Presentation of the book Ciudades democráticas. La revuelta municipalista en el ciclo post-15M

Program

Municipalism has become one of the key issues of current political debate. The multiplication of municipalist platforms and governments, particularly in the towns and villages of Spain, but in other places around the world as well, suggests that this is a growing movement. In a hostile context, in which economic neoliberalism and conservative politics have joined forces against the common people, the so-called “new municipalism” or “change municipalism” brings hope and a practical example of how it is possible to build alternative policies for democratizing institutions, feminizing practices and putting people and the commons at the centre of the public agenda. This new municipalism links with a historic and theoretical tradition that aspires to alternative city and societal models to the currently prevailing models: the practice and prospect of a democratic city. Nowadays, names such as cities without fear, rebel cities or refuge cities are used to refer to the same intention. Without calling these proposals into question, the idea of democratic cities highlights people's ability to build their community life. This includes the processes and practices involved in taking and distributing power, rights and resources, and the (techno)political networks that make it all possible.

The book Ciudades democráticas. La revuelta municipalista en el ciclo post-15M (Democratic cities. The municipalist revolt in the post-15M cycle) seeks to contribute to the debate on what municipalism is, where it comes from and where it is heading. Through the voices of its authors, it outlines the movement’s current situation and addresses some of the debates about the phenomenon's problems and promises. All of the authors are involved with the movement in one capacity or another, whether in the institutions, the municipalist platforms, or in social movements and related organizations. In actual fact, this reflects one of the most interesting features of present municipalist reality: the fact that it is a shared learning process in which movements, political platforms and public institutions test and review new ways of doing politics.

The text is divided into three main parts. The first part contextualizes the debates about municipalism. It reviews the emergence of municipalism and how it points toward the democratic city, it discusses the idea of municipalism and its relation with democracy, and it recounts the historic process from 15M to the elections of May 2015. The second part presents some of the main lines of the municipalist governments' agendas, such as public policies related to the right to the city, feminism, common goods and technopolitics. It reviews some of the public policies implemented during the municipalist platforms' first cycle of government and reviews the opportunities and limits. In the third and final part, the discussion is focused on the agenda of the movement itself, beyond public policies. This part begins by analysing and discussing the idea of democracy in organizations. It then moves on to focus on the feminization of politics and ends by discussing the municipalist platforms' networking project.

6:00 - 7:00 pm Presentation of the book

By Manuel Castells (UOC), Laura Roth (editor), Arnau Monterde (editor) and Gala Pin (Ajuntament de Barcelona).

7:00 - 8:00 pm Debate with row 0

Moderator: Elia Gran (journalist). With Eva Alfama, Antonio Calleja, Ruben Martínez, Laia Forner and other authors.

Contact: info@tecnopolitica.net

Organizer: CNSC-Tecnopolitics (UOC)

Free entry. No prior registration is required but seating capacity is limited.