Annual Report 2012 L URG ROSA UXEMB STIFTUNG
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AnnuAl RepoRt 2012 ROSA LUXEMBURG STIFTUNG AnnuAl report 2012 of the Rosa-LuxembuRg-stiftung 1 Contents editoriAl4 FoCus: the Crisis And europe6 Left-wingstrategiesinEurope 6 TheworkoftheRosa-Luxemburg-StiftunginGreece 9 OfficeopenedinGreece 9 Crisisinthemetropolisandcrisisofthestate 10 Event“Left-wingsolutions” 10 Conference“Re-foundingEurope” 11 Newwebsiteeuropa-links.eu 11 Workshop“ThechangingworkingenvironmentintheEU” 12 Focus–fundedprojects 12 institute For Critical soCiAl AnAlysis 14 Towardsaleftistthink-tank 14 Fellowships 15 Postdocs 16 LuxemburgLectures 17 the Academy For political education 18 UswithintheFoundation 18 Solidarityandsolarenergy.Left-wingperspectivesonEuropeanenergypolicies 19 Politicsforthecityandthecritiqueofracism:Conference“Decolonizethecity!” 20 Internationalcongressoncivildisobedienceandoncollectivelybreakingtherules 20 TheworkoftheYouthEducationNetwork 21 MarxgoesPowerPoint:educationalmaterialPolyluxMarx 21 the FoundAtion’s network 22 Educationalprogramsinthefederalstates 22 Baden-Württemberg:“Whenthestatesawred” 24 Bavaria:Bavariaunderarms!Aneconomywithoutthearmamentsindustry–anoption? 24 Berlin:Commonwelfareoverprofit 25 Brandenburg:“QualitativeLeapbythreesteps” 25 Bremen:Capitallessons 26 Hamburg:“Thecompanyhymndeal” 26 Hessen:“Artinthecrisis,thecrisisinart” 27 Mecklenburg-Vorpommern:Urgentactionneeded 27 LowerSaxony:Internationalmeetingofradioactivists 28 NorthRhine-Westphalia:Football.Power.Politics. 28 Rhineland-Palatinate:Leftistsingersongwritermeeting2012 29 Saarland:Afriendlymeetingattheborder 29 Saxony:MarxExpedition2012 30 Saxony-Anhalt:Unequallifecourseperspectives 30 Schleswig-Holstein:HowamI“me!” 31 Thuringia:TimeforRadicalChange 31 Centre For internAtionAl diAlogue And CooperAtion 32 TheprinciplesbehindtheCID 33 TheopeningoftheNewYorkinternationaloffice 34 100yearsoftheANC–fromliberationmovementtogoverningpower 35 TheconferenceontheJewishLaborBundinWarsaw 35 Sharinginsteadofowning.AconferenceinMexicoonthepotentialoffreesoftware 35 Rio+20:theUnitedNationsConferenceonSustainableDevelopment 36 “PeoplelikeKathrinneverdie.”AtestimonytoKathrinBuhl 37 TheFoundation’sinternationaloffices 38 projeCt sponsorship in 2012 40 the sCholArship depArtment 44 “Reportfromanisland” 44 TheLuxlikecomic–(im)possiblepathwaysineducation 44 Workwithalumni 47 Graduateacademy2012 47 Academictutors 48 political Communication 54 Asmalldepartmentwithbigresponsibilities 54 “Themediacanneverreportenough.”AninterviewwithJannineHamilton 55 StayingfitwithMarx.TheRosa-Luxemburg-StiftungonSoundCloud 56 SelectedPublications 57 the ArChives And librAry 58 Twonewfindingaids 58 “Youreallylearnsomething.”AninterviewwithPascalPaterna 59 news From the FoundAtion 60 Twopremieresandajourneyaroundtheglobe 60 TheawardoftheErikNeutschprize 62 “Buthiswordsarestillhere.”MemoriesofthewriterStefanHeym 62 CamilaVallejoinGermany 63 personnel development 64 the FoundAtion’s bodies 66 Thegeneralassembly 66 Theexecutiveboard 69 Theacademicadvisorycouncil 69 Discussiongroups 71 orgAnigrAm 72 the FoundAtion’s budget 74 photo Credits/imprint 80 3 editoriAl DearReaders, “Crisiswithoutend”waswhatwewroteinourlastannual