Socialism for Future Conference
This event will take place primarily in German, but many panels are going to be live-translated into English as well. Which ones exactly is indicated in the program below.
Some panels are also going to be livestreamed here. Which ones is also indicated in the program below.
In order to participate, please register here.
Description
We are experiencing a regressive phase of capitalism, including—and especially—with regards to climate policy. A broad front has formed against a socio-ecological transformation and has sharply slowed down ecological modernization. Fossil-fuel dependency—from natural gas to internal-combustion-engine cars—is back. Yet the coming ecological catastrophes are foreseeable; seven of the nine planetary boundaries have already been exceeded.
Yet every crisis also presents an opportunity. Rarely has the need for systemic change been as clear as it is today. We need a left-wing alternative to disaster capitalism. The programmatic concept of green socialism can help point the way out of the current crises.
At the conference, we want to discuss together: What lies ahead for us under the current social conditions? What contradictions are emerging? What does “green socialism” actually mean, and how can the concept be developed? What initial projects exist—and what might ecological class politics look like in practice?
Organizers
This event is organized by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation in cooperation with Communia e.V., the Network Democratic Economic Planning, the journal Prokla, the Institute for Critical Theory (InkriT), the Association for critical study of society (AkG), and the AkG’s Critical China Forum. In media partnership with the Future Histories Podcast.
When registering (see above), please note in the “Comments” section if you require childcare or have any other special needs.
The Huffschmid Prize for Political Economy will also be awarded at the conference.
Program (tentative)
Thursday, Nov. 19
6:30–8:00 p.m., Lecture with Chen Yiwen and Li Siqi (Tsinghua University, Beijing)
Is China on the Path to an Eco-Civilization?
Moderator: Nadja Charaby (RLS)
With simultaneous English/German translation, in the small hall on the ground floor
Friday, November 20
5:30 p.m., Opening: Why Green Socialism?
With Mario Candeias (RLS)
Wealth, Class, and Climate
With Lucas Chancel (Sciences Po, Paris), Leonie Petersen (Oxfam), Lorenz Gösta Beutin (Member of the German Bundestag, Die Linke); Moderator: Nadja Charaby (RLS)
With simultaneous English/German translation, in the large hall on the ground floor, as well as a livestream in the library on the first floor
7:30 p.m., Break with finger food
8–9 p.m., Awarding of the Jörg Huffschmid Prize
by the Scientific Advisory Board of Attac, the Pluralist Economics Network, Euromemo, and the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation
Introduction: Anne Huffschmid (jury) and Stefan Thimmel (RLS)
Laudatory Speeches: Silke Ötsch and Justus Henze (both members of the Jörg Huffschmid Prize jury)
Short speeches by the award recipients:
– Solveig Degen for her master’s thesis “Levers and Barriers for Energy System Transformation Through Socialization—The Case of the Austrian Energy Sector”
– Dominik Pietron for his dissertation “Digital Privatization: Conflicts Over Data and Platforms in Public Services”
Moderators: Eva Völpel (RLS), Pernille Zimmermann (NPÖ), and Thomas Eberhardt-Köster (Attac Germany)
With simultaneous English/German translation in the main hall on the ground floor and a livestream in the library on the first floor
Saturday, Nov. 21
10:00–11:00 a.m., Tipping Points, Disasters, and Capitalism—Where Do We Stand?
