In this session we aim to explore practices and concepts of solidarity – as a meta collective practice and imaginary of relation at the level of societies. During the months of the Covid-19 pandemic, the concept of solidarity frequently appears in the news headlines – in forms of solidarity with those at risk of complications from infection, with hospital workers, with your local corner pub, with those severely affected by the pandemic anywhere in the world. It is now called upon when distributing vaccines. Solidarity does not equal charity though. In solidarity, class, feminist or race struggles have joined forces in the past. Struggles for affordable housing for everyone, for a sustainable life on earth for all beings, or for open borders and rights for migrants bring different groups together in a shared vision.
Departing from an idea of solidarity as a coalition in a shared interest, in a shared utopia of a society or world we would like to live in collectively – we would like to explore and understand conceptual facets, visions and stumbling blocks, as well as learn from lived experiences and examples.
How can we work together across difference? How can we ensure that all voices are collectively heard, and stronger groups won't define a struggle for minority ones? Can solidarity provide a meta structure for bringing different struggles together? How can we understand, deal with and communicate complexities of difference?
How can solidarity be practiced across hierarchies of privilege? Can a privileged person be in solidarity with an oppressed person, if they systematically benefit from their oppression, or can solidarity in that case only mean working towards radically changing the system (or at least try)? How do we deal with privilege and hierarchy in a solidary movement?
Can solidarity bring together people in a cause, if their objectives only overlap, but aren't the same overall – like a fight for better working conditions combining anti-capitalists and people who just want a better wage.
Solidarity is different from charity – How can we possibly strengthen solidarity to bring people together in a struggle, rather than in a hierarchical idea of charity. And are both important?
Does our vision of democracy require solidarity as a necessary component? Can solidarity be a useful concept to include also non-human conditions? Is solidarity a challenge to power structures, or does it hold the potential to build yet other hegemonies?
How can we relate to each other more in solidarity, and make solidarity a principle of relation that's much more in the foreground for everyone?
Participants:

Jeremy Gilbert, Professor of Cultural and Political Theory at the University of East London

AG “Right 2 the City” - Deutsche Wohnen Enteignen - Adelaide Ivánova & Laura

COLLECTIVE PRACTICES - TO BE CONTINUED

COLLECTIVE PRACTICES invites you to our final 3-day online event TO BE CONTINUED, January 20 - 22. Since June 2020, artists, activists, academics, journalists and cultural producers of various disciplines and backgrounds have - explored topics surrounding being, living and working collectively, and have brought people together in participatory gatherings, exchanges and discussions. While this particular series is coming to an end, we consider the work of exploring collective practices to be ongoing -- and therefore TO BE CONTINUED.
Save the date/s: 20, 21, 22 January 2021 -- join us online!

Thursday, 21.1. — COLLECTIVE EFFORTS
Care, Solidarity, Horizontal Organizing - Relating without Hierarchy
http://collectivepractices.acudmachtneu.de/2021/01/12/collective-efforts-day-2/


COLLECTIVE PRACTICES is projekt by Acud and supported by Hauptstadtkulturfonds.