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Global Left Midweek – February 19, 2025

The European takeaway

Members of civil society and the SUNTRACS trade union protest persecution by Panamanian authorities, including the closure of their bank accounts. Panama City, 2024. Credit, Román Dibulet
  1. The Anatomy of Modern Fascism
  2. Political Overviews from the Euro Left
  3. Sri Lanka’s Left Governance
  4. Ecuador: Indigenous Leader Leonidas Iza Speaks
  5. Miners Strike in Armenia
  6. Extinction Rebellion UK Strategy
  7. Land Reform in South Africa
  8. Repression in Panama
  9. Banda Comunale: The Power of Music
  10. Sam Nujoma’s Story

 

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The Anatomy of Modern Fascism

Nel / Worldlines

The global ultra-right is gaining momentum, connected by an increasingly emboldened network of public figures. If there is any hope of countering these movements, it lies in building a mass movement grounded in genuine solidarity and economic justice. This movement must do more than speak to despair; it must offer tangible solutions and a sense of shared purpose.

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Political Overviews from the Euro Left

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Sri Lanka’s Left Governance

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Ecuador: Indigenous Leader Leonidas Iza Speaks

Malvika Gupta / NACLA Report (New York)

The political movement Pachakutik, an electoral-political arm of CONAIE, presents Leonidas Iza as an alternative to the dominant oligarchy, proposing a unification of marginalized sectors representing Ecuadorians from cities and the countryside.

(Note: The close vote count on February 9 will result in a runoff. Iza came in third.)

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Miners Strike in Armenia

Anonymous / LeftEast

The ongoing struggle of the workers against their management and the state reveals the state of labor movements and class politics in Armenia, with workers demonstrating innovative organizing methods and engaging in a fascinating bottom-up collective action endeavor.

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Extinction Rebellion UK Strategy

Extinction Rebellion (Gloucestershire)

As XRUK has evolved, so has our ability to dedicate time and energy to the depth of thought and work that the movement needs and deserves in its strategy. This strategy is rooted in research and evidence, built on the reality of what this movement is at this time – not what it used to be or what we would like it to be. 

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Land Reform in South Africa

Jonis Ghedi-Alasow / Peoples Dispatch (New Delhi)

The issue of compensation versus expropriation without compensation has been a contentious topic in South Africa in recent decades. Many argue that, as a matter of principle, there should be no compensation. At its core, this debate concerns whether the principle of private property should remain sacrosanct or whether setting it aside in the national interest is appropriate.

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Repression in Panama

Lourdes García Armuelles / Equal Times (Brussels)

The closure of bank accounts belonging to the Sindicato Único de Trabajadores de la Construcción y Similares (SUNTRACS) in Panama has raised significant concern. Trade unionists and environmental representatives have described these closures as a coercive measure taken in response to the participation of SUNTRACS in large-scale social mobilisations.

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Banda Comunale: The Power of Music

Christine Bayer / Deutsche Welle (Berlin)

The multicultural band Banda Comunale plays concerts to protest nationalist rallies in eastern Germany. Members also give music lessons at schools, from a decidedly international perspective.

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Sam Nujoma’s Story

Herbert Jauch / Africa is a Country (New York)

Namibia’s founding president led the fight for independence with unwavering resolve, but his legacy is complicated by economic compromises and political dominance.