Through an exchange of experiences and practices, the workshop will allow participants to approach the different possibilities that unions have to learn about environmental challenges, as well as integrate and work on them.We will address the following: new professional practices (approaches according to occupational groups), the transformation of internal organisation (cross-sector links, organisational bodies), union training and the defense of new rights and the policy of alliances of trade unions. We will evaluate the successes of these initiatives as well as the obstacles they have encountered.
We will build on this input by opening the discussion on the central role of workers in the reorganisation of production methods as well as on their role in the ecological transition in broader terms. Here we can also discuss the outcomes of the 1st International Trade Union Forum on Ecological and Social Transitions, held in June 2021 could be of interest (a second forum is planned for September 2022 in South Korea).

B081 Zero by 2030

Summary

The shrinking 1.5° carbon budget leaves no doubt: we have to get off fossil fuels as soon as possible - and within the 2020s in the Global North. But what would a swift energy transition in this decade look like? Which tools and mechanisms can we use to speed up the pace of the fossil fuel phase out? We will share some tools that can remove some obstacles and we will explore together what hidden potential for reaching zero by 2030 are to be found in your own organizations and home countries.

Description

Few institutions are preparing for a full transition to 100% renewable energy and zero fossils on a timescale of years - but this is precisely what we need to stay below 1.5° warming.

In this workshop we will brainstorm together how such a fast transition could be achieved, removing key constraints. Join us in imagining a pathway to achieving the transition much faster than most people anticipate today. After all, the banking crisis and the pandemic have shown that money and resources are not in short supply when they get prioritized, and the Ukraine war has shown that we can get off fossil fuels much faster if we really want to.

Zero by 2030 is a necessity...

B088 Debt, finance and climate justice

This workshop will discuss how European social movements can come together to make financial corporations pay for climate change through debt cancellation, polluter taxes and corporate climate reparations. Along with hearing from campaigners, we w...

We will start with short presentations by activists and discuss why private financial institutions play a key role in preventing climate justice; for example, by refusing to cancel the debt of the Global South and continuing to finance fossil fuels. Activists will explain how they are trying to make these polluters pay for the climate crisis by forcing them to cancel debt and finance a just transition through pollution taxes or corporate climate reparations. This will be followed by small group discussions on which financial institutions they could approach in their own countries to push this campaign and how we can work together to build a stronger European movement on these issues.

B142 Lützerath at the Garzweiler opencast lignite mine - the climate justice movement hot spot

The workshop is about the history of the emergence of the Lützerath hot spot. The diversity of actors and their experiences in the context of movement building and alliance work will be presented. It is about strategy development and an analysis o...

In this workshop, the current hot spot of the climate justice movement in Germany, LÜTZERATH, a small village of resistance near Mönchengladbach, will be looked at from different perspectives.
The development towards the focus, which has now existed for about two years, will be presented and analysed. The diverse resistance structures in Lützerath and the surrounding area will be presented:
- The Lützerath includes numerous tree houses built by activists.
- The alliance "All villages stay put”
- the Lützerath vigil
- Leaving churches in the village
- "Unser aller Wald" (Everyone’s forest), which also has numerous tree houses built by activists
- The RWE tribunal

Various studies will be discussed that prove why the 1.5°C goal borders on Lützerath, why the gigantic lignite excavators have to be stopped if Germany wants to comply with the Paris Climate Agreement.
The role of the energy company RWE as "Europe's biggest climate killer" will also be addressed.
Finally, the red line action planned for Saturday afternoon in Lützerath is being prepared as part of the ESU.

C066 Gender-sensitive lessons to be learned from the pandemic as levers for social and feminist transformation

The feminist analysis of the pandemic examines ”primary housework,” the combination of remote working and domestic work, as well as increased domestic violence. What dynamics can this analysis bring to our social demands in order to make them lev...

The pandemic has highlighted the prominent role of women in this global crisis situation. Given the importance of the sectors in which most women were involved during the pandemic, the questions of the compatibility of private and work life, remote working, and the increased domestic and family violence caused by the pandemic, we ask what can be learned from a gendered approach to this crisis in order to make it a lever for feminist struggles and demands for social, feminist and ecological transformation.

C111 Inclusive activist spaces

Social movement platforms usually describe what kind of world they are working toward. Feminism, anti-racism and other emancipatory struggles are often listed alongside anti-capitalism.

A world free from oppression is our common goal. However, even well-intentioned activists are people who were born and raised in an environment where oppression is the norm. Social movements therefore tend to reproduce the same kind of oppression they are fighting against. This does not have to be disastrous. Anyone can be trained to recognise oppression where and when it occurs in activist spaces, and every organisation can use tools to prevent oppression and ensure that inappropriate behaviour is not tolerated when it does occur. This workshop aims to share some basic principles and tools against oppression.

K4 - Who we were

A cinematic essay inspired by the book "Who we were" by Roger Willemsen with Alexander Gerst (astronaut), Sylvia Earle (deep-sea explorer), Mathieu Ricard (Buddhist monk), Dennis Snower (economist), Felwine Sarr (philosopher) and Janina Loh (criti...

A cinematic essay inspired by the book "Who we were" by Roger Willemsen with Alexander Gerst (astronaut), Sylvia Earle (deep-sea explorer), Mathieu Ricard (Buddhist monk), Dennis Snower (economist), Felwine Sarr (philosopher) and Janina Loh (critical posthumanist). We may think that we are simply incapable of understanding the increasingly complex problems facing our planet, but for these charismatic scientists, that is not enough. Whether on top of the world, in the depths of the ocean, in the human brain, at the G-20 summit or on the International Space Station (ISS), they are looking for practical ways to save our world. In light of their drive, we must ask ourselves if we, as citizens of the planet, are finally ready to take responsibility – be it only for those who come after us and ask: "Who were we?"
https://www.x-verleih.de/filme/wer-wir-waren/

A062 Shorter working hours for Europe?!

Reduced working hours is a crucial part of the urgent socio-ecological transition. It can only be successful on a European level. The European Network for the Fair Sharing of Working Time will present its activities, the fights of trade-unions and...

In the workshop three members of the steering committee of the European Network for the Fair Sharing of Working Time from France, Germany and UK will present the activities for working hour reduction on a European level: the 4 Day Week campaign in the UK, the demands and fights of trade unions for shorter working hours, especially those of the IG Metall/Germany, and good examples of working hour reduction in enterprises and municipalities. Together with the participants we will discuss how working hour reduction as a crucial part of the necessary socio-ecological transition can be promoted in the everyday life, in trade unions, social movements and in politics. We will also reflect on how to intensify the exchange on the different attempts to promote reduced working hours in the European countries.

A086 Undocumented workers in Europe

The workshop will address the struggles for undocumented workers across Europe.

Driven by armed conflict, persecution and climate change, undocumented workers across Europe serve as labour for the widespread outsourcing of often the heaviest tasks of the "capitalist democracies." This leads to the shameless exploitation of undocumented workers, who are very often the only ones willing to work for low wages and at impossible hours.
We proposed a discussion about how undocumented workers can organize themselves, what support they receive, what kind of struggles they have and what conclusions they can draw.

