transform! europe will hold four workshops in the frame of the European Summer University for Social Movements (ESU), organized by the European Attac Network from 19 to 23 August at the University Paris-VII Diderot.
During five days, more than 1000 participants will meet to exchange viewpoints, to learn from and with each other, to discuss and to further develop ways and strategies to exit from the world-wide crises as well as to further empower the social movements at local and international level.
As one of the main partners of the event, transform! europe will hold four workshops. The floor will be given to academics, trade unionists, social activists and politicians in order to address some of the most critical issues faced by the European Union: austerity policies and alternatives, European trade unions’ response to the crisis, the new political landscape after the EU elections, the citizens’ perceptions in the crisis, the social movements and the new political constructions – as well as a debate on public research policy in a neoliberal EU.
For further information see ESU Website: http://www.esu2014.org/
Programme
transform! Workshops at the ATTAC Europe Summer University
1. AUSTERITY POLICIES, NEW BREACHES AND ALTERNATIVES / Wednesday 20 August – 4:30 pm
Moderator: Josua Gräbener (PhD Candidate in Political Science)
Presentation of the recently updated version of the collective book edited by Steffen Lehndorff “The Triumph of Failed Ideas”, discussion on the consequences of austerity policies with regard to labor legislation and trade union’s bargaining right, and debate over initiatives launched by the European social movement and the trade unions to overcome the crisis.
- Steffen Lehndorff: Institute for Labor and Technologies (Duisburg, Germany)
- Trevor Evans: EuroMemorandum (Berlin, Germany)
- Jean-François Tamellini: Federal secretary of the trade union FGTB (Brussels, Belgium)
- Marc Delepouve: Professor of Mathematics (Lille, France)
2. PERCEPTIONS IN THE CRISIS AND NEW POLITICAL LANDSCAPE / Thursday 21 August – 4:30 pm
Moderator: Christine Mendelsohn (Party of the European Left)
Presentation of the ongoing research project investigating popular perceptions in the crisis with regard to political sovereignty and the role of economy, assessment of the political balance of power in the aftermath of the European elections, and collective discussion on the European extreme right and nationalist’s political forces and the answers of the Left to address them.
- Walter Baier: transform! europe (Vienna, Austria)
- René Monzat: Journalist, researcher (Paris, France)
- Elisabeth Gauthier: Espaces Marx, transform! europe (Paris, France)
- Marie-Christine Vergiat: Member of the European Parliament (Front de Gauche – GUE/NGL)
3. SOCIAL MOVEMENTS AND NEW POLITICAL CONSTRUCTIONS / Friday 22 August – 4:30 pm
Moderator: Maxime Benatouil (transform! europe)
Discussion on the relation between social movements active in the European countries most affected by the crisis and Left parties, as well as on new forms of political constructions emerging from these social movements.
- Jorge Lago: Podemos (Madrid, Spain)
- Dragan Nikcevic: United Left (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
- Annick Coupé: Trade Union Solidaires (Paris, France)
- A representative of SYRIZA
4. PUBLIC RESEARCH: FOR WHAT PURPOSE? AND FOR WHOM? / Friday 22 August – 4:30 pm
A cooperation of SNESUP-FSU, Espaces Marx and transform! europe.
This workshop proposes to consider the principles of organization and the desired outcomes of public research that is connected to the social world, producing critical knowledge and creating links with associations and networks of popular education.
- Claude Calame: ATTAC France
- Marc Delepouve: Professor of Mathematics (Lille, France)
- Janine Guespin: Espaces Marx (Paris, France)
- Willy Pelletier: Copernic Foundation (Paris, France)