Supported by transform! europe, the political festival The World Transformed (TWT) aims to create dynamic spaces for debate and exchange between grassroot activists, politicians, community groups, unionists and interested persons to address social movement’s most pressing issues.
In 2019, the political situation increasingly seems to come to a head. Parliament is in a state of paralysis, unable to resolve the political crisis imposed by Brexit; leading economists are seeing more and more signs of yet another economic crisis; and with London’s streets brought to a standstill by environmental protesters, the existential threat posed by climate change is becoming increasingly hard to ignore. Meanwhile, the far right is growing in strength across the globe, as the centrist establishment continues its slow collapse. The old slogan, ‘socialism or barbarism‘ seems more relevant now than ever.
Jeremy Corbyn’s campaign for the Labour leadership served as a beacon of hope for millions, but almost four years later the project seems to be struggling to keep its radical edge. Bogged down in parliamentary processes and media attacks and troubled by internal divisions within the party, Corbynism is at a crossroads. Will Labour remain a party of social democratic reform, or can it face up to the challenges and become a party of socialist transformation?
At TWT 2019, we want to reinvigorate a sense of utopianism in our approach to developing the ideas and policies of the future. We will be asking: How can Labour respond to the current constitutional crisis and unite people around a new vision of democracy? How can it challenge nationalism, our imperial legacy and prepare to go ‘in and against the state’? What role can it play in instigating a green industrial revolution to help prevent further ecological catastrophe? And what policies can Labour propose that not only break with austerity but start to push us beyond capitalism itself?
However, real transformation has to come from below and requires more than simply electing a left-wing government. We need to build collective power and knowledge at the grassroots, both inside the party and in our workplaces and communities. We can only meet the challenges ahead if we deepen the collaboration between Labour members and extra-parliamentary organisers. This is why TWT 2019 will be a space for activists from trade unions and social movements to share experiences and. An analysis of capitalism will be in the center of discussion, recognising how it structures our culture, relationships, everyday lives and economy.
At the same time, the challenges we face extend far beyond national borders – and so our movement needs to be internationalist. TWT 2019 will be a convening of the global left, bringing together activists, artists, politicians and academics from across the world. We will discuss how to form concrete bonds of international solidarity, and how we can build a movement which centres the experiences of people in the Global South and presents a radical alternative to global capitalism, fascism and ecological ruin.
Registration starting on 8 July;