A077 From North to South: denouncing the illegitimate debt of the working classes around the globe

Crises reinforce capitalism and deepen inequality. Household debt is a powerful mechanism to ensure submission. Why should we question it? How can we shake off the yoke?

With the participants we will explore the question of what illegitimate debt is, how it applies to microcredit, student debt and housing debt, and what the solutions are to abolishing them, therefore initiating a transition to an economy free of capitalism.
The workshop will be presented by Éric Toussaint, spokesperson for the international network Committee for the Abolition of Illegitimate Debt (CADTM), and Omar Aziki, member of the ATTAC CADTM Morocco national secretariat and the CADTM international shared secretariat.

A090 Digitalisation and the Reorganisation of Capitalism

Digitalisation has become one of the most widespread buzzwords of our time. The workshop will take a closer look at the changes in capitalist production through the use of digital information and communication technologies.

Digitalisation has become one of the most widespread buzzwords of our time. The workshop will take a closer look at the changes in capitalist production through the use of digital information and communication technologies.
How are digital technologies of networking and platform companies changing the world of work? How are wage-earning workers appropriating the new technologies? How have labour struggles changed under the conditions of the digitalised economy?

A128 Pandemics, patents and profits: the fight against big big-pharma monopolies?

The pandemic has seen huge inequality in vaccine access thanks to a system that puts pharmaceutical companies’ monopolies before people’s health. Campaigns to suspend intellectual property rights on vaccines have grown and alternatives are emergin...

Two years after the outbreak of the pandemic, 85% of people in low-income countries still do not have access to a Covid-19 vaccine. Meanwhile, the big pharmaceutical companies are making record profits. The main vaccines have all relied on huge amounts of public funds that the pharmaceutical companies have privatised, patented and monopolised. This system, which rewards companies like Pfizer for keeping their vaccine recipes secret, also prevents manufacturers in the Global South from producing their own vaccines.

Campaigns for change have grown and more than 100 countries are supporting efforts to lift intellectual property rights on Covid-19 vaccines.

A WHO-supported project in South Africa has reverse engineered the Moderna vaccine. The Cuban vaccine and an off-patent vaccine from the US also suggest that a better system is possible. Meanwhile, planning for future pandemics has newly inspired thoughts on access to public medical research. The monopoly system of the big pharmaceutical companies is starting to crack. How can we organise ourselves in order to capitalise on this development?

F2.1 Housing - Housing and Land - Eldorado of Capital Exploitation

The forum will focus on current housing and land policy problems as well as their main causes. The problems differ from country to country and are reflected in drastic deficits in affordable housing and unsustainable mortgage rates for homeowners,...

The forum will focus on current housing and land policy problems as well as their main causes. The problems differ from country to country and are reflected in drastic deficits in affordable housing and unsustainable mortgage rates for homeowners, in the displacement of long-established tenants and rising numbers of homeless people, especially in areas of high population density and economically attractive medium-sized and university cities. The main reasons for this are private ownership of land, the current low interest rate phase, the financialisation of the real estate sector and its increasing relevance for the exploitative interests of investors, as well as the investor-oriented policies of the public sector and the privatisation of public housing stocks.

E028 Functioning and development of the European Union

The EU is very crucial to the daily lives of Europeans.
This workshop will explain how the European Union works and discusses possible developments of the EU.

The European Union is not a state, but an association of 27 states bound by the signature of treaties that connect them institutionally. This workshop aims to advance the reflection on the nature of the EU and its possible evolutions: affirmation of a confederation, establishment of a federation on the basis of the current treaties, reform or recasting in a way that is favourable to the European peoples.

The points dealt with are the following:
1) The genesis of the EU in the aftermath of the Second World War: the role of the United States and its links with the Marshall Plan and NATO, the constitution of an economic and then political bloc, the choices made after 1991.

2) The European treaties in the light of free trade and free investment treaties.

3) The questions that arise (European defence, role of the Parliament, extension of the field of exclusive competence, generalisation of qualified majority voting, presidency of Europe).

4) Discussion
Towards a European state, a confederation, a federation, a mixed institutional form, maintaining the status quo?
Is it possible to overcome the neo-liberal ratchets of the treaties? If not, how can the treaties be broken...

E073 Solidarity with the resistance to the dictatorship in Syria

Who are the Syrian democrats, their organisations, their demands and their modes of action? How can we support their self-organisation, and enable a rights-based political solution?

The peaceful uprising and its armed resistance against the Syrian dictatorship since 2011 succeeded in liberating 70% of the territory in the summer of 2012 and in electing or co-opting democratic local councils. The repression by the Syrian dictatorship and its Russian, Iranian and Lebanese allies forced the democratic resistance into subordination to reactionary factions in the opposition, underground or into exile.

B060 Lesson from mobilising farming communities around climate issues in Poland

WeMove Europe has run an on-the-ground project in Poland in collaboration with Extinction Rebellion and other activists for the last year and a half. While the project is not over, there are already many lessons we can share with others interested...

We all know the crucial connections between farming practices in Europe and climate change. Changing farming policy in the European Union remains essential, but change from the ground is the other half of the equation we must not forget about. Farming communities have agency, they are not just mere 'recipients' of policies that are agreed upon by decision-makers. If agriculturists work hand in hand with climate activists, farming practices can start to change from the bottom up. Farming communities and climate activists therefore need a common understanding, common messaging, common goals, and of course mutual trust. This is precisely what our project has been experimenting with in Poland over the past year and half - and will continue to do in the future. We'd love to share our trials and errors, our methodology and plans so that others can learn from us, but also give us feedback. We'd love to inspire similar initiatives elsewhere in Europe and start a transnational farming revolution against climate change from the bottom up!

B096 How the EU-Mercosur trade agreement can be stopped

In 2019, the EU and the South American Mercosur countries announced a free trade agreement between the two blocks. In this workshop we will explore why the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement is so harmful to people and our planet and what we can do ...

In 2019, the EU and the South American Mercosur countries announced the free trade agreement between the two blocks. In this workshop we will explore why the EU-Mercosur free trade agreement is so harmful to people and the planet and what we can do to stop it.
Social movements, trade unions, indigenous peoples and farmers have been successfully fighting to stop the agreement.

B109 Labour conflicts and climate crisis

In this workshop we will think brainstorm how we can better involve workers and their struggles in climate struggles because in order to effectively fight the climate crisis, we also need to involve workers more. We will look at different options,...

In the fight against the climate crisis, the needs and interests of workers must also be included and taken into account. In the workshop we will prepare brief input on past examples and possible forms of cooperation. We will also collect, develop and discuss ideas with the participants on how we can better involve workers in our climate activism at the local level. The aim of the workshop is to find concrete starting points of cooperation so that after the workshop the participants have new options and ideas to shape their local activism together with workers.

B141 A just energy transition in Europe and Asia

What effect does the war in Ukraine have on one of the key points of the implementation of the Paris Agreement, the energy transition? Speakers from Europa and Asia will tackle the loopholes and challenges in the implementation of this crucial tra...