report’seditorial,andlittlehaschanged.Thefinancecrisisand thecrisesoftheeuroandtheEuropeaneconomyingeneral werenotovercomein2012.Thesecrises,withtheirincreas- inglythreateningeffectsonthelivesofmanypeopleandon thestabilityofparliamentarydemocracyinseveralEuropean countries,arehavingacrucialimpactonpoliticsduringthe Germanelectionyear2013.Withinthiscontext,theRosa-Lux- emburg-StiftungconsideredtheopeninginOctober2012– withadditionalFederalForeignOfficefunds–ofafurther officeinAthensasanimportantsignalofsolidarity.Ouroffice thereaimstostrengthencollaborationonanequalfooting betweenthevariousleft-wingactivistsinGermanyand Greeceandtogobeyondpaternalism,presumptuousness, andnationalism.Ourcontactsarecommunalpoliticians, unionists,andanti-racismandanti-fascismactivists,aswell asleft-wingparliamentarians. Thesupportgrantedtoparty-nearfoundationsinandoutside ofGermany,whichallowsapluralityofopinionstosurface andreceivesupport,remainsastrengthofGermanpolitics, inspiteoftheneedtocontinuecriticizing–wherenecessary harshly–thedominantGermanandEU(government)poli- cies.ItisalwaysworthrememberingtheGermanpeculiar- ityofstatefundingforpoliticalfoundationsandthefactthat althoughthesefoundationsmustofcourseadheretothecon- stitutionaswellastospecificsubsidy,public-procurement, andbudgetaryregulations,theyarenonethelessfreetoact independentlyfromgovernmentpolicies.Moreover,though politicalfoundationsarecloselyrelatedtoaspecificpartyand inthelongrundependonthatparty’ssuccess,theyarenone- thelessalsoindependentfromthese(concerningstaff,organ- izationalquestions,andfunds)andthereforecanmaintain diversecontactsandformsofcooperation.Inthisregard,the participationoftheGermanambassadortoGreeceintheinau- gurationceremonyofourofficeinAthens–inthecontextofa politicallydifficultsituationbetweenGreeceandGermany–is anexpressionofthehighesteeminwhichtheindependent workofGermanpoliticalfoundationsisheld. AsistrueforourworkinotherEuropeancountriestoo,our workinGreeceisbasedontheconscienceofGermanrespon- sibilityforNazi-eracrimesandwethereforeallthemorefirmly rejecttheimplementationofpatronizingandsociallydestruc- tivepoliciesinGreece.Germanoccupationandrepression between1941and1944/45andGermany’sfailingtosuffi- cientlyaddressthishistoryduringthelastdecadesareimpor- tantreferencepointsforourwork. Justafewdaysafterthepresidentialandcongressionalelec- tionsintheUSandthere-electionofPresidentObama,we inauguratedourNewYorkoffice.Theofficewillcoordinate 4 growth,HeinzVietzelefthisindeliblemarkonthechanges thatwerenecessaryforanorganizationthatwasgrowingand continuestogrowrapidly.Whenhewaselected,theFounda- tionwasjustpreparingfortheopeningofitsfifthinternational officeandonlyhadathirdofitscurrentemployeebase.The generalassemblyandtheexecutiveboardareverygratefulfor hisexceptionaleffortsanddedication. ThegeneralassemblyelectedMemberofParliamentDagmar Enkelmann,whohadbeentheFoundation’sdeputychair until2010,asthenewchair.ThomasHändel,memberofthe EuropeanParliament,wasre-electedasdeputychair,andthe newfemaledeputychairisnowSabineReiner.Notleast,this expressesthegrowingimportancethatquestionssuchas DagmarEnkelmannandFlorianWeis Europe,labor,andecologynowhaveintheFoundation. Toreflecttheimportanceofadecentralizedstructure,thenew