Social School of Anti-capitalism

Semester II

We are inviting you to participate in the second semester of the Social School of Anti-capitalism, five workshop/lecture meetings with activists around the ideas of work on progressive social changes. The school is addressed to people involved in the field of activism who look for alternatives in the area of social organisation.

After 30 years of party-determined political disputes, exuberant anniversary celebrations and futile criticism referring to an increasingly distant past, we need to emphasise: we are living in post-transformation society. Capitalist society. This reality requires not only a different description than the dominant paradigm, but it also determines a radically different political horizon. What could life after capitalism look like?

Problems of rapidly growing economic inequalities, toxic individualism and reactionary nationalisms will not be addressed by either contemporary, technocratic parliamentarism, or a return to various models of a 20th-century welfare state. In the face of the neo-liberal “fusion” of the state and the market, a solution can be provided only by active society taking matters into their own hands.

We are considering grass-roots production of knowledge a key catalyst of the process of change. Our experts on the issues of particular social struggles are activists from various groups/organisations. People who form collectives, trade unions, associations and social movements build bridges between the theory and practice. Anti-capitalism is not science-fiction!

The Social School of Anti-capitalism was created as a result of the discussion during the Polish Social Forum which was held in May 2019 and constitutes the preparation of issues for next deliberations of the Forum in autumn 2020.

Information

Until 8 March registration is open for people interested in participating in practice sessions of the Social School of Anti-capitalism that precede discussion open to the public.

We are inviting people working for progressive social changes to register via the application form, available on our website. Applications of activists from smaller cities or rural areas (under 100 thousand inhabitants) will be treated as priority.

The organisers will make every effort to provide, within their financial capacities, support for as many participants as possible (co-financing of transport and/or accommodation). Furthermore, participants of the practice sessions will be served a hot meal.

The number of places is limited. Registration includes 5 meetings in the second semester. The list of admitted participants for each activity will be announced on 9 March 2020.

All queries should be addressed to zapisy@biennalewarszawa.pl

Programme

14.03.2020 | Events cancelled. We will publish a new date soon.

14:00 | workshop
“Anti-repressive savoir-vivre, or why do I ‘refuse to give a statement’?”
Moderators: Ola Ziemiańska, Zbyszek Hajzer

18:00 | open discussion
“How to live in the society of control?”
Moderator: Tadek Zinowski
Guest: Wojciech Klicki

4.04.2020.

14:00 | workshop
“Group process of increasing class awareness”
Instructor: Paweł Nowożycki

18:00 | open discussion
“Identity politics, intersectionalism, class struggle”
Moderator: Jula Strzemińska, guest: Agata Dziuban

9.05.2020

14:00 | workshop
“How to include migrants in social activities of grass-roots groups? A workshop on effective inclusivity”
Instructor: Tomasz Nowicki

18:00 | open discussion
“Migrations. Capitalism vs. workers’ solidarity”
Moderator: Igancy Jóźwiak
Guest: Myroslava Keryk

23.05.2020

18:00 | lecture
“Neoliberal violence and approaching anarchy”
Guest: Simon Springer

30.05.2020

14:00 | workshop
“A quick course of the visual side of political propaganda – how to design and create a good poster, brochure, leaflet, social media graphics and many others”
Instructor: Amel Mana

18:00 | open discussion
“Media oblivion to anticapitalism – how to create leftist media without sponsors and a huge budget?”
Moderator: Roman Kurkiewicz
Guest: balcerowicz.com

27.06.2020

14:00 | workshop
“Preparing Polish Social Forum 2020”
Moderators: Paweł Nowożycki, Tadek Zinowski

18:00 | open discussion
“Activism vs. acting”
Moderators: Amel Mana, Jula Strzemińska