Implementing the Paris Agreement means that a fundamental global shift is needed in the way we organise our economy. Pledges have been made, but to what effect? One of the side effects of the devastating war in Ukraine was that Europe suddenly realised that it had so speed up its energy transition and generate more local, renewable energy. Did this materialise in concrete plans? And what are the effects of raising fossil fuel costs on the emerging economies in Asia, and on their emission-commitments. How do countries like China, India and Indonesia define the term ”just transition”? Can Europe learn from their policies, or do we face similar challenges and loopholes?

C127 Care at the centre of feminist economy and ecology

The globalised capitalist system is both harmful to women's rights and to the environment. What are the feminist responses to these challenges? One perspective of ecofeminism is to go beyond this model. Behind this approach lies a variety of activ...

Men and women experience and cope with environmental and social degradation differently due to the social roles assigned to them by society. It is essential to gain a better understanding of this issue in order to design policies that contribute not only to fighting for the climate and the environment, but also to bringing about more social justice and equality.
It is not about seeing women as victims, but as actors in many struggles; they are essential for transformation!

C156 #MakingTheInvisibleVisible: Toolkit for Feminist Economics. A pedagogical proposal for secondary school teachers and students

We at Economistas sin Fronteras have developed a toolkit on feminist economics that we hope will be useful for anyone who wants to engage with feminist economics, especially teachers who are looking for useful tools and resources to address and re...

We at Economistas sin Fronteras have developed a toolkit on feminist economics that we hope will be useful for anyone who wants to learn about feminist economics, especially teachers.

We see our workshop as a space where we can have a dialogue, a meeting point to test our experiences in developing and testing our toolkit. We want to put our tools into practice and hear about similar experiences. We believe that education that promotes a critical, anti-capitalist consciousness is the best strategy for raising awareness, and therefore we want our experiences to serve society. We therefore aim to socialise knowledge and practices and encourage teachers and activists to rethink their didactic and pedagogical approaches.

Our toolkit includes:
- A dossier on feminist economics.
- A teaching and learning guide for teachers
- A guide to feminist economics
- A 10-question quiz
- The app to measure use of your time: The economy feeds on our time
- Four life stories

D050 Fighting Islamophobia across Europe

Islamophobia is one of the most examples of racism, stigmatisation and discrimination in the twenty-first century. Yet, there is still a lack of a united international campaign and lobby on this pertinent issue.

Islamophobia is one of the most important examples of racism, stigmatisation and discrimination in the twenty-first century. Yet, there is still a lack of a united international campaign and lobby on this pertinent issue that would highlight the perspectives and views of Muslim communities and activists. Despite the role that a specific fear and hatred of Muslims played in the construction of the refugee ”crisis” across Europe, and the way in which this was capitalised on by the far right, Islamophobia has often been ”absorbed” into general anti-racist and anti-fascist campaigning rather than identified as requiring specific, direct policy intervention and outreach to Muslim communities.  
This panel will bring speakers together to develop an international dialogue around this important area of progressive intervention, and work towards practical outcomes based on solidarity and internationalism.

D129 Racist language in the everyday working life of migration counselling

Together with the participants we will take a closer look at the issue of racist language in everyday work in the field of migration counselling.

We will first present our field of work and give a short introduction to the topic "racism in migration counselling." We will then share examples from our work in an interactive part. Participants will be able to actively participate and share their own experiences. In the discussion we will answer questions about which forms of racism (in migration counselling) we should deal with, what effects it has on staff and clients, and how we can better recognise and avoid it.
The workshop aims to help us question our own communication and to be able to recognise and address discriminatory communication patterns in everyday (work) life more quickly.

D036 Argumentation training against bar-room clichés

Pushing back in the face of bar-room clichés!
It's that time again, the “völkisch” mob and its Nazi supporters are taking over many bar-room tables. It’s f*cked up and it’s nerve-racking!
We're doing something about it – we will train our nerves...

Argumentation training is a kind of workshop, a laboratory, an open learning situation. Here, learning does not take place through instruction, but through joint practice and the playful confrontation of the participants with reality. Here you also – but by no means only – receive knowledge...
In argumentation training, political statements, arguments, catchwords and slogans are examined on their emotional basis and effect and factual appropriateness. Possible counter-strategies are also tested.
(Klaus Peter Hufer)
And it's fun, too.
Besides: We also have our own bar-room slogans!

K5 - The other side of the river

19-year-old Hala escaped an arranged marriage by crossing the Euphrates to find a new home with a Kurdish women's defence unit – a unit that went on to liberate her hometown of Minbij from the Islamic State. For her fellow combatants, the enemy is...

19-year-old Hala escaped an arranged marriage by crossing the Euphrates to find a new home with a Kurdish women's defence unit – a unit that went on to liberate her hometown of Minbij from the Islamic State. For her fellow combatants, the enemy is not only ISIS, but the patriarchy in general, with (forced) marriage as the ultimate institution of oppression.
The young women are trained in combat and educated in the feminist ideals of the Kurdish women's movement. Hala is deeply inspired by these teachings and is resolutely dedicated to the promise of liberating not only more women, but also her sisters, no matter what the any cost. But is there still room for freedom – and even love – in Hala's life if her mission takes over everything?
THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RIVER depicts Hala's determined, revolutionary journey while highlighting another, parallel life experience: the director's own reflections on being a feminist and cultural outsider in a situation where the term "militant feminism" could actually be understood literally.

https://jip-film.de/the-other-side-of-the-river

F2.2 Climate - The big solutions we need for systemic change and climate justice

Global warming and climate change are reaching a tipping point in a "now or never" way. The already inadequate targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C cannot be met. Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on ...

Global warming and climate change are reaching a tipping point in a "now or never" way. The already inadequate targets of the 2015 Paris Agreement to limit global temperature rise to 1.5°C cannot be met. Since 1990, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) has produced six reports. Each report has outlined the global challenges, the consequences and the international "solutions" needed to curb global warming and meet the targets. The facts are indisputable and the 198 countries negotiating under the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change are not meeting any of their emissions reduction targets. Under current climate plans, we are threatened with a temperature rise of 2.7°C, and we know the limits of these plans.
Diverse and competing solutions to the climate crisis and visions for the path to just transitions have emerged in recent decades and have gained increasing support from social movements and progressive academic circles that work with them. Many of the alternative and system-changing solutions that have been developed and are constantly being debated and developed speak of inclusive and sustainable development. They also argue the need to replace the rule...

F2.3 Right-wing Extemism - International right-wing movements - analysis of the current situation and development of counter-strategies

An authoritarian-nationalist right is gaining strength worldwide. Fired up by election successes and even government participation, militant neo-fascists are taking to the streets. But everywhere there is also resistance against it. Trump, Putin, ...

