Boats4People Activities in the Mediterranean will start between 5th and 15th of July 2012

Activities between Sicily and Tunisia are under preparation. Join the mobilization! (from the website of Boats4People) - The International Boats4People Steering Committee decided that the arrival in Tunisia should be connected with the next Maghreb Social Forum in 2012. This forum is fixed now and will take place from July11th to July 14th of 2012 in the harbor city of Monastir (Tunisia). As our resources and funds are still limited, we cannot promise at the moment (February 2012) that the project will take the dimensions expected in the beginning. But we want to confirm, that various protests and monitoring with small boats will take place in Sicily around 6th of July 2012 and that we will arrive in Tunis and Monastir some days later for further activities until July the 15th.

Declaration of the Social Movements Assembly on the World Social Forum, January 2012 in Porto Alegre

We, people of all continents, gathered in the Assembly of the Social Movements during the Thematic Social Forum Capitalist Crisis and Social and Environmental Justice, fight against the causes of a systemic crisis expressed as the economic, financial, political, food, and environmental crisis, that puts at risk the survival of humankind. Decolonizing oppressed peoples and confronting imperialism is the main challenge of the social movements of all over the world.

Journal Transform 09/2011: Focus Europe

Europe is going through an emotional roller coaster. The top EU politicians all have their hands full in trying to manage and improve their half-hearted bailout attempts for member-states that are beginning to careen out of control. In all of this we can’t fail to see that the states in question are in no way being given a hand – not to mention the layers of the populations hit by the austerity measures. The goal of this unprofessional crisis management was and is first and foremost to protect European banks from meltdowns and to keep the financial markets in a good mood.

From "Common Goods" to "the Common Good of Humanity" - New Publication, November 2011

"There has to be a change of paradigms, to permit a symbiosis between human beings and nature, access of all to goods and services, and the participation of every individual and every collective group in the social and political organizing processes, each having their own cultural and ethical expression: in other words to realize the Common Good of Humanity. This will be a generally long-term process, dialectic and not linear, and the result of many social struggles."
Downloads in English, Spanish, French, Italian, Arabic and Chinese

Is this what democracy looks like? Two Seminars on the Democratisation of EU Trade and Investment Policy

In the context of a new campaign on trade and investment policy of the EU named "Towards an Alternative Trade Mandate for the EU", two seminars on democracy are planned in 2012. The first seminar will take place the 26th and 27th of June 2012 in Brussels.

The Contribution of Women to Peace and Reconcilation, Conference in Brussels, November 24-25, 2011

Conference in Brussels that aims at the recognition of the specific experience of women in conflict-prevention, civil resistance and reconciliation-processes as a main tool for the development of general concepts and strategies. Invited speakers are policy makers, members of NGOs, research centres, and women peace activists from Africa, Middle East and Europe. Conference languages are English, French and German.

About the Israeli Social Justice Protests: Interview with Ruchama Marton

Feminist and peace activist Dr. Ruchama Marton, founder and president of Physicians for Human Rights-Israel, reports in this interview on the demonstrations in Israel since July 2011, its proliferation, the reaction of the media, the reactions of the government and the convocation to form 1000 round tables. She describes a social movement with new demands and new forms of organization and decision-making.

A Flotilla to Stop Deaths in the Mediterranean

Hundreds of thousands of people have fled Libya since the crisis began in February 2011. As of June 14, according to the International Organisation for Migration (IOM), one million refugees had left the country ; more than 500,000 heading to Tunisia, more than 300,000 to Egypt and 70,000 to Niger. Every day, refugees arrive in Tunisia in already overpopulated camps.

Post-Growth-Conference in Berlin, May 2011

From the 20th to the 22nd of May 2011, more than 2500 activists, politicians and researchers met in the congress "Beyond Growth" to discuss the conditions and possibilities of transformation towards a post-growth society.

Video Documentary: Caravan for the Freedom of Movement from Bamako to Dakar in February 2011

In May 2011, the video documentary on the Caravan for the Freedom of Movement from Bamako to Dakar has been finalized. The title of the video documentary is: "... denn wir leben von der gleichen Luft" (because we do breathe the same air) (published by timecode e.V.). The caravan took place in the context of the World Social Forum in Dakar in February 2011. The video documentary will be shown in a series of events in different cities in Europe. We are happy to have the opportunitiy to watch it soon.

Commons-Conference in Rome, April 2011

Shortly after Easter, the staff of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Brussels took off to Rome - for the Commons-Conference (27/28 April 2011). Invited were experts, scholars, politicians and activists from Europe, Latin America, Africa, and Asia. On the programme had been debates on the cornerstones of commons: the societal relations human beings and nature, relations of production and economy, organisation of collective life and interculturality. Experiences in struggles in the defence of the commons had been exchanged. All conference papers are online (see link below).

