Pluriversality and beyond: Consolidating Radical Alternatives as a Commonist Project

This is a short presentation of a forthcoming article by Gills and Hosseini: Gills and Hosseini argue that the 2020s-and 2030s will be pivotal decades, in which the current global conjuncture, characterized by intensifying economic turmoil, climate change, and ecological crises, will translate into increased mass discontent, global polarization, political instabilities, and social unrest across the world. However, there is no reason to believe that this intensification of crises will automatically result in the end of unproductive divisions amongst the global left. Thus, a higher level of proactivism, at a meta-ideological standing, which we refer to here as the ‘Commonist Project’, is both necessary and possible. Gills and Hosseini propose a four-fold framework of how to promote sustainable convergences and solidarities, going beyond temporary pragmatic coalitions and alliances. This proposal draws on the idea of ‘commoning consciousness/knowledge’, realized through creating new transversal integrative assemblages of alternative-futures-making initiatives. In the end, the argument is empirically supported by drawing on the authors’ critical reflections on their own cross-organizational experiences of fostering dialogic and praxis-based methodologies across various groups and forces pursuing post-capitalist alternatives through the People’s Sovereignty Network (PSN).

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Barry K, G. and Hosseini, SAH (2021) Beyond the Pluriverse: Consolidating Radical Alternatives. Presented at The Annual Conference of the Westermarck Society 2021, March 11-12 , University of Helsinki, 2021/03/11/ 2021 The University of Helsinki, Helsinki, Finland. The University of Helsinki. http://sosiologipaivat.fi/in-english/2021-annual-conference/