An authoritarian-nationalist right is gaining strength worldwide. Fired up by election successes and even government participation, militant neo-fascists are taking to the streets. But everywhere there is also resistance against it. Trump, Putin, LePen, Bolsonaro, Orban, Modi and many others are the expression of an authoritarian turn of neoliberal capitalism, which is accompanied by anti-feminism, nationalist fantasies of great power, racism, conspiracy ideologies and other recycled elements of classic fascist ideologies. Social media are systematically flooded with fake news that mobilise street mobs. The (socially unequally distributed) dangers of climate change and pandemics are denied. Individuals are radicalised on the Internet to the point of committing mass murders, from Utøya to Halle and Hanau to Buffalo. Emancipatory movements are therefore not only in demand in the search for solidarity-based solutions to the current and socio-ecological crises, but at the same time in the fight against a renewed extreme right. In the forum we want to discuss the current situation in Europe, which anti-fascist strategies are promising and what this specifically means for the further ...

K6 - Countdown at the Xingu/Tapajos - Battle for Amazonia

The Brazilian Amazon region, provincial capital Altamira, on the Xingu River. The third largest dam in the world, Belo Monte, has been under construction here since 2011 to provide electricity for the "economic rise of Brazil." And to feed the wor...

The Brazilian Amazon region, provincial capital Altamira, on the Xingu River. The third largest dam in the world, Belo Monte, has been under construction here since 2011 to provide electricity for the "economic rise of Brazil." And to feed the world's hunger for raw materials. That is the official version. But behind the scenes it's all about billions of US dollars of "extra profits" for construction companies and politicians.
"This is a criminal organisation," says the Catholic Bishop of Altamira, Erwin Kräutler, referring to the current "Petrobras scandal" that is rocking Brazil. European global companies like Siemens, Andritz and Norsk Hydro also want to earn a lot of money by building turbines or smelting bauxite into aluminium.
Discussion with filmmaker Martin Kessler
https://www.neuewut.de/projekt/xingutapajos/

A068 The health care battle

Since the mid-1980s the healthcare system in Germany has been transformed into a market. The effects have been devastating. Hospital workers have been fighting back against the conditions since 2015. What do they propose? What needs to change?

Since the mid-1980s the healthcare system in Germany, and especially the hospital sector, has been transformed into a market. With the introduction of per-case flat rates, this development has reached a temporary climax: Even non-profit hospitals have to behave like capitalist enterprises in this system. All processes are subordinate to economic priorities, meaning trimmed to profit or the "black zero." The effects on workers and patients have been devastating. This became obvious during the Corona crisis: it became clear that in Germany there are many hospitals that are technically very well equipped and have a relatively high number of intensive care beds, but that have far too little staff for the patients. Hospital workers have been fighting back against these conditions since 2015. There was a strike in Berlin in 2021 that lasted for over four weeks where healthcare workers demanded relief and more staff.
What are the solutions to these problems? What do the workers propose? What has to change in order for the healthcare system to prioritise the needs of patients? This raises fundamental questions of capitalist socialisation, which we want to discuss in the workshop.

A083 For equity and an end to tax evasion

The workshop will focus on an analysis of the material followed by a discussion on proposals and possibilities for action equity and tax evasion.

Tax policy is unfair and inefficient. Tax evasion is estimated to be around 800 to 1 trillion euros in the European Union. However, the measures taken to counteract this, such as taxation of multinational companies, are insufficient. Therefore, we need to rethink the role of tax policy, propose new measures for equity and actually fight tax evasion.
In the workshop we will discuss implemented and future actions regarding these issues.

A114 Trade union internationalism - more than soap-box oratory?

Trade unions that are only organised in a national framework are reaching their limits due to the internationalisation of production. We will reflect on previous internationalist experiences and discuss whether, and how, this can be strengthened.

Wage earners and trade unions have been considerably weakened by the internationalisation of production and the intensified site competition. Within the European Union, the partial shift of legislation to the supranational level also poses particular challenges to actors who are only organised at the national level. Trade unions, which to this day are mainly organised within a national framework, are reaching their limits. Nevertheless, international solidarity or even international organisation proves to be difficult in practice – the national conditions of production and the traditions of industrial relations in the individual states seem to be too different. The workshop will reflect on previous internationalist experiences and discuss whether, and how, this can be strengthened.

A160 "Resilence & Wellbeing" for more joyful activism and less burnout

In this workshop, we’ll work on how activism moves us, as well as the ways in which it can burn us out and cause damage. Collectively, we’ll build care and resilience strategies to ensure we’re looking after ourselves and our community, and that o...

The workshop combines tactics to create a brave and safe space to be able to talk and listen with honesty, authenticity and courage. We will lead big and small group exercises as well as individual exercises. The techniques will help participants raise awareness about resilience, and we will help them to understand where burnout comes from, causes, symptoms and consequences. We will combine both theory and use examples from participants' practical experience. This process will foster collective and meaningful learning and will encourage participants to practice mindful resilience and wellbeing for themselves, their groups and their communities. Our main goals are to make wellbeing an essential part of work practices in the context of activism among young organisers. We will facilitate a network of activists who are interested in the wellbeing of their groups and who can share their experiences and participate in situations where people can learn together; these individuals will also be able to act as a disseminator to create other care strategies within their own groups.

A032 Preconditions and success factors of housing movements - networking and opportunities for a system change

Three workshops will take place on “Defending housing - from practical resistance to housing policy strategy.”

Two workshops will take place simultaneously: The first deals with the rental housing market in Germany and Austria (A029) and the se...

This workshop is about overarching preconditions and success factors of housing movements as well as the interconnectedness of forms of resistance and opportunities for system change. In which cities and in which housing estates is resistance taking place? With what common or different results? Where is there a networking of forms of resistance and initiatives? Has this increased the effectiveness of resistance? Is there networking with initiatives and activities in other problem areas (labour, health care, climate, etc.)? Does this aim toward systemic change?

E165 The role and possibilities of social movements in Africa

Social movements in African countries face particular difficulties. Nevertheless, there is a diverse civil society in all countries. Activists from Benin, Mali and Togo will report on their activities and opportunities to influence.

In African countries people in social movements are also striving to shape social and environmental conditions in the interest of the people. But the social movements in these countries struggle with particularly challenging difficulties. They range from a lack of resources to state oppression. Nevertheless, there is a diverse civil society in almost all countries, ranging from organisations in the tradition of liberation movements to self-help groups and environmental movements. There are active Attac groups in the Central African states of Senegal, Benin and Togo. In Morocco, the Attac group has repeatedly been among the organisers of broad mass protests against poverty and oppression. Activists from these countries are traditionally guests at the European Summer Universities. In Mönchengladbach, activists from Benin, Mali and Togo will report on their activities and opportunities to influence.

A166 Cost of living crisis

Starving to feed your own children? Getting sick because of cold flats? What can we do about exploding energy and food costs?

Since 2021, the cost of energy has been rising ever more sharply. Experts speak of a spreading energy and mobility poverty. People no longer heat their homes when the children are away, and workers sleep in their cars outside the factory gates so they can save on petrol. But food prices are also exploding! Parents go hungry so that at least their children can eat. All this in the EU and the continent that invented the welfare state.
We want to discuss how this escalating crisis came about. Who is to blame? Putin with his invasion of Ukraine? China's economic policy? What is often overlooked is what is wrong with our societies and economic systems.
The aim should be to find answers to what we can do as people in Europe to secure our right to a good life. The end of the month must no longer be a horror.

