The Academy of Democratic Modernity (ADM) held a conference in Basel on 17-19 November under the title “The Art of Freedom - Strategies for organising & collective resistance”.

The conference discussed paths out and perspectives on solutions in the face of the growing crisis of capitalist modernity and its multiple manifestations. The conference aims to generate a collective space to identify common challenges, to try and create answers, for questions to blossom and for intellectual exchange on the practice and concepts between various movements.

What are the fundamental aspects of the urgent and radical intellectual, moral and political renewal of opposition to the system? Starting from this question, the organisers want to collectively discuss different aspects of resistance against the system at this conference. Besides the necessary theoretical debate, different movements will share their experiences and strategies to think together about strengthening their practice and common struggle.

Attended by a number of organizations from Europe, Africa, Latin America and Asia, the conference at the Democratic Kurdish Community Centre in Basel ended on its third day with a call for enhanced international solidarity and common resistance.

The workshops today discussed “The idea of socialism: Towards a renewal” in the workshops “ in the workshops titled “21st century: The Era of Womenʼs Revolution (Women Weaving the Future)” and “To insist on Socialism means to insist on Humanity (Academy of Democratic Modernity)”. “The question of bottom-up organization and internationalism” was discussed at the workshops titled “Experience of weaving alternatives (Global Tapestry of Alternatives)”, “Building peopleʼs power in Colombia (Congreso de los Pueblos)” and “Perspectives of revolutionary organization in the Philippines”. Another panel discussion focused on the “National Democratic Front of the Philippines” and “Achievements, challenges and perspectives from the Kurdistan Liberation Struggle”.

Speeches at the panel discussions treated the problems experienced by peoples in resistance and methods to overcome them.

Discussions put particular emphasis on the effect of the capitalist and patriarchal system on women and youth and highlighted the need for women and young people to undertake a bigger part in building a new world and increasing the international struggle.

A video message from Rojava pointed out that the Rojava Revolution is a revolution of peoples and underlined the need for international solidarity to protect the revolution in the new term.

Three days of discussions pointed to the importance of Kurdish leader Abdullah Öcalan’s paradigms of democratic modernity, democratic nation and democratic confederalism as the path out of the existing problems and crises.

The conference concluded with a call for international solidarity and common resistance to be increased and expanded.