The Next Left: Building New Communities

On April 12-13th at Harvard Law School the IGLP hosted a conference on “The Next Left: Building New Communities.”  This event focused on the contemporary state of social democratic politics and the potential for a progressive global agenda for the 21st century. Among those taking part in the discussion were Dr. Alfred Gusenbauer, the former Chancellor of Austria, Dr. Ricardo Lagos, the former President of Chile, and a small delegation of researchers and experts from across Europe.

The aim of this meeting was to bring a select group of faculty, graduate students and policy makers into a conversation about the impact that the mobilizations of the past year have had on the world of politics, and how the policies and practices of the Left can, and should, be changed as a result. In particular, what kinds of policies can express principles of social justice and build on these mobilizations to realize more progressive communities? What of the potential for Left alternatives to the austerity policies in Europe and elsewhere? How should the Left define the meaning of work in the face of rapid transformations in technology and the global division of labor? What principles would govern this progressive global governance architecture?

This event is co-sponsored by the

Foundation for European Progressive Studies,

The Renner Institut

& The Next Left