E097 The poster as a form of protest art

After viewing the exhibits, the participants will select posters that will then be analysed and discussed according to various points of view.

Artists respond to deficits and conflicts in society by showing alternatives. Through the subversive and ironic activities of artists, art can support political ideas. Political events and government decisions are almost always accompanied by public resistance. The controversial legal provisions in international treaties such as CETA, ACTA, TTIP or meetings of the G7 countries and climate summits brought thousands of people onto the streets. There are always waves of protest because politics and business want to impose their decisions on citizens. In order to make a certain problem visible, political campaigns are regularly carried out by activists or non-governmental organisations. Artists create posters, leaflets, stickers or organise events on behalf of, or on their own, initiative, the motives of which are to present certain values to the public.
Examples from the protests in Poland:
From the inscription "Konstytucja" (Constitution) on Luka Rayski's poster, the characters "You" in white and "I" in red stand out. The poster became a symbol of protests to defend justice.

F2.4 Democracy - Democracy and public freedoms: Regaining their full progressive traction

After the dark period of fascism in Europe, progressive movements have continuously fought for the expansion of democracy and civil liberties to advance their social, economic and cultural agendas.

Four decades of neoliberalism have now hollowe...

After the dark period of fascism in Europe, progressive movements have continuously fought for the expansion of democracy and civil liberties to advance their social, economic and cultural agendas.

Four decades of neoliberalism have now hollowed out our societies, gradually replacing both solidarity with competition of everyone against each other and trust in a better world with the fear of being left out.

In societies strongly characterised by individualism and fear, the relationship to democracy and freedom has become problematic. Withdrawal into the private sphere, abstention from voting and the decline of milieus are eroding democracy. Fears of decline and cultural differences enable national-chauvinist forces to achieve electoral success and mobilise people against democracy.

The question of democracy and human rights is thus a burning one. We want to discuss how democracy has developed and whether, and how, it can be saved or strengthened. Are there other forms of democratic participation? How helpful are they? How can we succeed in (re)involving the "marginalised" in the political process and making their democratic rights effective?

B004 Mobility is at stake in Europe - challenges of the climate crisis and social impacts on the aviation and shipping sectors

The transport sector is one of the main sources of greenhouse gas emissions. The ongoing climate crisis has led to public action. Although the goals are insufficient and socially and geographically inequitable, they will trigger dramatic changes. ...

Transport is the only sector where emissions have increased in the EU. The ongoing climate crisis has led to public action at national, European and global levels. It must be ensured that workers in the aviation and shipping transport sectors benefit from upskilling and retraining as well as from the creation of alternative jobs in climate-friendly sectors; trade unions should also be involved in every step of the process.

At the European level, the first things that must be achieved are:
- a common understanding of the climate impact of the transport sector and the urgent need to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- highlighting the misguided goals of the states and the EU and the false promises and feigned answers of the capitalist proprietors
- the development of a vision of the changes needed to meet the 1.5°C target
- highlight that workers in the sector are facing massive changes (retraining, re-skilling, developing alternative jobs)
- initiate the first steps to build social alliances (e.g. trade unions, climate activists, international networks) to advance these goals.

B009 Struggles against the appropriation of water and the pollution of the aquatic environment by private companies in Europe

We will present several cases of water grabbing and water pollution in Europe on the part of the bottled water industry, mining, the planned Tesla factory in Berlin and the planned expansion of the Barcelona airport. We will also give an overview ...

The bottled water industry and mining claim water and pollute the aquatic environment, as do some factories and transport infrastructure. In several places in Europe, civil society is organising to fight against these private companies that do not comply with EU water regulations: Collectif Eau 88 will present the fight against Nestlé Waters in Vittel; Comitato Umbro Acqua Pubblica will explain the fight against Roquetta SA in the Apennines; Collectif Destocamine will tell us about the fight against Stocamine in Alsace; Berliner Wassertisch will present the fight against Tesla's Giga Factory construction project in Berlin/Brandenburg; and SOS Bai Llobregat will explain their fight against the planned expansion of the Barcelona Airport in the Llobregat Delta. Then they will discuss how all these struggles can be united to address the European institutions more effectively. Climate change has already exacerbated conflicts over water use. The European institutions must ensure that the Water Framework Directive is implemented by the individual member states, even if it means conflicting with the interests of private companies such as those we will talk about in the workshop.

B037 Painting Utopia: When the Excavators Stop

How does civil society envision an environmentally and socially compatible post-mining landscape beyond the mining companies' rehabilitation plans? After some brief input, workshop participants will have the opportunity to get creative and draw a ...

Besides climate change, the loss of biodiversity is one of the biggest environmental problems. Coal mining not only has a catastrophic impact on our climate, but also on our biodiversity. As soon as the excavators stop and the opencast mines are closed, large areas of land will be available for re-use and thus also for opportunities to restore biodiversity.
It is widely known that local people are affected by post-mining developments and that society as a whole will bear the costs of post-mining development. These facts highlight the importance of raising our voices with regards to the planning and implementation of mine closures. In this workshop we will create a vision of how civil society envisions an environmentally and socially sustainable post-mining landscape beyond the rehabilitation plans of mining companies. After some brief input, workshop participants will have the opportunity to get creative and draw a vision of the future post-mining landscapes. Together we will discuss the visions we have developed during the workshop. Furthermore, we will discuss how civil society can influence the decisions of mining companies.

B052 Nuclear energy: between climate, economic and geopolitical issues, a struggle that is more current than ever

The ageing of power plants, the proliferation of radioactive waste, climate change, the war in Ukraine - nuclear power is a pressing issue that requires clear and urgent action in view of the decisive environmental and socio-economic challenges.

The nuclear industry presents itself as a providential and urgent solution to climate change, and new reactor construction programmes are flourishing throughout the world. However, the problems of radioactive waste, the exorbitant costs of complex and lengthy construction sites subject to numerous hazards, and the issue of safety, which has been illustrated by the war in Ukraine, place the anti-nuclear struggle at the heart of current issues..

For all climate justice and environmental movements, the challenge of taking an explicit position on the nuclear phase-out is crucial and urgent.

B122 Scientist Rebellion - From publications to public actions

What is the role of scientists, researchers and academics in the climate and ecological emergency? This workshop brings activists from Scientist Rebellion together with other climate activists, scientists and researchers. Together we will discuss ...

What is the role of scientists, researchers and academics in the climate and ecological emergency? This workshop brings together activists from Scientist Rebellion with other climate activists and scientists and researchers. Together we will discuss experiences and strategies for civil disobedience, and connect our struggles.

The workshop will be moderated by activists in the Nordic Scientist Rebellion group, and there will hopefully also be other activists from other SR groups. We will present and discuss the objectives and creation of a globally connected SR community. The workshop provides a platform to connect and plan with other climate movements.

