Grand Inaugural Weekend, 14-16 September 2007
Over four days the staff and many of our regular collaborators welcomed guests from the Netherlands, Europe and beyond, to present the new Institute and our programme over the next few months.
Among the Debates were:
Prostitution - Tolerate it or Fight it? A Long Lasting Solution for Palestine? Networking vs. Parties, How to Organise Migrant Workers? Which Future for Socialism?
Among the Speakers were:
- Anja Meulenbelt, Member of the Dutch Senate
- Marianne Eriksson, former MEP, President of the Left Party Stockholm
- Frances Curran, Former Member of the Scottish Parliament
- Arjan Vliegenthart, Member of the Dutch Parliament and Editor-inChief of Spanning
All sessions were simultaneously translated into English and Dutch.
Thursday 13 September
18.00-21.00: Reception
Friday 14 September
14.00-16.30: The Life and Thought of Ernest Mandel. Jan Willem Stutje, Author of the Biography of Ernest Mandel talks and presents the new English version of the documentary movie about Ernest Mandel.
17.00-19.00, Conference Room: Long Lasting Peace for the Middle East?
- Roland Rance, Jews Against Zionism, Great Britain.
- Anja Meulenbelt, Member of the Dutch Senate for the Socialist Party.
Chaired by Wim Lankamp, Chaiperson of the Dutch Palestine Committee.
19.00-20.00: Light dinner (5 euro).
- Indonesian (mackerel in banana leave) fish Pepesan with rice
- Spinach tagliatelli with light gorgonzola sauce
20.00-22.00, Conference Room: Prostitution - tolerate it or fight it?
- Marianne Eriksson, Long-timer campaigner against trafficking and prostitution, former MEP, President of the Left Party, Stockholm.
- Bob Van Schijndel, Former member of the Dutch Parliament for the Green Left.
- Stephanie Treillet, Member of the Women's Secretariat of the French Ligue Communiste Revolutionnarie.
Chaired by Alex de Jong, Editor-in-Chief of the Grenzeloos Magazine.
Saturday 15 September
10.00-12.00: Globalisation and the State: Delinking or A Different Globalisation?
- Peter Thomas, Member of the Editorial Board of Historical Materialism
- Stephanie Treillet, French Economist
Chaired by Bastiaan van Apeldoorn
12.00-13.30, Lunch (2,50 euro)
- Mustard and tomato soup
- Sandwiches
13.30-15.30: Networking vs. Parties. Have new Network Based Organisations Outplayed Political Parties?
- Oscar Reyes, Researcher in new social movements at the
Transnational Institute, Amsterdam. - Samy Johsua, leading member of the French Ligue Communiste Revolutionnaire.
Chaired by Leo de Kleijn, Member of Rotterdam City Council
13.30-15.30: Workshop on Science, Technology and Marxism.
16.00-18.00, Conference Room: Panel on Migration.
- Fe Jusay, (Commission of Filipino Migrant Workers).
- Lot van Baaren, Trade Unionist Organising Migrant Workers.
- Jakob Wedemeijer, Migration Lawyer, Netherlands.
- Liz Peretz, Barbed Wire Europe (Britain)
Chaired by Eva Ferraren, Fellow at the IIRE.
18.00-20.00: Which Future for Socialism?
- Frances Curran, Former Member of the Scottish Parliament.
- Arjan Vliegenthart, Member of the Dutch Parliament and Editor in Chief of Spanning.
- Salvatore Cannavo, Member of the Italian Parliament.
- Pierre Rousset, First Director of the IIRE.
Chaired by Penelope Duggan, Historian and Fellow at the IIRE.
20.00-22.00: Gala dinner (Prior Registration Required - 15 euro)
- Wild Spinach Salad (veg)
- Saffron-Pernod Shrimps
- Pumpkin Gnocchi(veg)
- Grilled Rouget with Bulgur Salad and Green Asparagus
- Hazelnut Ice with White Chocolate Sauce
22.00-01.00: Party
Sunday 16 September
13.00-15.00: IIRE for another 25 years. Introductory presentation by IIRE Director Bertil Videt.