Saturday’s Gramsci conference in Amsterdam turned out to be a big success, both in terms of participation and discussions.
With 120 registration, much more than expected, the organisers were forced to turn down people who wanted to participate.
On Saturday the IIRE hosted, in corporation with the Italian Cultural Institute in Amsterdam, a one-day seminar on the legacy and relevance of Gramsci’s thought today.
The composition of the audience was very various: students, academics, workers and a good gender balance. There were also many young people, mainly students, who came in order to understand the revolutionary thought of Antonio Gramsci. The participant came form different backgrounds, and people even took the trip from Turkey, Germany and Belgium to attend the conference.
The debates were in general of a high quality, where the IIRE proved able to interact constructively with different currents of the socialist movement.
The conference was divided into three sessions. The first session was on the legacy of Antonio Gramsci. Sara Farris, Research Fellow at the International Institute for Social History and Silvio Marchetti, Director of the Italian Cultural Institute, gave an overview the life of Gramsci and the ongoing relevance of his thought. Lea Durante from the International Gramsci Society spoke about Gramsci's main work, the Prison Notebooks, and why we should still read them today. The second session, on Gramsci, hegemony and International Relations, was chaired by Arthur Mitzman, Emeritus Professor of Modern History of the University of Amsterdam. The IIRE director Bertil Videt discussed how to apply the theory of hegemony on the Turkish state and Peyman Jafari, Research Fellow at the International Institute for Social History, debated the strengths and weakness of neo-gramscian approaches for understanding contemporary imperialism. Senator Geert Reuten chaired the final session on Gramsci in the 21st century, with contributions from Michael Kraetke on Gramsci's importance for the renewal of the critique of political economy and from Peter Thomas on the relevance of Gramsci's philosophy of praxis for the alternative globalisation movement.
The conference is a part of the re-launch of the IIRE, with which the Institute aims at becoming a visible and dynamic centre for the development of critical thought – in the service of progressive forces around the online pokies games world.
The event ended with a convivial Sardinian dinner.
All sessions have been recorded as mp3 files, and will be available from the IIRE website as soon as possible.
Antonio Gramsci Today: 70 years after Gramsci's death, the legacy and relevance of his thought today.
REGRISTRATION HAS ENDED. THE CONFERENCE IS OVER-BOOKED.
Saturday, 8th December 2007, International Institute for Research and
Education (IIRE), Lombokstraat 40, 1094 AL, Amsterdam
PROGRAMME:
2:30pm Registration
3:00pm Introduction and Greetings. Session 1:
The Legacy of Antonio Gramsci.
Chair: Sara Farris (Research Fellow of the IISG)
Silvio Marchetti (Director of the Italiaans Cultureel Instituut in Amsterdam)
Lea Durante (University of Bari, Italy - International Gramsci Society) -"Gramsci and the Prison Notebooks: Past and Present"
4:00pm Coffee break
4:15pm Session 2:
Gramsci, Hegemony and International Relations
Chair: Arthur Mitzman (Emeritus Professor of Modern History, University of Amsterdam)
Bertil Videt (Director of the IIRE) – “Applying the Theory of Hegemony: the Turkish Case”
Peyman Jafari (Research Fellow of the IISG) - "Hegemony and Counter-Hegemony: Globalisation and Resistance today”
5:15pm Coffee break
5:30pm Session 3:
Gramsci in the 21st Century
Chair: Geert Reuten (Senator in the Dutch Parliament and University of Amsterdam)
Michael Kraetke (University of Amsterdam, member of the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation and the International Marx Engels Society) - "Gramsci and the Renewal of the Critique of Political Economy"
Peter Thomas (University of Amsterdam, Editorial Board of Historical Materialism) - "The Philosophy of Praxis and the Alternative Globalisation Movement"
6:30pm Projection of Film Gramsci l'ho visto così by Gianni Amico and
Giorgio Baratta
7:45pm Chena sarda (Sardinian Dinner) at the IIRE (pre-registration isrequired)
Please pre-register for the conference by sending an email to gramscitoday@iire.org
REGRISTRATION HAS ENDED. THE CONFERENCE IS OVER-BOOKED.
Pre-register for the sardinian dinner (20 euros) by sending an email to gramscitoday@iire.org or paying online:
Tel: +31 20 6717263 (IIRE)
Tel: +31 20 6265314 - +31 20 6263987 (Italiaans Cultureel Instituut)