Discussion

Emancipatory movements in Europe and beyond have either lost momentum or are facing unprecedented repression. Meanwhile, private sector elites (and their political allies) have taken off their white gloves, pursuing profit, power, and prestige in ways that are increasingly barbaric. Given the current situation, in which short-term progress seems more out of reach than ever, it is time to explore the root causes of our dire predicament and what it will take to create a radically better world for everyone. To this end, the Berliner Gazette’s Pluriverse of Peace conference focuses on the (im-)possibilities of peace and environmental politics.
“The endless accumulation of capital” (Immanuel Wallerstein) through market-driven mass production, financialization, etc. has depleted resources and polluted the planet. This has made ecosystems more vulnerable and unstable, which also affects markets and economies. Competition for resources and control of supply chains leads to territorial conflicts. War has become an increasingly common means of defending ‘national economies’. Meanwhile, the resource-intensive rise of the global war regime creates a disastrous ecological footprint that exacerbates environmental collapse. At this juncture, various forms of environmental warfare are emerging, involving the use of extreme weather, pollution, or terraforming as weapons.

To break this vicious cycle, it is necessary to ask and discuss the deeper questions about the polycrisis and rethink strategies and alliances to articulate our shared desire for liberation and just transition. Tackling the structural dimension, the conference addresses the class interests behind the resurgence of militarism and the increasingly reactionary responses to the climate crisis.

Scholars, activists, and cultural workers are invited to discuss the following questions: How should we address the increase in armed aggression and the mounting, disastrous consequences of the climate crisis? How can we tackle these issues at the structural level and across national borders? How can an emancipatory politics centre on the struggles of the impoverished, dispossessed, and exploited — that is, of those who are most affected by militarism and environmental disasters, yet often neglected by peace and climate movements?