Marxism & Ecology Summer School
CALL FOR PARTICIPATION now open until the 15th of May
Cรขmpu Cetฤศii, Mureศ County, Romania
๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ก๐ฎ๐ซ๐ฌ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ญ ๐๐๐๐
With ๐๐ซ๐จ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ฌ๐, ๐๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ง๐๐๐ฅ๐, ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐๐ณ๐ข๐ ๐๐ญ๐ข and ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฌ๐ญ๐ฌ
Call for Participants open until the ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐.
It is easy to grow numb to the litany of environmental devastation in recent years. The SARS-CoV-2 pandemic killed thirty million people; atmospheric CO2 stands fifty per cent higher than two centuries ago (currently 423.6 ppm); wildfires rage in Chile and Argentina, while 11,300 people were killed by an overnight flood in Derna; less than a tenth of the worldโs plastic is recycled; over 75 billion livestock animals are killed every year; the number of coastal โdead zonesโ increased from 10 in 1960 to 415 in 2023; the US government declared twenty-one species formerly found in its territory extinct in 2023. One can go on, and on, and on.
At the same time, the last thirty years has seen the development of sophisticated radical critiques of environmental degradation and the โcapitaloceneโ, the need for struggle to achieve transformation in response to the continued failure of centrists to achieve meaningful reform. Marxists have sought to provide a coherent critique that marries ecology with its revolutionary project, moving beyond simple criticisms of the โindustrialismโ of classical class struggles to vibrant contributions to environmental alternative strategies, politics and change. These contributions have added a rich vein to extant green positions, represented in the work of such Marxist critics as Andreas Malm, Jason Moore, Ariel Salleh, Alyssa Battistoni, Saito Kohei, Jodi Dean, John Bellamy Foster, Kate Soper, Kai Heron, Troy Vettese and others.
The purpose of this summer school is to both introduce Marxist ecosocialism in its many varieties to curious activists, practitioners, students, and scholars, while also offering a rigorous pedagogical programme that will benefit even those long familiar with the โgreenโ branch of Marxism. In a week, participants will become acquainted with Marxist theory and historiography to provide a framing for Marxist ecology, while also learning more about the various facets of the environmental crisis. Climate change is not the only catastrophe socialists must confront, but also eutrophication, the loss of biodiversity, zoonotic disease, myriad forms of pollution, and the oppression of animals. It is the role of critical theory to apprehend and make clear why capitalism produces such malignant and unsustainable environmental outcomes, and why both reactionary and centrist political alternatives fail to address these issues. Critique is not sufficient in itself โ it must be accompanied by praxis that connect to viable struggles for change as well as transformation. The broader left โ socialists, environmentalists, feminists, anti-racism activists, animal liberationists, and indigenous peoples โ must also put forth practical, ambitious alternatives to bind together a broad coalition and prepare for life after capitalism. Much has already been lost, but there is still time to restore the planetโs natural splendor while also ensuring the good life for humanity and other creatures.
The schoolโs curriculum is intended to give students a sense of the field of ecosocialism and marxist critiques as they have developed over the last quarter century, while also allowing instructors to present their latest research. The course will cover: historical perspectives on capitalism and ecology; world ecology and metabolic rift theory; fossil capitalism; anthropocene and capitalocene; geo-engineering and rewilding; the political economy of energy transition; animals and socialism; Green New Deal, degrowth and ecological political economy; Eco-socialisms - the Chinese and Roumanian cases; emancipatory theories; utopianism, literature, media; Emancipatory Struggles and Contemporary Alternatives - Commons, Climate Assemblies.
This course is not meant to be a vacation, but rather an intense week of lectures and seminars, for which active participation and advance preparation and reading will be expected. Activists, scientists, nature-lovers, students, and young scholars are encouraged to attend. Oneโs disciplinary background or familiarity with the Marxist canon will matter less than enthusiasm and hard work. There will be some time, however, to socialise and enjoy hiking, bird watching, and playing environmental board games in the beautiful countryside surrounding the school.
This school is organized by ๐ป๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ฝ๐๐ข๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ in partnership with ๐ก๐๐๐๐ง๐๐ก. ๐๐/๐ถ๐๐ข๐, Romania
Venue: The hypha_etc campsite is located at Cรขmpu Cetฤศii a.k.a. Vรกrmezล (Hungarian), a village in Mureศ County, Romania, in the hills of Transylvania. The camp is situated in the inner village area between the river Nyรกrรกd and a beautiful beech forest. The building complex has accommodations for thirty-eight overnight guests in various room configurations, each room with its own bathroom. The main meeting center has a cafรฉ space with a fully equipped professional kitchen and a lecture hall with room to seat eighty people. The camp integrates outdoor meeting spaces (including on the roof of the building), workspaces, and studios. Situated in the centre of Romania, the campsite is also an excellent point of departure to visit nearby coveted destinations such as Sibiu, Braศov, Tg. Mureศ, Praid, and Sovata. The nearest airports are Cluj-Napoca (CLJ, 2h15m drive) and Tรขrgu-Mureศ (TGM, 1h00m drive).
๐๐ซ๐๐ง๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ซ๐ญ: Free transport will be provided for those who can meet at an appointed time from Cluj and back to Cluj before the start and at the end of the school. Entry to the summer school also enables entry to the Historical Materialism Cluj conference between August 29th - 31st cluj2024.conference.ubbcluj.ro/call-for-papers Those who wish to attend will be supported in finding accommodation during the conference, which is not included in the price.
People who are interested in participating in this school should send an expression of interest, including a 1 page CV and a 1 page letter of motivation to marxismandecology2024@gmail.com.
The first date at which letters will be considered and decisions returned to participants will be ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ฒ ๐๐๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฒ.
The cost of the summer school week, including programme, food and accommodation (and travel from Cluj) will be 150 Euros. Some bursaries may be available for those who cannot meet the fee through hardship. This should be included with your letter of motivation.
