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It’s (still) capitalism, stupid!
May 22 @ 9:00 – 13:00 CEST
WHO?
Daniela Chironi (Scuola Normale Superiore)
Eraldo Souza Dos Santos (Université Panthéon-Sorbonne)
Jessica Whyte (University of New South Wales)
Lorenzo Zamponi (Scuola Normale Superiore)
Lorenzo Cini (University College Cork)
Veronika Zablotsky (Freie Universität Berlin)
WHAT?
In 2013, the Collettivo Prezzemolo, a group of politically engaged PhD researchers and PostDocs at the EUI, organised the “Festival of the other Europe – It’s capitalism, stupid!”. This event can be regarded as the precursor to the Alternative State of the Union (un)conference, which held a pilot event in May last year. Eleven years on from the original “Festival of the other Europe”, we are inviting alumna members of the Colletivo Prezzemolo, as well as other activist-academics, to lead a horizontal discussion entitled “It’s (still) capitalism, stupid!”, picking up on the themes and topics of the conversation (policing, surveillance, civil society, radical democracy, nationalism, austerity, etc), especially when it comes to social movements, how the economic situation is influencing the political situation at present, and how we as activist-academics can respond with a progressive or radical agenda that can give hope in a period of poly-crisis. We will also be discussing what it means to be an activist-academic. This event is also an opportunity to link with EUI alumni, SNS, Paris 1, FU Berlin, and even further afield.
About the speakers
- Daniela Chironi (bio tbc)
- Eraldo Souza dos Santos (they/them/theirs), MA, is a PhD candidate in Philosophy at Panthéon-Sorbonne University, in France. They will be a Klarman Fellow at the Department of Government of Cornell University from August 2024) and will become an Assistant Professor of Criminology, Law and Society at the University of California – Irvine from July 2025. They are a historian of legal and political thought. Their research explores how political concepts have come to shape political discourse and political practice, and how political actors have come to contest the meaning of these concepts in turn. In their current book project, they trace the global history of the idea of civil disobedience. They are also currently writing a family memoir on race and modern slavery in Brazil. Their next project and monograph will provide a racial genealogy of the idea that it is necessary to defend democracy against its enemies. They engage in anti- racist, anti-war, and climate activism. More information can be found at their website: https://eraldosouzadossantos.com/
- Jessica Whyte (she/her) is an Associate Professor of Philosophy at the University of New South Wales, in Australia. Her research interests include the intersection of political economy and legal/moral discourses, particularly when it comes to human rights and humanitarianism, as well as the use of economic power in international politics, including economic sanctions.
- Lorenzo Zamponi (bio tbc)
- Lorenzo Cini (he/his/him) is a lecturer in Employment Relations at University College Cork in the Ireland. His teaching and research focus is on employment relations, labour movements, and labour conflicts. He also engages in social movements and is a labour activist.
- Prof Dr Veronika Zablotsky (she/her) is affiliated to Universität Koblenz and to Freie Universität Berlin, both in Germany. Her teaching and research focus is on political theories, transnational feminist theory, postcolonial theory and post-socialism in Eurasia, and critical migration and diaspora studies. She engages in social justice, anti- racist, queer-feminist activism, and advocates for no borders, internationalism, and contemporary abolitionism.
About the event’s format and timetable
Introduction
0900-0920: Introductory round (names, pronouns, occupation, activism, feelings today – reveal only what comfortable with). Self-introductions only. Outline of today’s schedule. Go around the room asking if there are any particular points or issues they would like to see raised today and if they would like to see something come out of today’s discussion.
EUI activism, past and present
0920-0930: What was the Colletivo Prezzemollo? (Daniela Chironi or Lorenzo Zamponi)
0930-0940: What was the Festival of the other Europe – It’s capitalism, stupid, event? (Daniela Chironi or Lorenzo Zamponi)
0940-0945: What is the EUI Researchers’ Union? (EUIRU delegate) 0945-0950: What is the Alternative State of the Union?
0950-10:00: Short break.
Why is it (still) capitalism, stupid? Do you think it is (still) capitalism?
1000-1010: Jessica Whyte
10:10-1020: Lorenzo Cini
1020-1100: Open discussion
1100-1130: Long break
What is it to be an activist-academic in the modern, neo-liberal university? Would you call yourself an activist-academic?
1130-1140: Veronika Zablotsky
1140-1150: Eraldo Souza dos Santos
1150-1230: Open discussion
1230-1240: Short break
1240-1300: Cool-down, breathing exercises. Roundtable on feelings and positive take-aways from today’s session and the past few days. Roundtable on what we would have maybe liked to see discussed that we could not fit in. Roundtable on what we would like to see into the future.
After the event closes at 1300, attendees are invited to join us as we walk to Badia Fiesolana for lunch. The Alternative State of the Union Unconference will continue at 1400 in the EUI Library Garden for our concluding participatory brainstorming session.