Kōhei Saitō (University of Tokyo)
Moderator: Jan Rehmann (InkriT)
With simultaneous English/German translation in the small hall on the ground floor and a livestream in the library on the first floor
Introductions to Green Socialism:
– Changes in modes of production and society’s relationship to nature
– Ecological class politics and industrial restructuring
– Green infrastructure socialism and socialization
– Eco-socialist internationalism
– Eco-socialist democratic planning
11:15 a.m.–1:00 p.m. Workshops
a) Anti-fascist and socio-ecological economic policy – featuring: Sabine Nuss (author, Berlin), Dierk Hierschel (ver.di), and Thomas Goes (Die Linke Göttingen); Moderator: Eva Völpel (RLS) – Small Hall – with livestream
b) Conversion – the right way. What’s next? – with Mara Schaffer (University of Jena), Lars Hirsekorn (VW Works Council/GK ZAUM), Cem Ince (Member of the Bundestag, Die Linke); Moderator: Stephan Krull (Executive Board, RLS/GK ZAUM) – Room S4
c) Infrastructures of Hope and Caring Cities – with Barbara Fried (RLS), Alex Wischnewski (Die Linke), and Corinna Dingler (Vienna University of Technology, TBD), Moderator: Inga Lamprecht (RLS, TBD) – Room S3
d) Raw Materials: Between Extreme Fossilism, Green Capitalism, and Sustainable Resource Use – with Anna Fünfgeld (University of Hamburg), Nina Schlosser (RLS/HWR Berlin), and Tonny Nowshin (Konzeptwerk), Moderator: Jan-David Echterhoff (RLS) – Room S1
e) Economic Planning Within Planetary Boundaries – with Solveig Degen (Center for Social Critique, Berlin), Isabel Estevez (Think Tank i3T/Common Wealth’s Green Planning Commission, invited), Isabel Estevez (Think Tank i3T/Commonwealth’s Green Planning Commission), Matthias Schmelzer (Norbert Elias Center for Transformation Design & Research, University of Flensburg), Moderator: Justus Heinze (Communia e.V.) – with simultaneous English/German translation in the library on the 1st floor
1:00 p.m. Lunch in Room S2
2:15–3:45 p.m. Workshops
a) Between the Domination of Nature and Militarization: Artificial Intelligence as a New Destructive Force? – with Sandra Sieron (Prokla/HU Berlin), Christoph Marischka (IMI Tübingen), and Silvia Weko (University of Erlangen-Nuremberg); Moderator: Philipp Frey (ITAS/RLS Executive Board) – Room S3
b) Green Steel – Is It Possible? – with Mirze Edis (Member of the German Bundestag, Die Linke), Tom Krebs (University of Mannheim), and Alexandra Gerasimcikova (RLS Brussels); Moderator: Roland Kulke (Die Linke) – with simultaneous English/German translation in Room S4
c) Is Everything Expensive, or What? – Rent, the Heating Transition, and Socialization – with Elisabeth Staudt (Die Linke Berlin), Armin Rothemann (DWE), and Knut Unger (Witten Tenants’ Association, Platform of Critical Real Estate Shareholders, Ruhr Tenants’ Forum); Moderator: Stefan Thimmel (RLS) – in Room S1
d) From New (Eco)Imperialism to (Eco)Socialist Internationalism – with Thomas Sablowski (LuXemburg magazine), Markus Wissen (HWR/RLS Advisory Board), and Vanessa Thompson (Queens University New York); Moderator: Lia Becker (LuXemburg editorial team) – with simultaneous English/German translation in the small hall and livestream
e) Socialization of Investment – with Isabel Feichtner (University of Würzburg) and Christoph Sorg (Humboldt University of Berlin); Moderator: Janina Urban (Witten-Herdecke University/Democratic Planning Network) – with simultaneous English/German translation in the library on the 1st floor
3:45 p.m. Coffee break
3:15–5:45 p.m. Workshops
a) Eco-imperialist Tensions and Eco-Socialist Internationalism – with Merle Groneweg (HU Berlin), Uli Brand (University of Vienna/RLS Executive Board), and Nina Treu (Die Linke); Moderator: Lasse Thiele (Berlin) – Room S3
b) Conflicts of Transformation and Socio-Ecological Industrial Policy – with Karen Jaehrling (IAQ Duisburg), Frederick Coloumb (Die Linke), Steffen Lehndorf (IAQ Duisburg/RLS Member), Moderator: Stephan Krull (RLS Executive Board/ZAUM Working Group) – Room S4
c) Energy in the Climate Crisis: Prices, Supply, and the Question of Ownership – with Sophie-Marie Aß (Die Linke), Justus Henze (Communia), Tom Krebs (University of Mannheim/RLS-GK WiPo); Moderator: Eva Völpel (RLS) – Room S1
d) China: From Green Capitalism to Eco-Civilization? – with Chen Yiwen (Tsinghua University, Beijing) and Jenny Simon (Prokla, Berlin); Moderator: Hauke Neddermann (InkriT) – with simultaneous English/German translation in the small hall and livestream
e) Planning for Food Security – with Anne Klingenmeier (Advisor on Food and Agricultural Policy, The Left parliamentary group in the Bundestag), Jan-Felix Thon (KoLa Leipzig – Community-Supported Agriculture), Walther Zeug (Helmholtz Center for Environmental Research, Leipzig), Moderator: Rabea Berfelde (Centre for Social Critique, Berlin) – with simultaneous English/German interpretation in the library on the 1st floor
5:45 p.m. Finger food in Room S2
6:45–8:15 p.m.: Closing Session: Socio-Ecological Populism, Green Socialism, and Die Linke
Violetta Bock (Member of the German Bundestag, Die Linke); Lia Becker (LuXemburg Editorial Team) and Carla Reemtsma (FridaysForFuture)
Moderator: Uli Brand (Executive Board, RLS/University of Vienna)
With simultaneous English/German translation in the main hall on the ground floor, as well as a livestream in the library on the first floor