Introduction

Over the past few months, the European Union and many countries around the world escalated their regime of foreclosure and partition: borders have been closed, laws have been tightened, fears have been raised, civil rights have been overruled. However, below the level of national state politics civil society initiatives and municipalities are living a different idea of globalization. In this way, municipalities declare themselves ready to become “Sanctuary Cities”. They open up rooms of mutual assistance among strangers as connecting points for the democratic organization of a transnational community. Starting from this solidarity practices, the symposium will discuss perspectives for a different, really cosmopolitan Europe. The opening speech on Thursday evening is held by Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan, who recently presented a groundbreaking proposal for the Europeanization of refugee policy and the fair financing of the necessary infrastructure.

Speakers:

Prof., Dr. Richard D. Wolff, Professor of Economics Emeritus, University of Massachusetts, Amherst, and currently a Visiting Professor in the Graduate Program in International Affairs of the New School University New York, Co-Founder of the journal “Rethinking Marxism”

Prof, Dr. Gesine Schwan, Political Scientist, prominent intellectual of Socialdemocratic Party (two times candidate for German Federal Presidency), has recently published a policy concept on “Integration of Refugees in Europe as a joint municipal development”

Helene Heuser, law philosopher, University Hamburg, works (a.o.) on new forms of citizenship

Dr. Ghassan Issa, physician, Beirut, General Coordinator, Arab Resource Collective (ARC) and Director, Arab Network for Early Childhood Care and Development (ANECD)

Dr. Matthias Rodatz, political scientist, geographer, University Frankfurt, works (a.o.) on Racism in cities;

Peter Cachola-Schmal, architect, Director of the German Museum for Architecture (Frankfurt), Curator of the Exhibition “Making Heimat”, German Pavilion in the Architectural Biennale of Venice 2016

Janika Kuge, geographer, University Freiburg, Initiative “Solidarity City Freiburg; N.N., Project Shelter, Frankfurt.

Thursday, June 8^th. 7:00pm (evening event)

Opening: Globalization from below.

Thomas Gebauer, medico int.

Lecture:

Prof. Dr. Gesine Schwan,

European Integration of Refugees and Municipal Development

Comments by:

Prof. Dr. Richard D. Wolff, economist, New York

Helene Heuser, law philosopher, Hamburg

Dr. Ghassam Issa, physician and social scientist, Beirut

Friday, June 9^th (Conference with lectures, workshops, final round)

10:00am – 12:30

Opening: Sanctuary City

Dr. Thomas Seibert, medico int.

Lectures:

Invisible Exclusion: Dr. Mathias Rodatz, political scientist, geographer, Frankfurt

A Case for Another Citizenship: Helene Heuser

In Critic of Capitalism: Municipal Praxis: Dr. Richard D. Wolff

2:00pm

Working Groups:

City and Immigration

Transnational Citizenship and Critical Praxis

Resistance and Democracy

3:30pm

Open Spaces: Beirut, Freiburg, Venice, Offenbach: Dr. Ghassan Issa, Peter Cachola Schmal a.o.