Conflicts in social movements – on ways of managing and shaping them

Presentation + workshop

Language: German (English also possible)
Duration: 1.5 hours
In person

What is it about?

Solidarity arises through action. Solidarity is based on connections between people and groups, with individuals within and in relation to structures, as well as on a sense of connection to one’s own ideas, values, goals and needs. Solidarities can be woven into a complex web of social relationships, ranging from multi-layered to opaque. These involve differing positions, life experiences and backgrounds that shape the way we are, think and act. This can lead to situations of conflict that affect, impact, complicate or even completely prevent existing solidarities.

Under these circumstances, how radically can solidarity form and manifest itself when it conflicts with other forms of solidarity? How can conflicting forms of solidarity be recognised, identified, mediated or negotiated? What methods, what knowledge of intersectionality, and what communication skills are required to enable mutual understanding, and to ensure that violent situations and distressing conditions are not (unnecessarily) perpetuated? What does constructive conflict transformation look like when it takes different forms of solidarity into account – even where they are incompatible – and integrates all those involved into procedures and related processes? This is particularly relevant in view of the overarching context of (survival and) life on a planet in times of permanent poly-crises, and the rise in violent conflicts within and between societies worldwide.

In this workshop, I will begin by providing an insight into my current research on the topic of ‘intersectional and prefigurative conflict management in social movements’, introduce a few methods, and then move into a collaborative working mode with the participants, where we will discuss specific approaches to conflict management, practise them, apply them and reflect on them. I am also happy to contribute my experiences from my work as a conflict mediator, my engagement with prefiguration, and philosophical reflections on the state of the world.