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maldekstra #special: international 2020

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The world is in disarray: social divisions, inequality, economic crisis, the climate catastrophe and the rise of a new authoritarianism all challenge the very foundations of civilization. Saying that capitalism offers no answers is not enough. We need effective alternatives, alternative experiments, more democracy, and socialist discussions. But there is another truth that is particularly evident amidst the Covid-19 pandemic: the challenges of a global world cannot be solved at the national level alone. Whether it is a matter of addressing the climate crisis, of the necessary restructuring of production methods, or of the worldwide fight for social justice: leftist forces in societies right around the world—in all their diversity, with their regional knowledge and experiences in local struggles for a better world—must rediscover internationalism and renew it from the bottom up.

Index:

Not to be forgotten again: On solidarity in the era of coronavirus, the political economy of global inequality, and what comes after the pandemic

By Sabine Nuss

“We need an internationalist perspective more than ever”

Michael Nassen Smith on global solidarity in the pandemic

Sources of despair, sources of hope: The future of the labour movement in the face of coronavirus and pseudo-“wellness”

By Mark Bergfeld

A world to win: Towards a global solidarity and internationalism for the future. An editorial

By Tom Strohschneider

Multiplicity of an extensive network: Solidarity is more than just a means, an instrument, a utopia. Solidarity has been and remains a tangible experience

By Bini Adamczak

Solidarity with those farthest away in our now small world: Aspects of a new internationalism—sharing experiences, jointly defining goals and taking action together

By Alex Demirović

“We’re right back where the International Workingmen’s Association started”

Boris Kanzleiter on global authoritarianism, left-wing countermovements, and a new internationalism

Practical critique of the imperial mode of living: Elements for a new internationalism to consider

By Ulrich Brand

We still have a chance: Left-wing YouTuber Sabrina Fernandes wants to change not only Brazil, but the whole world

By David Pfeiffers

Rooms that are important: True confessions of a reluctant negotiation junkie (or why I persist in climate activism anywhere, everywhere, and so must others)

By Tetet Nera-Lauron

In praise of cosmopolitanism: Countering people’s forgetfulness of history and their obtuseness

By Tom Strohschneider

In search of the lost future: 2019 marked a new cycle of global movements.Despite many differences, they also have much in common

By Nelli Tügel

Painful solidarity: Who or what are we defending? Venezuela, Nicaragua and the Left

By Vincent Körner

“It is worth discussing”

An interview with historian Stefan Berger discussing the history of internationalism and the lessons it holds for future forms of global solidarity

A very brief spring: A century on from the founding of the Socialist International Women

By Hannah Hoffmann

Substitutionist internationalism is impossible: The Communist International between hope, heroism, and failure

By Lutz Brangsch

Goose bumps on arrival

Urs Müller-Plantenberg is a legend of Latin American solidarity work in Germany. In Allende’s Chile, he learned first-hand what critical internationalism is

It wasn’t the collapse of the Berlin Wall that liberated Mandela: The story of democratic struggle in South Africa was written by the activists involved—and by solidarity

By Andreas Bohne

The same, but different: The Solidarity Service International originated in East Germany. But genuine solidarity does not end with the collapse of a social system

By Kathrin Gerlof

“Yes, we’re reaching for the stars!”

Alex Wischnewski on the prospects for a Feminist International—as a goal, as a movement, and above all as possibly the strongest force we have today

Enormous traction: Striking is a powerful tool, as the battle for reproductive rights in the United States illustrates

By Cinzia Arruzza

The right to say “no”: On the links between climate justice, environmental relations, and gender justice

By Christa Wichterich

It’s about time: Climate justice is less an objective than a process: the struggle against the social structures responsible for climate injustice

By Tadzio Müller

“There is no deadline, only enormous urgency.”

Nadja Charaby and Tadzio Müller discuss the events that are creating new truths, climate justice, and why the left needs to take stock

The bitter reality: So far, too little attention has been paid to how the climate crisis is already bringing about migration and displacement worldwide

By Nadja Charaby

Not capital’s “plan”: Open borders and labour market competition: Observations on solidarity and the global economy

By Michael Wendl

Standard: Being human: Fundamental rights are universal and indivisible. As more and more people seek refuge, “welcome” initiatives, solidarity cities, and sea rescue missions show what this means

By Kathrin Gerlof

“We shouldn’t kid ourselves”

Wolfram Schaffar on authoritarian developments, the crisis of democracy, and the connection between critical analysis and political change

From Bonapartism to Post-Democracy: Marx and Luxemburg, Gramsci and Crouch: a brief history of crisis debates on the Left

By Tom Strohschneider

Against “Male Rage”: Around the world, women are at the forefront of resistance to authoritarian regimes

By Svenja Glaser

Overcoming old ways of thinking

Eva Wuchold in conversation about direct and structural violence, Johan Galtung’s contribution to conflict resolution, and the concept of “positive peace”

Rethinking feminism: More than just a treaty between two fronts: on the role of women in the Columbian peace process

By Kathrin Gerlof

“The left scene Is very small here”

Krunoslav Stojaković on the 100th anniversary of Yugoslavia, a disintegrated country

Makueni’s silent revolution: Theft of public resources is one of the biggest areas of conflict in Kenya. Now the village of Mwaani has found a way to tackle corruption

By Anja Bengelstorff

Fuel for the movements

Steffen Kühne on contradictions in the fight for food sovereignty, food as a political issue, and the role of technology in alternative agricultural production