Call to national and European MPs: For an audit of Tunisia’s debts to the EU

The Members of different Parliaments of Europe, both at national and European levels, call for an immediate suspension of EU debt repayment by Tunisia (with frozen interests) and an auditing of the debt. The press release was initiated by Marie-Christine Vergiat (Front de Gauche), Gabi Zimmer (Die Linke) MEP, and CADTM (Committee for the Abolition of the Third World Debt). In the meantime, the call has been undersigned by a great number of parlamentarians.

Audio Book: Rosa Luxemburg's Biography

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Brussels and Berlin together with HörbuchFM have produced an audio book featuring the biography of Rosa Luxemburg - on the occasion of her 140th birthday.

World Social Forum 2011: From Dakar to Egypt and Back Again

By Ulrich Brand - These days, world history is being written in Cairo and other North-African cities and countries. But the ten-year old World Social Forum, which took place in mid-February in Dakar, Senegal, has proven itself to be an indispensible transnational space of encounters, for the development of strategy, or for launching campaigns.

Conference Video: Free Movement for Roma as EU Citizens

In December 2010, international academics, civil society activists and lawyers met in Bucharest to discuss the mobility of Roma in today´s Europe.

The General Strike: The Debate Between Rosa Luxemburg and Emile Vandervelde

Prof. Michael Krätke, Lancaster University, gives a lecture on the concept of the "general strike" in Brussels. The lecture takes place takes place in the context of a two-day seminar organised at the 11th of February 2011 at the Free University of Brussels ("Rêve général - grève générale").

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation at the World Social Forum 2011 in Dakar

Rosa Luxemburg Foundation will be present at the World Social Forum in Dakar with four seminars - 1) alternative ideas to concepts of growth and development, 2) global migration, 2) people's economy in agriculture, and 4) projects of basic income grant. Rosa Luxemburg Foundation further contributes to the success of the World Social Forum with a newsletter and by inviting project partners to the event.

Caravan for the freedom of movement and fair development from Bamako to the World Social Forum in Dakar

The caravan has started in Bamako on the 26th of January 2011 and will arrive at the World Social Forum in Dakar at the 6th of February. The Networt Afrique-Europe-Interact - with activists from Europe and Africa - are organising this caravan. Follow the news on the caravan on the Blog of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation or by watching the videos of Afrique-Europe-Interact.

The Beginning of the End of the Regime

An Alternative Trade Mandate for the EU

Invitation to a kick-off meeting: Towards an alternative trade mandate for the EU - Building a strong coalition for change in Europe's trade and investment policy.

Alternative Noble Prize 2010: Ruchama Marton

Congratulations to Dr. Ruchama Marton. Her organisation, the "Physicians for Human Rights-Israel", is this year's winner of the Alternative Noble Prize (The Right Livelihood Award). Ruchama Marton, the founder of this organisation, is an Israeli psychotherapist, psychiatrist, and feminist. In spring 2010, she cooperated with Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Brussels. We thank her for the good cooperation and wish her all the best.

European Parliament voted for Resolution on Trade Relations EU-Latin America

The European Parliament voted for the resolution on trade relations EU - Latin America on the basis of the draft by Helmut Scholz (GUE/NGL) on the 21 October 2010.

Organisational shortcomings and relative disorientation: The sixth European Social Forum in Istanbul

Ulrich Brand - More than 3000 people took part in the sixth European Social Forum in Istanbul, beginning of July 2010. In the centre of the European Social Forum was the topic of the crisis: the economic and financial crisis, the climate crisis, and water and energy conflicts. Critical report on the sixth European Social Forum in Istanbul.

New Director at the Centre of for International Dialogue and Cooperation (RLS)

Wilfried Telkämper is the new director of the Centre for International Dialogue and Co-operation (ZID) from the 1st of July, 2010.

Opening of Andean office of Rosa Luxemburg Foundation

The regional office of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation for the Andean countries of South America is opening officially with an international seminar on the topics democracy, participation and socialism on the 2nd and 3rd of June in Quito.

Exhibition "Frankfurt-Auschwitz" in Brussels

The exhibition "Frankfurt-Auschwitz" by the artist Bernd Rausch was presented for the first time at the 65th anniversary of the liquidation of the so called "Zigeunerlager" in Auschwitz in August, 1944. It names the culprits, speaks about the fate of Roma and Sinti in Auschwitz and highlights the memories of victims and survivors. The pictures by the German artist Bernd Rausch speak about the effacement of individuals as well as of the community Roma and Sinti in National Socialism.

Through the economic crisis by „business as usual“? The Swedish EU-Presidency in 2009

After the controversial Czech EU-presidency there are high expectations within the left camp regarding the new presidency. Unfortunately the programme proposal doesn't fulfill these expectations. A presidency which shows such low reform efforts even in the end of June 2009, and which pretends that the EU can sail through the current crisis by business as usual, hasn't seen the writing on the wall or doesn't want to see it.

Job Vacancy at Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Brussels

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation Brussels has no job vacancies at the moment. An overview of working issues is presented here. For a general overview on the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation see this page.