Livestream

Wednesday, 2 September, 15:00 CEST

Since the coronavirus first emerged in Wuhan, the Chinese government has been the subject of both glowing praise as well as harsh criticism. Yet eight months into the pandemic, it is undeniable that the Chinese approach has been singularly effective in containing its spread and minimizing economic fallout, particularly when compared to the situation in other large countries like Brazil or India. This all comes at a time of tremendous change within China itself, growing international influence, and an escalating war of words with the US. We’ll be joined this week by Jan Turowski, Head of Office at the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung in Beijing, to discuss the Chinese response to the pandemic, the country’s position in world politics, and the state of “socialism with Chinese characteristics” seven decades after the founding of the People’s Republic.

Livestream with Jan Turowski, Head of Office, Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung Beijing

Wednesday, 19 August, 15:00 CEST

The disastrous explosion in the Port of Beirut on 4 August caused over 100 deaths and brought untold destruction to the Lebanese capital. Yet it is merely the latest episode in an ongoing political, economic, and social crisis that has gripped Lebanon for years and which now threatens to push the country over the edge.

Join us for a discussion with Miriam Younes, Head of the Rosa-Luxemburg-Stiftung's Beirut Office, about the state of Lebanese democracy, the aftermath of the 4 August tragedy, and Lebanon's young social revolutionaries and how they are rising to the challenge.

Wednesday, 5 August, 15:00 CEST

India is one of the countries hardest-hit by the coronavirus pandemic, with total cases topping 900,000 and continuing surge. One modest, positive exception to this trend has been the southern Indian state of Kerala, governed by the Left Democratic Front, an alliance of Communist and socialist parties. Under the slogan of “Physical Distance, Social Unity”, the left government mobilized civil society to participate in the government’s public health measures while also ensuring that Kerala’s most vulnerable were not left behind during the lockdown. As the crisis in India worsens, we invite Prof. V.K. Ramachandram of the Kerala State Planning Board to learn more about the state’s response, the role of socialist politics in the state, and how it compares to the performance of India’s right-wing national government as a whole.

with Prof. V.K. Ramachandram, Vice-Chairperson, State Planning Board, Government of Kerala