Conference and Workshops in Bern (CH): “Wachstumswahnsinn los werden!”, 20./21.1.2012

Michael and Nina attended the conference in Bern on the current economic crisis (http://www.tourdelorraine.ch). The conference focussed on ways of how to get rid of the ideology of economic growth and which alternatives and movements are likely to challenge the current neo-liberal system.

On Saturday (13:00-15:00 & 15:30-17:30) they participated in the workshops of Karl-Heinz Roth, a German social scientist and historian who was active in the 1960s social movements (for more details see: Wikipedia. His current book „Die globale Krise“ (2009) is part of a trilogy on capitalist rule and alternatives.

In his first workshop Roth presented a refreshing view on the current social movements and protests against global capitalism, drawing on examples in France, Greece, the Arab World and the US. He critically discussed the potential and possible pitfalls of these movements. Roth stated that we are likely to engage in a long and strenuous fight, since the current crisis is likely to fade into an extended depression.

The second workshop put the focus on possible alternatives and participatory projects from below. Especially the question of how to overcome capitalist hegemony and the use of violence were discussed controversially.