B132 NETTO NULL and carbon offsets: pseudo-solutions in a neo-colonial tradition

Due to public pressure, companies are setting net-zero emissions targets to give the impression that they are taking aggressive action against climate change. This "race to net-zero" only leads to a steep increase in demand for carbon offsets that...

Due to public pressure, companies are setting net-zero emissions targets to give the impression that they are taking aggressive action against climate change. This "race to net-zero emissions" leads to a steep increase in demands for carbon offsets. They do not lead to actual emission reduction, at best they can only neutralise emissions. They maintain the status quo and serve as a means for companies to avoid actual changes to their unsustainable business models.

In recent years, the carbon capturing properties of the natural environment have increasingly been commercialised and used to claim carbon offsets, adding to the pressure on indigenous territories. There have been cases where conservation projects have led to the displacement of entire communities and even serious human rights violations such as extrajudicial killings and rape.
In this workshop we will explore how carbon offsets work, how they are linked to the financialisation of nature, and how they are linked to displacement and other human rights violations of indigenous peoples on the ground in the context of so-called conservation. We will also discuss how we can build alliances in the climate movement to d...

C015 Faced with the war in Ukraine, how are women resisting and organising themselves?

The voice of feminists from Ukraine and Eastern European countries will allow both to better share their point of view, their experiences of the conflict in Ukraine, and to engage in a dialogue with feminists from other countries around concrete i...

Putin's war in Ukraine has found considerable resistance.
This workshop gives the floor to feminist comrades from Ukraine and Eastern European countries to share their point of view and their experience of the conflict, and to engage in a dialogue with feminists from other countries. The testimonies of those who offer resistance in Ukraine and Eastern European countries will focus on the questions that arise in everyday life in order to offer resistance, work and protect themselves. They will also address the difficulties and violence women encounter in exile in Poland or elsewhere in Europe, but also the debates they are confronted with. How can we support those who are the most severely affected by the war? How can we organise ourselves at the European level?

D121 How can the fight against the right succeed?

Right-wing extremism is by no means limited to Germany or Europe. The international right is well networked worldwide. This workshop will first give all participants an overview of the current situation and then develop ideas as a group for approp...

In the workshop we want to deepen the Forum's debate on right-wing extremism. Worldwide, massive price increases and inflation can be observed due to supply problems as a result of war and Corona. What does such a development, in which more and more people are plagued by fear of decline and have to fight for their economic existence, mean for the struggle against right-wing extremism? How are anti-fascist movements in different countries adapting to these changed conditions? What can we learn from the experiences of other countries where such a development has already taken place in recent years? And how can we strengthen each other through transnational cooperation?

P - Plenary Strategy

The strategy debate aims to examine the possibilities of political influence of social movements in a plenary session and to find the most effective form of organisation for this. Starting from the social contradictions and the common political an...

The strategy debate aims to examine the possibilities of political influence of social movements in a plenary session and to find the most effective form of organisation for this. Starting from the social contradictions and the common political answers, the current situation and the development perspective of the left will be discussed. The possibilities of cooperation between NGOs, trade unions and left parties will be examined. The narrative of the left will be questioned: Capitalism and ecology or exploitation? Or something quite different from self-determined life?
And how do we organise the struggles? March separately - strike united; organisational unity and leadership? Or loose network structures and open spaces? The answers are essential for the social movements.

T1 - Ever since I can remember I have had a broken heart from "The Unheard"

People lie asleep on the floor; their bodies are traced with sidewalk chalk. A man stands up, looks out into the audience and says, "I've had a broken heart for as long as I can remember." One by one, the other performers stand up and talk about t...

People lie asleep on the floor; their bodies are traced with sidewalk chalk. A man stands up, looks out into the audience and says, "I've had a broken heart for as long as I can remember." One by one, the other performers stand up and talk about their feelings, about their life on the streets.
Based on their own, sometimes very painful experiences, the theatre group "Die Unerhörten" (The Unheard) has developed a scenic-musical collage with the help of improvisation, which essentially revolves around the topic of homelessness. The 16 actors present a whole spectrum of ways in which one can become impoverished, end up on the streets and in trouble. They have had enough of being invisible and unheard. They want to tell their stories, authentically and up close and personal!

A094 China as an Enemy - A Differentiated Perspective in Times of Geopolitical Polarisation

Opinions about the People's Republic of China differ widely: some see the country as a "socialist market economy" or at least on the way to socialism, according to the self-description of the Chinese Communist Party; for others it is a capitalist ...

Opinions about the People's Republic of China differ widely: some see the country as a "socialist market economy" or at least on the way to socialism, according to the self-description of the Chinese Communist Party; for others it is a capitalist society. Hardly less controversial are the assessments of China's increasing global political importance: Does the Chinese government's "Belt and Road" initiative open up new scope for action for the Global South, or does it remain with the familiar patterns of dependency? This workshop offers a differentiated perspective on the world power China in times of increasing geopolitical polarisation. In the first part of the workshop, we will discuss central aspects of social contradictions in China using the example of changes in the world of work as well as social struggles in China. In the second part, we provide insights into the character of China's global expansion through the New Silk Roads and examine the impact of the Ukraine war on the development goals of the Chinese government.

A137 ESCALATION - A wild ride through activism!

You want to know which methods you can use to create publicity and which creative forms of protest you can use to make a big fuss? Discover the diversity of political forms of action. Get inspired for your career as a full-time activist!

You find ordinary marches pretty boring? Is it not enough for you to just click on the next online petition? You want to know what methods you can use to create publicity and what creative forms of protest you can use to make a big fuss? Discover the diversity of political forms of action and let yourself be carried away by the beauty of both radical and more agreeable actions with the “weapon” of humour. Get inspired for your career as a full-time activist!

A151 The EU push to ”complete the internal market” – strategies for reclaiming democratic space and protecting public services

Corporate lobby groups are demanding drastic new EU powers to ”complete the internal market.” This could mean yet another EU push for deregulation and privatisation, and new neoliberal obstacles for social justice initiatives and a radical ecologi...

Under the slogan of "completing the internal market," the European Commission is constantly trying to extend internal market rules to all areas of society while at the same time tightening their enforcement. The logical endpoint would be a Europe in which even water supply, health care and education would be subject to privatisation and corporate expansion. But the existing system for enforcing the EU's internal market also creates major obstacles for cities, regions and governments that want to accelerate environmental change and protect local communities. The governance of the internal market is not only too weak, but also too rigid and gives too much power to corporations.

In this workshop we will discuss new threats and what we can learn from previous Europe-wide campaigns. Most importantly, we will discuss how we can move from defensive struggles to offensive strategies to reclaim democratic spaces and decisively protect public services. Speakers include civil society activists, local politicians and trade unionists.

E027 Introduction to Unarmed Civil Protection

The workshop will focus on Unarmed Civil Protection (UCP), an alternative conflict resolution strategy in France and abroad.
It is based on non-violence and helps to open or expand spaces that make it possible to protect the safety of humans and ...

The workshop will focus on Unarmed Civil Protection (UCP), an alternative conflict resolution strategy in France and abroad that is only used when the local population wants it. It is based on non-violence and offers different methods such as observation, documentation of human rights violations, information, mediation and physical accompaniment.

