Research & Projects

 

Topic 1: Situation and development of the Left in Europe
and the World Regions

 

The situation and development of the left in Europe and in various world regions; examination of the social structures on which it bases itself, its capability to formulate strategy, engage in action and enter into cooperative efforts inside and outside of parliaments; Analysis of the cooperation between the European Left and the left in the other world regions. Major conferences are being organized on this topic, involving Latin America and Europe.

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Topic 2: Analysis and Strategies in the World Crisis

 

Analysis and strategies in the world crisis related to the various world regions on the key issues and the requirements for action facing such international organizations as the EU, the UN, the IMF, the World Bank, etc.; Development of overarching positions on for transformational processes, strategies for action in international solidarity, and the left’s answers to the crisis.

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Topic 3: European Union and Relations to World Regions

 

The European Union and its relations to the world’s regions; critique of the imperialistic positions of the EU, of trade agreements, and of the privatisation of public and community services; Cooperation with partner regions.

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Topic 4: Peace, Security Architecture and Civil Conflict Resolution

 

Peace, the security architecture and civil conflict resolution strategies; attempts to interrelate the experiences in various regions, and to develop a common framework for civil peace and conflict resolution strategies. The first major project in this context has been initiated with peace activists from Somalia, ex-Yugoslavia and Israel/Palestine. Further planned projects include: a new security architecture between east and west, and between north and south; Critique of NATO and a reform of the UN and the OSCE.

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Topic 5: Defence of Democracy and Resistance to Authoritarian
and Right-Wing Extremist Developments

 

Defence of democracy and resistance to authoritarian and right-wing extremist developments. The democracy issue includes as central components the topics majorities / minorities, and migration / refugees, involving both intra-European processes (“Fortress Europe”, anti-minority racism against the European Romany people), and the development of key topics in cooperation with other world regions (e.g. Eastern Europe and the Eurasian area); Also, single projects on mega-cities.

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Topic 6: Development Strategies for Alternative European Policies

 

Development strategies for alternative European policy: economic democracy, European labour and social policy; Deepening of democracy and the issue of the creation of a Europe-wide public opinion; Cultural diversity and intercultural dialogue; Development of the components for European policy education within the spectrum of the left.

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Mission and Activities

 

The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation is named after Rosa Luxemburg, the Polish-German politician of Jewish origin who was murdered in 1919. The Rosa Luxemburg Foundation locates itself in the spectrum of democratic socialism, and is close to The Left Party in Germany. It has dedicated itself to the heritage of Rosa Luxemburg in its most modern sense: emancipative and critical of capitalism, radically democratic and opposed to all forms of dictatorship, dedicated to solidarity and opposed to imperial power. Political education, critical societal analysis, comprehensive international work, and research grants are its most important areas of work. The slogan of the foundation is:

 

"Freedom without equality is exploitation; equality without freedom is oppression. Solidarity is the common root of freedom and equality."

 

“Rosa Luxemburg goes Europe” was the slogan under which the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation launched the project of establishing a Brussels office in 2008. Brussels is not only the centre of European politics, but also a significant centre of world politics, particularly with regard to north-south policy. Brussels is also the headquarters of Nato. There are thus many political divides that run through Brussels, many of which may not always be completely visible at first sight. These different fields of action are what determines the strategic orientation of our Brussels Office.

 

Our central topics refer to intra-European and global developments, particularly to the relationship between Europe and the world’s regions. We are critical of the neo-liberal orientation of the policy of the European Union, and support a paradigm shift in European and international policy. We believe that the global economic crisis provides an opportunity to rethink the future with regard to the welfare of humankind on our planet, to relate the various aspects of the crisis to one another, and to place the fulfilment of the idea of an ecological and socially just international society on the political agenda. We collaborate on alternative strategies of European integration, concepts for economic democracy and services of public interest, approaches to participatory and multicultural democracy, and peace-policy projects, and we use the European platform to debate the realisation of progressive concepts in the world’s regions.

 

We cooperate with the Foundation’s other foreign offices* and with its Institute for Critical Social Analysis, with the left European foundation Transform, with European NGOs, trade unions and globalisation-critical social movements, with the left parliamentary group in the European Parliament GUE/NGL, as well as with the European Left Party. We work together with intellectuals, think tanks and people involved in political practice.

 

We realise our initiatives in the form of seminars, conferences, thematic discussions, and in a monthly open discussion forum called “Rosa’s Salon”. We conduct lectures with outstanding leftist intellectuals to not only enrich the European and international discourse on the left, but also to confront key actors in Brussels with the analytical and strategic positions of the left.

 

Birgit Daiber, Head of Office

 

* The Foundation currently has offices in Sao Paolo, Mexico City, Quito, Johannesburg, Dakar, Peking, Hanoi, New Delhi, Tel Aviv, Ramallah, Warsaw, Moscow and Belgrad. We are preparing to set up offices in East Africa and North America.

 

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Media

 

Website, Blog, Facebook, Video and Photos

The Brussels Office makes use of the following media - next to the website:

Blog / Facebook / Videos at Youtube / Videos at Vimeo / Photo Gallery

 

Newsletter

We send about every six weeks a newsletter.

Order newsletter

 

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Further information:

>> Left in Europe and world regions
>> Strategies in the world crisis
>> EU relations with world regions
>> Peace and security
>> Democracy and resistance
>> Alternative European policies