• 19 Březen 2022 - 19 Březen 2022
  • Berlin and online

  • hybrid

  • International Conference

  • ¡No pasarán! 2022

  • This conference brings together activists and experts from Europe and beyond to plan the most effective ways of challenging the far right. We will share experiences, analyses and strategies for mobilisation and action.

    Over the last decade, the rise of the far right has accelerated globally, in its biggest upsurge since the 1930s. It takes many different forms, but it presents a real threat to our democracy and diverse communities wherever it is found. From street attacks and mobilisations to government office, they use Islamophobia, anti-Semitism, xenophobia and racism to spread hate and fear. They attack trade unionists and the left, and the rights and liberties of us all; the onslaught on women’s rights, in particular, has been severe. In the time of Trump, they received an enormous boost, becoming increasingly internationalised, well-funded and well-organised. They used ‘lawfare’ and coups to overthrow legitimate governments and exclude left candidates. Trump has gone but Trumpism continues; its increasing paramilitary orientation, fake news and anti-fact approach presents an enormous challenge, particularly during the pandemic. The far right has weaponised the pandemic in its own political interests, and  the economic crisis that is running alongside the virus is being exploited by the far right to build its social and political base. But there are victories too, where the people mobilise for a different vision of society and defeat the hate and fear. We must build that alternative together.

    These are crucial issues for us to address: it’s urgent for us to analyse and get organised together to defeat the far right.

    In the first part of the conference, we will be looking at the internationalisation of the far right, the role of neoliberalism and war in its rise, its attacks on our rights and liberties, the increase in racism and Islamophobia, how the pandemic is used by the far right, and how the left is responding.

    In the second part, we will focus on how we fight back, with movement building and grassroots work, unity in action and alliances, international solidarity and coordination, migrant self-organisation and solidarity with migrants, and effective trade union action across borders.

    Our main aim is to build a new narrative – based on the reality of people’s lives, to create a different society where there is no space for fascism in any of its forms.

    Aims:

    • To strengthen a radical left counter-narrative to far-right manipulation of interlocking crises
    • To develop and strengthen European-wide mobilising in this and other areas
    • To share best practices and concrete actions of social struggles, movements, politics to fight back the far right
    • To develop and strengthen unity on the left and across progressive movements in Europe
    • To facilitate movement-building in individual countries via a preparatory process
    • To work together to build a society where there is no space for fascism and everywhere is free of fascism

    Organised by the Party of the European Left, Die LINKE, and transform! europe

    Hybrid conference, in Berlin and online.

    Venue
    Franz-Mehring-Platz 1
    10243 Berlin

Programme

(updated 16/3/2022)

Saturday, 19 March

10:30 (CET): Welcome and registration

11:00–12:30 (CET): Opening session: Our shared struggle against the far right

Plenary Room - Münzenbergsaal
Interpretation: EN, FR, DE, ES
Hybrid and Livestream

Introducion and moderation:

  • Fabian Figueiredo, Co-Coordinator of the Working Group Fighting the Far Right of the Party of the European Left (EL), Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal

Speakers:

  • Janine Wissler, Co-Chairwoman, Die LINKE, Germany
  • Sira Rego, Izquierda Unida (IU) MEP, The Left Group in the European Parliament, Spain
  • Cecília Honório, initiator of the Portuguese Observatory of the Far Right, Bloco de Esquerda, Portugal
  • Danièle Obono, MP France Insoumise, France
  • Dáire Hughes, Sinn Féin Deputy General Secretary (Leas Ard Runaí)

12:30-13:30 (CET): Lunch break

13:30–15:00 (CET): Parallel Workshops

How the far right is organising: attacking our rights, dividing our communities

Plenary Room - Münzenbergsaal
Interpretation: EN, FR, DE, IT
Hybrid and Livestream

Introducion and moderation:

  • Oliver Schröder, Die LINKE MEP, The Left Group in the European Parliament, Germany

Speakers:

  • Esther Lynch, Deputy General Secretary of the European Confederation of Trade Unions (ETUC), Ireland
  • Alice Bernard, Member of the Parliament of Wallonia, Member of the National Council of the PTB, Belgium
  • Gianna Fracassi, CGIL Deputy General Secretary, Italy
  • Yann Mompoint, LGBTQI+ Militant of the Communist French Party

Ideological developments in the far right: do they agree?

