Global Left Midweek – November 15, 2023

Moment of truth in Myanmar

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Jean Jaurès, 1859-1914. Art: maximuslevrai
  1. Who Votes For the Left?
  2. International Health and Safety Accord for Garment Workers
  3. Moment of Truth in Myanmar
  4. Palestine: Spirit of Solidarity
  5. Short Takes: Strikes in Quebec
  6. Africa’s Revolutionary ’60s
  7. Brazil: Strikes Against Privatization
  8. In Defense of Afghans in Pakistan
  9. Reports: Spain and Catalonia
  10. France’s Debs, Jean Jaurès

 

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Who Votes For the Left?

Małgorzata Kulbaczewska-Figat / transform! Europę (Vienna)

Is there any social group that is particularly connected to the left, and which can be expected to elect radical left-wing candidates on a regular basis? Can certain patterns common to many European countries be identified in this regard? An attempt to find and name them was made by researchers Luis Ramiro and Raul Gomez, in a debate with Gala Kabbaj and Yann Le Lann of Espaces Marx.

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International Health and Safety Accord for Garment Workers

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IndustriALL Global Union (Geneva)

Global trade unions and fashion brands and retailers have reached agreement on a new International Accord for Health and Safety in the Textile and Garment Industry. The renegotiated contract secures the work of the Accord until the end of the decade, strengthens the complaint mechanism for workers and includes commitments for an expansion into other countries.

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Moment of Truth in Myanmar

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Palestine: Spirit of Solidarity

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Short Takes: Strikes in Quebec

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Africa’s Revolutionary ’60s

Pascal Bianchini, Ndongo Sylla and Leo Zeilig / Review of African Political Economy (London)

The history of revolutionary left movements in Africa is largely ignored and disregarded among political scientists, historians and across the academic literature on Africa. But extraordinary anti-colonial struggles and the creation of new independent states occurred during the Cold War. 

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Brazil: Strikes Against Privatization

Vinicius Konchinski / Brasil de Fato (São Paulo)

Workers mobilized against the privatization of Brazilian state-owned companies have organized at least 14 strikes this year in seven states. A 24-hour strike on October 3 hit the Basic Sanitation Company of the State of São Paulo (Sabesp), São Paulo’s Metropolitan Train Company (CPTM) and the Metro against the plans of Governor Tarcísio de Freitas (Republicans Party) to sell the companies. 

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In Defense of Afghans in Pakistan

Afghan Reparations Collective / Jamhoor

The government of Pakistan announced a deadline for all “undocumented Afghans” – essentially Afghans seeking refuge but denied this status by the government – to leave the country by November 1, 2023. The demands were qualified through unproven accusations of Afghans being involved in “terrorism.”

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Reports: Spain and Catalonia

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France’s Debs, Jean Jaurès

Philippe Marlière / London Review of Books

Remembered in France as the great orator of the left, Jaurès is still seen across the political spectrum as a champion of ‘republican values’. To call him a ‘great republican’ doesn’t mean much nowadays and downplays his radicalism. It’s strange that someone who was vilified, demonised and smeared by his opponents should be seen as almost above politics.