Global Left Midweek – January 25, 2023
- Scientists Confront Climate Crisis
- Japanese Left on Ukraine War
- Western Europe
- Eastern Europe
- Polisario Front Congress
- The Left Responds to Flood Crisis in Pakistan
- Abortion Rights in Argentina: Strategic Perspectives
- Turmoil in South African Labor Movement
- El Salvador: Solidarity with Water Defenders
- Legacies
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Scientists Confront Climate Crisis
Clément Gibon / Equal Times (Brussels)
From Scientists for Extinction Rebellion, to Scientist Rebellion and the A22 Network (which includes Just Stop Oil, Declare Emergency, Dernière Rénovation and Renovate Switzerland, among others), environmental movements composed of activists identifying as scientists have multiplied across the world. Scientists from every field are participating in civil disobedience.
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Japanese Left on Ukraine War
Shaun O’Dwyer / Commons (Kyiv)
In parts of Japan’s left, including the JCP, Kakumaru-ha and Zengakuren, recognition of the legitimacy of Ukraine’s armed resistance is reflective of doctrinal flexibility on the question of just war. These organizations have taken a keen interest in Ukraine’s plight, and have reached out to express solidarity with Ukrainian left organizations.
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Western Europe
- France: Unions Unite Against Pension Cuts / RFI (Paris)
- UK University and College Union Talks Strike Strategy Polly Smythe / Novara Media (London)
- Germany Housing Campaign Moving Ahead Sibylle Kaczorek / Green Left (Sydney)
- Spain’s Left Has a Rising Star Stephen Burgen / The Guardian (London)
- New Book on Euro Left Parties Alex Snowdon / Counterfire (London)
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Eastern Europe
- Poland’s Razem Party Federico Fuentes and Zofia Malisz / Green Left
- Hungary: Public Ed Fight Broadens Köszeghy Ferenc / Progressive International
- Romania: Left Response to Growing Fascist Movement Adina Marincea and Veda Popovici / LeftEast
- Ukraine Feminists Network Amandas Ong / Al Jazeera (Doha)
- Czech Left in a Sorry State Roman Broszkowski / Jacobin (New York)
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Polisario Front Congress
Michele de Mello / Peoples Dispatch (New Delhi)
The Polisario Front, the political organization that leads the Sahrawi Arab Democratic Republic (SADR), is holding its 16th Congress in Dajla – one of five Sahrawi refugee camps in the town of Tindouf, Algeria. After 30 years of ceasefire, this is the first Congress to be held again in the context of armed confrontation with Morocco.
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The Left Responds to Flood Crisis in Pakistan
Sanaa Alimia / Red Pepper (London)
Thirty-three million people have been affected by the floods in Pakistan. The disaster has left more than 1,700 dead, displaced millions and put one-third of the country under water. Three activists from left-wing parties, representing women, students, peasants, workers and others, speak on their responses to and readings of the floods.
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Abortion Rights in Argentina: Strategic Perspectives
Lucila Szwarc / Spectre (New York)
The lessons from the Argentinian fight for abortion may be useful for U.S. activists. Here are five strategies that local feminists and their allies deployed to build the movement for the legalization of abortion in Argentina, many of them reflecting transnational feminist experiences.
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Turmoil in South African Labor Movement
Dingane Xaba / Unicorn Riot (Minneapolis)
Union leaders met on Nov. 29 to discuss escalation plans, though to date, no further plans have been announced by COSATU, SAFTU or FEDUSA. This could be due to intensifying internal divisions within the union alliance, in particular, SAFTU.
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El Salvador: Solidarity with Water Defenders
Jessica Corbett / Common Dreams (Portland ME)
More than 250 organizations from 29 countries came together to pressure the Salvadoran government to drop the charges against and release five water defenders who were instrumental in achieving a 2017 legislative ban on metal mining in El Salvador. The activists were detained in northern El Salvador on January 11.
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Legacies
- Frene Ginwala 1932-2023 Shireen Hassim / The Conversation (Waltham MA)
- Bao Tong 1932-2022 Fan Wang / BBC News (London)
- Myrtle Witbooi 1947-2023 Jennifer Fish / Daily Maverick (Johannesburg)
- Adolfo Kaminsky 1925-2023 Marcus Barnett / Tribune (London)
- Tom Nairn 1932-2023 George Kerevan / The National (Glasgow)