Seminarraum 2
Interpretation: EN

Introducion and moderation:

Speakers:

NSU 2.0. - right-wing terrorism and the role of the state

Seminarraum 1
Interpretation: EN, DE

Introducion and moderation:

  • Anika Taschke, Coordinator of antifascist work for the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung, Germany

Speakers:

  • Ferat Koçak, member of Berlin's House of Representatives, Die LINKE, Germany
  • Petra Pau, Vice President of the Bundestag, Die LINKE, Germany
  • Caro Keller, NSU Watch, Germany

Defending our diverse communities: fighting racism and Islamophobia

Seminarraum 3
Interpretation: EN, DE, FR

Introducion and moderation:

  • Maria Spiliotopoulou, Syriza member of the Working Group of the Party of the European Left Fighting the Far Right, Greece

Speakers:

  • Maia Thomas, Black Lives Matter (BLM), Britain 
  • Judit Somi, TUMENCA association working with Roma workers, Hungary
  • Merve Şahin, member of the Immigrants and Integration Council of the city of Solingen, DIE LINKE, Germany
  • Sotiria Chira, Generation 2.0, Greece

30 min coffee break

15:30–17:00 (CET): Parallel Workshops

Against Fortress Europe

Plenary Room - Münzenbergsaal
Interpretation: EN, DE, FR
Hybrid and Livestream

Introduction and Moderation

  • Seema Syeda, Comms & Campaigns Officer for Another Europe Is Possible, Britain

Speakers:

  • Jarmila Rybnicka, sociologist and activist, Kuchnia Konfliktu, Poland
  • Dariush Beigui, captain of the rescue ship Iuventa, Germany 
  • Cornelia Ernst, DIE LINKE MEP, The Left Group in the European Parliament, Germany
  • Lucy Nganga, International Women Space, Germany
  • Muhammad Al Kashef, Watch the Med Alarmphone - Abolish Frontex, Egypt

One year after the Capitol: US strategic developments against the far right. Fighting for democracy and against the Far right

Seminarraum 1
Interpretation: EN, DE
Hybrid

Introducion and moderation:

Speakers:

  • Kristian Hernandez, Member of Demoratic Socialists of America's National Political Committee, USA (online)
  • Kazembe Balagun, project manager at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Foundation and BLM activist, USA (online)
  • David Broder, editor at Jacobin, Germany

Authoritarian racism and radicalised conservatism

Seminarraum 2
Interpretation: EN, DE

Introducion and moderation:

Speakers:

  • Ugo Paletha, sociologist and co-director of the review Contretemps, France
  • Natascha Strobl, political scientist, Austria (online)
  • Asli Aydin, EL Executive Board member, SOL Party, Turkey

Who are the far-right voters?

Seminarraum 3
Interpretation: EN, FR

Introducion and moderation:

  • Judith Benda, Head of the European Liaison Office of the Parliamentary Group DIE LINKE, Member of the EL Executive Board, Germany

Speakers:

  • Luis Ramirο, political scientist, Spain
  • Yann Le Lann, sociologist and Vice President of transform! europe, France
  • Alice Samara, historian, professor at the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences, New University of Lisbon, Portugal
  • Tony Rigopoulos, journalist covering the Golden Dawn trial, Greece

Against lawfare, sanctions and coups: Fighting back and winning in Latin America

Seminarraum 7
Interpretation: EN, ES

Introducion and moderation:

  • Maite Mola, Vice President of the Party of the European Left, Spain

Speakers:

  • Daniel Jadue, Mayor of Recoleta (Santiago de Chile), PC Chile
  • Monica Valente, member of the National Executive Committee of the Brazilian Workers' Party and Executive Secretary of the São Paulo Forum, Brazil 
  • Ollie Vargas, journalist, Bolivia

30 min coffee break

17:30–18:30 (CET): Closing Session: Defeating the far right. Where do we go from here?

Plenary Room - Münzenbergsaal
Interpretation: EN, DE, FR, ES
Hybrid and Livestream

Introducion and moderation:

  • Kate Hudson, Co-Coordinator EL Fighting the Far Right WG and organiser of the 1st edition of the ¡No pasarán! Conference in London, Britain

Speakers:

  • Heinz Bierbaum, President of the Party of the European Left, Germany
  • Vassiliki Katrivanou, SYRIZA MP Greece
  • Jeremy Corbyn, The Peace and Justice Project, Britain
  • Cécile Dumas, Comité National PCF, Head of the Migration Sector, France

Special Contributions

  • Julia Schramm, member of the party executive of Die LINKE; she has been working on hate-speach on the internet for many year;
  • Reiner Braun, executive director International Peace Bureau (IPB)

19:00 (CET): Cultural event and gathering

  • Tag Pictogram

  • Tags

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