Understanding the Western response to the Arab Spring, a colorful designation of the democratizing movements of varying character that have rocked the foundations of the Arab world, is an ongoing process. These movements are also seen as posing possibly serious threats to the structure of economic and strategic interests associated with long standing American and European influence in the... Read more
Parliament's numbness to the million-strong march against the Iraq war has left a legacy of profound scepticism about parliamentary politics as we know it. As widespread protest grows against the coalition's erosion of public services, could AV make our political institutions any more sensitive to outside the political class?My starting point is Thomas Rainsborough's powerful argument for... Read more
Amy Holmes**
Date: Thursday, 21 April 2011
Time: 17h30 - 19h30
Direct from Cairo, Dr Holmes will talk about the internal and external dynamics that led to the collapse of the Mubarak regime in Egypt, as well as the current period characterized by military rule. While the Supreme Council of the Armed Forces has stated its intention to lead the country in the transition to democracy, the outcome of this transition is anything but clear. After assuming power on February 11, the SCAF has adopted a heavy-handed approach: Military tribunals of civilians have become commonplace. On March 23 a law was passed that outlawed demonstrations and labor strikes.The military has also been accused of torturing demonstrators and forcibly conducting virginity tests on detained women. Furthermore, there remains the possibility of a putsch, as a group called “Officers for the Revolution” are openly mobilizing against Field Marshall Tantawi, the Head of the SCAF. While it has become commonplace to refer to the "Egyptian Revolution" - it is not at all clear that what has happened in Egypt can be considered as such, especially as counter-revolutionary forces are currently gaining momentum.
** Dr. Holmes has lived in Egypt for three years and was in Cairo throughout the uprising. She is Assistant Professor of Sociology at the American University in Cairo and a documentary filmmaker.
This event is being organised by the Transnational Institute. Light refreshments will be served. To confirm your participation please e-mail Brid Brennan: bridbrennan [at] tni.org For further information telephone: 020-662.6698
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John Holloway writes... Dear Hilary,Capitalism is a catastrophe for humanity. This is so simple, so obvious that it hardly seems worth repeating – and yet it is important to say it over and over again: capitalism is a catastrophe for humanity.The way in which our social relations are organised (the way in which human activities are connected) produces a dynamic that nobody controls and which... Read more
Susan George talks about the illegitimacy of the Davos system, and how the World Social Forum has developed its own agenda in recent years focusing on solutions and alternatives. She gives one example regarding taxation on global financial transactions - and how the money created could be used to invest in a green transition and support for the global south.... Read more
We spend an afternoon with Gil and Teresa, who have farmed one and a quarter hectares of non-irrigated land in the southern Philippines since 1973. We walk into their land through a line of young trees, past a row of pineapples, and over a narrow patch of rice. Chickens wander the yard with chaotic authority. We sit on a bench in their front yard, shaded by an impressive diversity of fruit... Read more
I was recently asked to participate in a discussion on the lack of a student movement in Russia. Participants called to mind Paris of 1968 and demonstrations in London and complained that Russian youth show little civic activity. But maybe we were looking in the wrong place for it. Surprisingly, Russia’s retirees today come the closest to the social and cultural role that European youth in the... Read more
Since the 18th December, there has been a new situation in Venezuela marked by limited legislative action, due to the approval of the Ley Habilitante (Enacting Law) and the reform of National Assembly procedures. What is your reading of these events? All of these developments effectively mark a step towards reducing the public sphere and political debate. In strict numerical terms, the... Read more
Speech delivered at the International Conference on the Global Crisis and Hegemonic Dilemmas (New Delhi, Nov.8-10). Is the world economy really recovering or just pretending to recover? Boris Kagarlitsky analyses the question through the example of Russia, and argues that we are just witnessing a postponement of the crisis, since the tools used to mitigate it are not addressing its root causes.