The workshop will start with an introduction through dynamic exercises and videos in order to grasp the notions of (non-)violence and to progressively introduce UCP. A photo workshop will then be used to deepen the main principles in a didactic way, complemented by an exercise to experience the concepts of positive and negative peace.

The dynamic practical exercises could be :
- a violence barometer
- a role playing exercise
- an active debate

E103 Banners, masks, signs

There is no protest without banners, picket signs and masks of politicians, corporate bosses or heroes of the movement. This informs the bystanders and provides powerful images for the press and social media. Here you can learn how to produce them...

They are the bread and butter of street protest:
1) Banners with your core message and the logo of your organisation or group.
2) Picket signs with pictures and/or words – for individual messages or if there was simply no time for a banner.
3) Masks: They always look good in photos and often make a street theatre or action picture complete. With the face of politicians, bosses of evil companies or the image of heroes, superheroes, cartoon characters etc. you will stand out and your message will often be even clearer.

Unfortunately, what sounds simple often ends up in need of improvement because they are too small, hard to read or unrecognisable, they don't stand up to the weather or don't look good. This does not have to be the case. Here you can learn how to create effective material.

E023 The future of social forums WSF and ESF

After its recent event in Mexico, the World Social Forum is facing its reconfiguration as a process, as a structure and as an open space. Ideas range from resignation to the creation of an avant-garde. The European Social Forum will celebrate its ...

The history of the World Social Forum and the European Social Forum began in 2001 with an overwhelming start in Porto Alegre, followed by the first meeting in Europe in 2002 in Florence. These were the attempts to bundle the critique of globalisation in an open space and to find answers to the crisis-like development of intensified neoliberalism. After twenty years and a clear decline in interest in the social forum movement, the future of this movement is being questioned. While the initiators of the ESF are inviting people to Florence for a new beginning in November of this year, the 15th WSF in Mexico was reduced to a regional event of the Southern Americas and finds its International Council at odds over the question of whether the WSF will remain an open space of the globalisation-critical movement in accordance with its founding charter of Porto Alegre, or whether it will transform itself as a political subject into an action alliance. The social struggles coming to a head in the face of inflation and austerity policies in the European Union urgently call for a common strategy of resistance. But what is the right strategy? Activists from the founding years of WSF and ESF w...

E113 Crisis of democracy, new authoritarianism and emancipatory counter-strategies

Bourgeois democracy is in crisis in many places; authoritarian-populist, nationalist and fascist forces are gaining momentum; new authoritarian forms of rule and states are emerging. In this workshop we will discuss these developments and emancipa...

In the current multiple crisis, capitalist rule seems to be hardening to the extent that the hegemony of the capitalist class is disappearing. Bourgeois democracy is in crisis in many places; authoritarian-populist, nationalist and fascist forces are gaining momentum; new forms of rule and states are emerging that cannot be described at all or only inadequately with the outdated concepts of authoritarian statism, exceptionalism, Bonapartism, fascism; these new state forms require their own analysis. The workshop will discuss these developments and emancipatory counter-strategies.

B168 Our responsibility in times of climate emergency - What you can do in civil resistance

Hunger strikes, motorway blockades, shutting down pipelines - dramatic civil resistance is making its way into the Federal Republic. After all, the point-of-no-return in the Earth's overheating is imminent.

Hunger strikes, motorway blockades, shutting down pipelines - dramatic civil resistance is making its way into the Federal Republic. After all, the point-of-no-return in the Earth's overheating is imminent.

The next two to three years will decide the future of humanity. In this situation we all have a responsibility, also and especially as responsible fellow human beings of a society that politically continues on the path of fossil madness instead of converting it into an emergency economy. We must act, otherwise our society will suffer shortages of food and water and be destroyed in wars .We see it elsewhere already now.

Lina Schinköthe (20) already blocked major roads, motorways and the Seefeld oil tank farm with her mother Solvig Schinköthe (42) and carried out a successful occupation of Leipzig University, where she is studying philosophy. Since February, they have been active together in the group "Last Generation" and give lectures all over the republic.

B061 End fossil fuels: Occupy!

Students are striking. Institutions are failing. The fossil fuel industry is growing. That’s why between October and December 2022 the youth within the international climate justice movement will occupy hundreds of schools and universities to dema...

In this session we’ll present the concept of “End Fossil Fuel – Occupy!”: What is it? What are the demands? What are the principles? Why occupy schools and universities? Who can join us?

We’ll open the conversation with participants to brainstorm the potentialities of this international action and how we can create great momentum for the climate justice movement.

We want to invite everyone to show them how they can get involved and set up their own “End Fossil Fuel: Occupy!” action in their own context.

We need to dismantle the fossil fuel industry as a pillar of fossil fuel capitalism, and we need to do so as a mass popular movement. The youth have the power to end fossil, and the climate justice movement has the power to change the system.

B085 Genetic engineering in nature conservation

Gene Drives - a form of genetic engineering - is set to become THE new tool for climate adaptation and biodiversity protection. Invasive mice could be eradicated from islands within a few generations and plants made resistant to heat. Is this a cu...

Gene drive organisms are perhaps the most dangerous application of genetic engineering yet developed. With the help of the so-called CRISPR/Cas process, animals and plants that reproduce sexually are to be manipulated in such a way that they pass on a new trait to all their offspring, even if this is fatal for them. In doing so, the natural rules of evolution are overridden. This mechanism then repeats itself in each new generation: a genetic chain reaction. Gene drive organisms are intended to displace or even exterminate their fellow species in the nature environment. Their release can have unforeseeable consequences for ecosystems and food webs. They cannot be reversed. In the worst case, this could lead to the extinction of further species and the collapse of entire ecosystems, and also endanger human health and nutrition.
As states, companies, NGOs and indigenous peoples wrestle over the release of these organisms at the international level, it is high time that European civilians address the benefits and risks of this technology. In our workshop, participants will get an all-round view on the topic and possibilities for action will be worked out together.

B084 Financing the ecological bifurcation

This workshop will focus on the financing of the ecological bifurcation, analysis of previous policies and discussion of alternative proposals.

Financing the ecological bifurcation and the energy transition requires political guidance, investments and appropriate and sufficient financing. Financing necessarily requires the mobilisation of public finances. It is not only a question of generating revenue, but also of effectively influencing behaviour. Moreover, fiscal policy must also prioritise fiscal and social justice (i.e. the reduction of inequalities of all kinds) and strengthen tax compliance. The lever of public debt and monetary policy also plays an important role. At a time when successive IPCC reports are becoming increasingly alarming, fair and effective financing of the ecological bifurcation is absolutely urgent.

B120 The imperial mode of living: what is it, and how do we end it?

In "The Imperial Mode of Living: Everyday life and the ecological crisis", Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen lay out how the practices and expectations about daily life which we have in the global north depend on disastrous environmental damage and e...

