Invitation to Passignano 2014
Constituent Spaces. Europe, Struggles, World
We
are happy to invite you to the annual meeting organized by the
EuroNomade network, to be held in Passignano sul Trasimeno on September
18-21. EuroNomade is a network of activists, scholars and researchers
that has existed since 2013. Many of its members were previously part of
the UniNomade network. Coming from the "workerist" and "postworkerist"
tradition we aim at fostering political debates within social movements,
in a way that works at the boundary between the university and
political activism. We are particularly interested in asking questions
about the meaning of a European subversive politics. We are therefore
connected with comrades and networks in many parts of Europe, but we
always try to develop our discussion within a broader framework. In this
sense fostering relations outside of Europe (e.g. in Latin America and
Asia) is particularly important for us. Indeed our work on Europe is
part and parcel of a broader attempt to reinvent the politics of
internationalism.
The Passignano
meeting will be dedicated this year to two interrelated topics. We will
start on Thursday, September 18, with a discussion with David Harvey.
His recent work has focused on what we would like to call the
"extractive" dimensions of contemporary capitalism. Although we have
often critically discussed his work, we are particularly happy that he
has accepted our invitation. What we want to discuss with Harvey are the
different regimes and forms of what he calls "accumulation by
dispossession" as well as the relation between dispossession and
exploitation.
We are convinced that the
discussion with Harvey, who will participate in the whole seminar, will
be an excellent introduction to the topics that we want to address in
the two following days (September 19-20). The first is what we
tentatively call "social unionism." By this we mean emerging forms of
social struggles, which often blur the boundary between the point of
production and social reproduction. The second topic is ?Europe and the
world,? which will have us discuss the position of Europe within the
current world disorder. We are convinced that there is a strong
connection between these two topics. In other words, we think that the
quality and intensity of social struggles in Europe will strongly
influence the position of Europe in the world, while this position will
in turn have important consequences for the spaces of struggle as well
as for the quality of freedom and equality in Europe. Moreover we think
that there is an urgent need to reflect upon the connection between the
two proposed topics in order to go beyond the predicament of the
movement against the war in Europe, which was apparent in the last
months in front of the multiple wars at Europe?s borders (Ukraine,
Syria, Palestine...).
We really hope
that you will join us in Passignano. We have invited activists and
researchers from several European countries (including Germany, Spain,
and Greece). There will also be a discussion about the current situation
in Brazil, and more generally in Latin America, with the participation
of Brazilian comrades. The format of the seminar will be mixed, with
roundtables followed by discussions in smaller groups, especially on the
19th, when we expect to have an intense discussion on the perspectives
of struggles in Europe next Fall. On the 21st we will close the seminar
with an open assembly, where we hope we will be able to lay the basis
for an even more intense cooperation for the next future.
For logistical infos, please write to Carlo: carloromag@yahoo.it - +39 328 2627747
