NEWS

In memoriam Walter Heynowski 

The well-known DDR film­ma­ker Walter Heynow­ski died in Novem­ber 2024 at the age of 96. John Green, an English film­ma­ker who studied in the DDR and worked as a foreign corre­spon­dent for DDR tele­vi­sion, wrote the follo­wing eulogy for Heynowski’s funeral.

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Event: ZEF Public Lecture: Non-capitalist development in Africa and Asia – Lessons from the 20th century 

This lecture will examine the deve­lo­p­ment of the theory of “non-capi­­ta­­list deve­lo­p­ment” in socia­list scho­lar­ship during the 20th century and high­light some concrete expe­ri­en­ces in count­ries such as Mali, Congo-Braz­­z­a­ville, Afgha­ni­stan, and Syria. When explo­ring both the succes­ses and limi­ta­ti­ons of this stra­tegy, we will also discuss how the collapse of the “Eastern bloc” in 1989 and the subse­quent rise of China have influen­ced the pros­pects of inde­pen­dent deve­lo­p­ment in the former colo­nies today.

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EVENT: Non-Alignment and Socialism 

Today, many argue that a new Cold War has begun between the USA and China. Since Febru­ary 2022, it also appears as if a new group of non-aligned states might be emer­ging. How do these deve­lo­p­ments compare to the Cold War and Non-Aligned Move­ment (NAM) of the 20th century? How did the socia­list states’ approach to anti-impe­ria­­lism and the NAM during the last century? On 7 July 2023 we will be discus­sing with Indian histo­rian and commu­nist Vijay Pras­had how non-alignment and anti-impe­ria­­lism relate to the struggle for socia­lism – both in the past and present.

Read more » 

In memoriam Walter Heynowski 

The well-known DDR film­ma­ker Walter Heynow­ski died in Novem­ber 2024 at the age of 96. John Green, an English film­ma­ker who studied in the DDR and worked as a foreign corre­spon­dent for DDR tele­vi­sion, wrote the follo­wing eulogy for Heynowski’s funeral.

Read more » 

Event: ZEF Public Lecture: Non-capitalist development in Africa and Asia – Lessons from the 20th century 

This lecture will examine the deve­lo­p­ment of the theory of “non-capi­­ta­­list deve­lo­p­ment” in socia­list scho­lar­ship during the 20th century and high­light some concrete expe­ri­en­ces in count­ries such as Mali, Congo-Braz­­z­a­ville, Afgha­ni­stan, and Syria. When explo­ring both the succes­ses and limi­ta­ti­ons of this stra­tegy, we will also discuss how the collapse of the “Eastern bloc” in 1989 and the subse­quent rise of China have influen­ced the pros­pects of inde­pen­dent deve­lo­p­ment in the former colo­nies today.

Read more » 

EVENT: Non-Alignment and Socialism 

Today, many argue that a new Cold War has begun between the USA and China. Since Febru­ary 2022, it also appears as if a new group of non-aligned states might be emer­ging. How do these deve­lo­p­ments compare to the Cold War and Non-Aligned Move­ment (NAM) of the 20th century? How did the socia­list states’ approach to anti-impe­ria­­lism and the NAM during the last century? On 7 July 2023 we will be discus­sing with Indian histo­rian and commu­nist Vijay Pras­had how non-alignment and anti-impe­ria­­lism relate to the struggle for socia­lism – both in the past and present.

Read more »