In "The Imperial Mode of Living: Everyday life and the ecological crisis", Ulrich Brand and Markus Wissen lay out how the practices and expectations about daily life which we have in the global north depend on disastrous environmental damage and exploitation of formal and informal labour in the global south. In this workshop we will explore the concept, including what it means for international solidarity. Using group work we will also map out what an alternative, Solidary Mode of Living could look like and what this means for our campaigning and organising.

B025 The EU, the war and climate change

Under the catch phrase "strategic autonomy" the EU wants to play a big power role in the international system. With the Ukraine war the EU has fallen back into the position of a junior partner under US leadership.

The erosion of transatlantic relations under the Trump administration has
lead to ambitions to transform the EU into a more autonomous player in the international system against the background of the emergence of a polycentric world order. This also included efforts to militarise EU foreign policy. Since the beginning of the Biden administration, these efforts were countered by the US, which has taken a leading role in the formation of a Western alliance against China and Russia. Just like during the Cold War 1.0, the EU region of Europe has once again been reduced to the status of a junior partner. As Russia’s neighbor, the EU is also much more affected by the consequences of the war – from migration and the economy to its capacity to cope with climate change and other global problems.

B089 EuroMemorandum: Peace, socio-ecological transformation, degrowth?

The event is a workshop to bring together activists and academics to discuss political economy, ecological and geopolitical dimensions of global crises, and the role of the EU therein.

In this workshop we will discuss the connections and linkages between peace, socio-ecological transformation and degrowth. The aim is to bring together activists and movements of climate justice, peace/demilitarisation, and progressive economists. There will be an introductory talk to provide a common ground for the discussion.

B123 Strategy Discussion, Information-sharing on COP27 Mobilisation and Beyond

The People’s Summit and big mobilisations by UK-based and global climate justice groups in Glasgow and the Global Day of Action have strengthened our movements. This session offers a space to exchange information, share plans and explore possibili...

The People’s Summit and big mobilisations by UK-based and global climate justice groups in Glasgow and the Global Day of Action have strengthened our movements. The 150,000-strong march was the largest climate demonstration the UK has ever seen. Despite nearly 30 UN climate meetings since 1992, COPs continue to be dominated by corporate and elite interests and we are far from stopping climate change.
We acknowledge the limits to people’s mobilisations imposed by the political situation in Egypt. This session offers a space to exchange information, share plans, explore possibilities on what social movements and organisational strategies could work to build counter-power in Egypt within COP27 and beyond. How can we strategically use the short-term processes of the alternative COP summits as part of a longer-term programme? What needs to happen at COP27?

F3.1 Traffic - The transport sector is key to to climate and social justice

Emissions from the transport sector continue to rise unchecked. The latest IPCC report shows how urgently we need to change course here too. The overall volume of traffic must be reduced and we need a significantly higher share of public transport...

Emissions from the transport sector continue to rise unchecked. The latest IPCC report shows how urgently we need to change course here too. The overall volume of traffic must be reduced and we need a significantly higher share of public transport and rail in the modal split. This applies to both passenger and freight transport.
Thousands of good jobs can be created in the production of rail vehicles and vehicles for public transport. Employees must be central agents of change. The new jobs to be created in the production of alternative vehicles and in public and rail transport must meet decent work requirements.
In 2020, Fridays for Future in Germany stood in solidarity with public transport workers and supported their strikes - a good example of the climate movement and the labour movement coming together. We will discuss possible strategies with trade unionists, representatives of the climate movement and the Attac group "Einfach umsteigen".

D163 Thirty years after the end of apartheid - Lex ukrainensis and Europe. How could it come to this?

Thirty years after the end of apartheid, there first- and second-class war victims once again. The Lex Ukrainensis has reintroduced the apartheid system in the European Union and North America with full force.

European people with blue eyes and blond hair are first-class war victims - "they look like us" - are light-skinned or white, Christian like us and therefore more "civilized." Second-class war victims are Black Africans, Black Europeans and Black Americans, people with brown to tan skin and straight black hair.
The Lex Ukrainensis has reinstated the apartheid system in the European Union and North America with full force. This has made state racism and a new phenomenon of "Russophobia" acceptable, reinforced everyday racism and created a neo-racial theory. The opinion prevails that Russians, even if they look European, are not Europeans in the cultural sense.
But where do we put Septimius Severus, Saint Mauritius, Queen Philippa of Hainaut, Joseph Bologne Chevalier de Saint Georges, General Alexandre Dumas, Pushkin, Alexandre Dumas Jr, Duchess Sophie Charlotte of Mecklenburg-Prignitz (Queen of Great Britain and Ireland) and many others? Do we have to erase them from the history of Europe?

K7 - Trees of Protest #HambiBleibt!

A long-term documentary about the fierce struggle of environmental activists against the opencast lignite mine Hambach and the energy giant RWE; about climate justice and the movement #HambiBleibt, which gained international attention through the ...

A long-term documentary about the fierce struggle of environmental activists against the opencast lignite mine Hambach and the energy giant RWE; about climate justice and the movement #HambiBleibt, which gained international attention through the events in autumn 2018.
Reviews: "A sensual, opulent and impressive film on climate change" – Internationales Filmfestival Mannheim-Heidelberg
"A heavy and touching document" – Frankenpost
"A long-term documentary with impressive images" – SWR
https://www.treesofprotest.com/

F3.3 War and Peace #2 - Ukrainian activists* on the war on Ukraine, resistance and solidarity

The resistance of the Ukrainian people to Putin's brutal war of aggression has received support across Europe. This forum will be an opportunity to hear directly from Ukrainian activists* about the many issues that the war raises for movements in ...

The resistance of the Ukrainian people to Putin's brutal war of aggression has received support across Europe. This forum will be an opportunity to hear directly from Ukrainian activists* about the many issues that the war raises for movements in Ukraine and across Europe and the world.

F3.2 War & Peace #1 - On peace and disarmament in times of war

Each time major political powers are involved in wars the issue of global disarmament is back at the forefront of the debates. In the last decades, the Balkans, Iraq and now Ukraine are such moments. But whatever the context the issue of disarmame...

Each time major political powers are involved in wars the issue of global disarmament is back at the forefront of the debates. In the last decades, the Balkans, Iraq and now Ukraine are such moments. But whatever the context the issue of disarmament and peace is central for progressive alternatives. And activists are present where there are fora that discuss the issue, like the UN. With a direct line to New York, Tarja Cronberg, member of the Finnish government delegation to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Negotiations, will set the tone with a statement on progress and obstacles in nuclear disarmament. The panel will try to define the contribution of civil society to this process.

P - Closing event

After four days of political discussions, with music, theatre, dance and party, but also with an impressive action to save climate and environment, we take stock together. Have we found answers to the urgent questions in our struggle for a better ...

After four days of political discussions, with music, theatre, dance and party, but also with an impressive action to save climate and environment, we take stock together. Have we found answers to the urgent questions in our struggle for a better world, for a peaceful Europe, for the avoidance of a climate catastrophe? Have we succeeded in joining forces across borders, in making new friends? The perspective of the social movements, their next joint actions will be presented.
Goodbye! Auf Wiedersehen! Au revoir ! До свидания! ¡Adiós! Αντίο! Adjö!