No God, No Emperor, No Tribune: Do it Yourself!

Is the capitalist crisis becoming a crisis of entire societies? What started as a mortgage- and financial crisis in the USA in 2007 became a global economic crisis that still has not been overcome. On the contrary: In Europe, 2015 was initially dominated by EU actions, under the leadership of Germany, against the attempt by the Greek Government to mitigate the worst excesses of the imposed austerity measures. In the second half of the year, hundreds of thousands of refugees from war zones in the Middle East and North Africa reached Europe - a direct result of force exerted by NATO and EU state terrorism on countries from Libya to Afghanistan.

But the arsonists are gearing up for more war and the division of the world is going into the next round. Poverty keeps growing in the centers of capital, democracy and basic social standards continually disintegrate, right-wing powers all the way to neo-fascists receive growing support throughout the EU - from East to West and from North to South.

This trend began after the defeat of socialism in the 1990s. Today it has reached civilization- and humanity-threatening proportions, just like during the last great crisis.   The forces of reason, peace, democracy and socialism are currently weak. Anti-war activists, anti-capitalists, liberal defender of democracy, religiously motivated activists against social exclusion, trade unionists, socialists and communists - they are the ones that stand against a society of exploitation and oppression, the passing of all crisis burdens to the population and the growing repression, when it comes to the mere thinking about how to change the current conditions. Their most important weapon is their association, their building of networks and organizing, the overcoming of resignation and passiveness and the development of self-confidence. Where are the sources of protest from which resistance can grow? These are the topics of the XXIst International Rosa Luxemburg Conference. Brecht's sentence has once again become relevant: »Change the world, it needs it.«

Entry from 10 am

10:45 am: opening of the conference with the Cuban band »Proyecto Son Batey«

 

Speeches, from 11 am

	How the Cuban Revolution is Reacting to the Current National and International Conditions Alpidio Alonso Grau, poet and writer, member of parliament and member of the central committee of the Communist Party of Cuba (Cuba)
	About the Practical Meaning of Culture in Class Struggles and on the Current Situation in Turkey Aydın Çubukçu, political activist, writer, revolutionary and chief editor of Evrensel Kültür and Hayat TV, was released from jail in 1991 after 19 years behind bars (Turkey)
	On the Current State of the Left in Europe and Germany Sahra Wagenknecht, chairwoman of the faction »Die Linke« in parliament, economist and publicist (Germany)
	The Social Question, the Question of Peace and Demagogy: The Danger of Right-Wing Hegemony Natascha Strobl, political scientist and anti-fascist, activist of the Vienna »Offensive gegen Rechts« (offensive against the right), runs the blog www.schmetterlingssammlung.net (Austria)
	Against fascism and war: Resist the beginnings! Esther Bejerano, German-Jewish survivor of the extermination camp Auschwitz as a musician in the so-called "Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz", co-founder and chairwoman of the Auschwitz Committee in Germany, numerous awards, active as a musician until today with anti-fascist songs, especially together with Microphone Mafia. (Germany)

Additionally:

• Message from Mumia Abu-Jamal, journalist and political prisoner in the USA
• Presentation of the German edition of the photo catalog and exhibition »Fidel is Fidel«, by Roberto Chile, cameraman and photographer from Cuba
• Gerardo Hernández with a message from the Cuban Five, the heroes, who were released from prisons in the USA a year ago
• Live broadcasting of Alexej Markow, Vice commander of the »Prisrak« brigade in Donbass
• Concert of the Turkish political band Grup Yorum
• Book release: Wladislaw Hedeler and Volker Külow about the new edition of  Lenin’s Imperialism
• Willi Baer and Karl-Heinz Dellwo about the »Library of Resistance«
• Activists from the Refugee Movement on their current struggles
• Performance of the German-Turkish-Italian rap group Microphone Mafia along with Esther Bejerano
• Presentation of the Solidarity and Human Dignity Prize of the coalition »Bündnis für Soziale Gerechtigkeit und Menschenwürde e.V.«

Panel discussion, from 6 pm

Swallow toads or show teeth: Can the left still be saved?

In Germany right-wing and fascist forces are gaining popularity. As during the Great Depression after 1929, they are being systematically promoted, obtaining space in the mass media and being established as possible rulers. Also, what is becoming clear, is that in this country there is a »deep state«, which politically and organizationally steers such forces and even actively promotes terrorism. The events surrounding the »Nationalsozialistischer Untergrund« (Nazi Underground) or the ban on the NPD are obviously only the tip of the iceberg.

But it cannot only be about actions against racists and neo-fascists, or against the spread of their ideology. Fascism is flesh from the flesh of capitalism. The development of the right-wing has its origins in places where social racism guides actions - in corporate and banking headquarters, in political headquarters and in the top echelons of the media. After 1990, they believed themselves to be free from all inhibitions against the weakest parts of society and celebrated every act of dismantling social and democratic rights as »reforms«.  
Nationalist racism, xenophobia and chauvinistic agitation have always complemented these policies. The combination thereof stabilizes the system. In the current crisis, the transition to authoritarian forms of rule is being systematically promoted.

How are we taking action against those, who promote right-wing paroles? How do we confront the old new endeavor of right-wing movements to use »left« terms – from peace to democracy? How do we connect the struggle against neo-fascist ideology and politics to the struggle for broad coalitions, in order to preserve achievements that resulted from past struggles? The participants of the panel discussion at the XXIst International Rosa Luxemburg Conference will discuss these questions.

• Lena Kreymann, Socialist German Workers Youth
• Ellen Brombacher, Communist Platform, »Die Linke«
• Esther Bejarano, musician and antifascist activist
• Dieter Frielinghaus, theologist and retired pastor
• Moderator: Arnold Schölzel (chief editor, junge Welt)

 

Final celebration from 8:30 pm onwards in the foyer:

We are celebrating 25 years Cuba Sí, 25 years lived solidarity, with the band »Proyecto Son Batey« and delicious Mojitos

 

Exposition

Art Exhibition hosted by the group Tendenzen (Tendencies) Berlin: »Ni dieu, ni maître: We don't need other rulers, we don't need any!«

For the third time, as part of the XXIst International Rosa Luxemburg Conference, the group Tendenzen Berlin, together with the daily paper junge Welt, organized an art exhibition. Numerous artists submitted their work and a jury chose the best pieces for the exhibition.

Moderation of the entire conference: Dr. Seltsam, cabaret artist

Conference languages: German, English, Spanish and Turkish (simultaneous translations)

 

2 pm: The parallel program of the youth forum in the Kleistsaal:

Young, brutal and good-looking? How does the revolutionary youth organize itself and struggle?

Hardly a day passes in Germany, on which the fascists don't march or perform an attack. At the same time, the German government adopts stricter asylum laws, allows more and more weapons exports and the military is increasingly sent on foreign missions. Over 350 thousand trainee positions are missing. Those of us, who have positions, work under worsening circumstances – we are badly paid and our positions are insecure. Adding to this image are falling apart schools, too large classes and overfilled lecture halls. Every day, capitalism proves that it is not a system that will meet our needs. Nevertheless, resistance against the existing conditions is modest at best.

In this day and age, what should a youth organization do, that expects from itself to struggle against the system? What are the most important current tasks, and how can it successfully develop active struggles and resistance? Does it need a perspective that goes beyond daily events, and if yes, what character would this have? In short: How does a revolutionary youth struggle and organize itself?

Members of autonomous groups, trade unions and the Socialist German Workers Youth will debate these issues. The discussion will be moderated by Lower Class Magazine.

 

The entire program is subject to changes!