statuteincludesforthefirsttimeinstitutionalmembershipfor ourworkintheUSandCanadaandtakecareofcommuni- theindividualstatefoundations.Certainruleshavenowbeen cationwiththeUN.TheheadoftheLeftPartyfactioninthe anchoredintheFoundation’sstatutesuchas,forexample,a Germanparliament,GregorGysi,aswellasthechairofthe minimumquotaforfemalemembers.Withthemembership Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung,HeinzVietze,spokeduringthe basenowraisedto150membersandtheintroductionofhon- inaugurationceremony.OurworkinNewYorkwillconcen- orarymemberships,thestatuteemphasizestheimportant trateonbuildingcontactsandcooperationwithunions,aca- roleplayedbyvolunteers. demics,andfurther–inabroadsense–left-wingpeopleand Moreover,the2012generalassemblyformulatedtasksthat organizations.Contrarytoanti-USprejudicesthatalsoexistin theFoundationwishestotacklemoreintensivelyandsuc- theGermanLeft,thepluralityinsomeacademicdisciplinesin cessfullythanupuntilnow.Thisincludesdevelopingstronger theUSisgreaterthanatGermanuniversities.Therearealso focusesforthenumerousindividualprojects.Thediversityof alargenumberofunions,migrantorganizations,andfemi- theLeftoffersarich“mosaic,”butitisimportanttocreate nistandecologicmovementsthatcanprovideinterestingand strongerlinksbetweenactivists.Moreemphasiswillalsohave importantimpulsesfortheLeftinGermanyandEurope. tobeputonsystematiceducationprogramsforcommunal Inallourinternationalactivities,theFoundation’sbroad politicians,theeducationallydeprived,andnon-academic approachinGermanyformsthebasisforourapproacheselse- groupsthatarenotsufficientlyreachedbytheFoundation’s where.Thisannualreportcontainsselectedexamplesofour traditionalprograms.Finally,wemustandwishtoreactmore politicaleducationwork–bothsystematicacademictraining systematicallytothedemandsofthefrequentlyciteddigital aswellasnumerousevents–ofouranalyticalandresearch-re- revolution.Nodoubttheseareimportantchallenges,butour latedwork,ofourcooperationwithundergraduates,PhDstu- successfulworkduringthelastyearsleavesusconfidentthat dents,anduniversityprofessors,aswellasexamplesofour wecanmasterthem. functionasanarchiveand,notleast,theFoundation’spubli- cations.Withaconstantamountofover2,500eventsperyear inGermanywithover100,000visitorsandparticipants,the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftungisproudtobetrulypresentacross thewholeofGermany.Thiswouldnotbepossiblewithoutthe workofourindividualstatefoundationsandregionaloffices, withoutthevolunteersinthestatefoundations,thediscussion andworkgroups,withouttheacademictutors,and,notleast, themembersoftheFoundation–inparticularthoseworking tosecuretheFoundation’sservicesinthebackground.This wouldalsonotbepossiblewithoutthededicationoftheFoun- dation’semployeesinBerlin,inthe13regionaloffices,and intheinternationaloffices.Ourthanksgotoallthesepeople. OnDecember1,2012thegeneralassemblyelectedanew executiveboardforthecomingfouryearsandpassedimpor- tantchangestothestatute.Aftersixyearsattheheadofthe Foundation,HeinzVietzedidnotstandforre-election.During Dr. Dagmar EnkElmann Dr. Florian WEis thechallengingandoftendifficultyearsoftheFoundation’s Chair of the executive board Executive director 5 FoCus: the Crisis And europe leFt-wing strAtegies in europe AnewspecterishauntingEurope:Syriza,theradicalleftcoa-