24/01/2018
Critique of the state: state of the critique in the near and middle-east
January 24, 2018
14:00-17:00 | Room C103
Paris 8 University
2, Rue de la Liberté – 93526 Saint-Denis
Naji El Khatib (Medfil Humanities Institute):
“The State in the near and middle-east: politics and epistemology at stake”
The intervention will deal with the situations of the region by developing a critical reflection on the notions of Identity, Nation, Nation-State, Borders according to space-time, geographical locations and social, economic, political and social contexts in the middle-east in general and more particularly with regard to the palestinian and kurdish peoples.
We will propose to cross the points of view concerning the use of these notions in order to identify a corpus of reflection concerning the emergence of new political thoughts embodied by the theses of the post-national as a possible outcome for the resolution of the israeli-palestinian conflict, the end of the current apartheid/occupation system and towards a guarantee of citizenship apart from nationality.
The desire for a “national” state among palestinians and kurds has been and still is confronted with geostrategic realities from the colonial past and present. However, a shift is taking place towards Post-nationalism (in Palestine) and Confederalism (in Kurdistan). This shift is materialized by the production of new paradigms destined to replace the political theories from the era of bygone wars of national liberation. However, a demystification of democratic and secular discourse and its new paradigms is more than necessary in this historic moment of upheaval in the entire region.
Nan Kar Azadi Collective:
“Reflections on the recent uprisings in Iran”
For several days, demonstrations against the political and economic structure of the Iranian government took place in more than 90 cities, despite the fact that under the influence of a militarized state any political demonstration in the streets can go as far as cost life.
This uprising is unexpected and incomprehensible to anyone who has overlooked the labor, teacher and student union protests of recent years.
This negligence is also due to the invisibilization of mobilizations that took place upstream of this revolt and in which trade unionists participated (a term which has no equivalent in Persian because trade unions are not authorized), teachers and transport workers.
The mobilizations also concerned the question of pensions and the problem of credit companies. For more than a year, the inhabitants of small towns have been demonstrating in front of town halls and banks, but have remained invisible.
According to official figures, over the past 6 months, more than 900 rallies have taken place in 50 different cities. (Excerpt from the Tribune published in Liberation of 02/18/2018)
Contact: infopolitical-studies.net