Topic 7 – Interlude III: Sous les Pavés, la Plage!

Topic 7 – Interlude III: Sous les Pavés, la Plage! 18 November 2024 Section overviewThis chapter investigates the emergence of new forms of citizenship and political community beyond the nation-state framework, focusing on urban spaces as sites of political experimentation and community-building. Traditional models of citizenship have often restricted political participation to the boundaries of the nation-state, where legal and social rights are tightly linked to national identity. However, in an increasingly globalized world, cities have become strategic spaces for fostering non-state political communities, allowing marginalized groups and migrant communities to engage in the political process.Through examples like the Beyond the Construction Site project in Ljubljana, which transformed an abandoned lot into a vibrant community garden, the section highlights how urban projects can serve as laboratories for new forms of citizenship. These spaces can be understood as “exilic spaces,” as they provide platforms for disenfranchised communities to create alternative social, political, and economic structures independent of both state control and capitalist accumulation. Such spaces enable “translocal citizenship,” where political membership transcends national identity and creates inclusive, flexible communities that connect diverse groups. Powered By EmbedPress

Topic 1 – Introduction

Topic 1 – Introduction 18 November 2024 Section overviewWith global warming exacerbating crises in food security, economic stability, and sustainable development, traditional democratic structures are increasingly under strain. This section explores the interplay between climate change and democratic systems, emphasizing the urgent need for transformative thinking in both ecological and political realms. It argues that addressing climate change requires more than technological fixes; it demands deep social, political, and epistemological shifts, particularly given the democratic backsliding and rise of authoritarian responses to crises. Powered By EmbedPress