A 4-day Workshop on the Confronting the Political Psychology of the Far Right
Fascism is on the rise thanks to scheming billionaires, capitalist crisis, patriarchal power struggles, resurgent racism and imperialism, vicious nationalism and so much more.
As we struggle against fascism and the systems that created it, we want to pause to ask: what motivates the fascist imagination? What attracts people to fascism, historically and today? These questions are key to understanding the enemy and strategizing for a better future.
Sense & Solidarity presents a three day intensive in Toronto for those deeply engaged in projects that are pushing back against the rising authoritarian, reactionary, and fascist elements of society. Perhaps you’re community organizing. Maybe you’re making transformative art or doing radical research. Or it’s possible you’ve taken to the streets. If you want to think more deeply about both theory and strategy (and meet like-minded committed people) we hope you’ll join us.
The workshop is hosted by Sarah Stein Lubrano and Max Haiven who, together, run Sense & Solidarity, a platform where people who want to change the world come together to ask big questions and develop skills for struggle. Combining Sarah’s expertise on political psychology and Max’s expertise on social movements and the radical imagination, we create podcasts, workshops, retreats and infrastructure for better praxis (theory+action).
In this 3-day workshop, we’ll look at themes including fascist (and anti-fascist) worldbuilding, how fascists manipulate feelings and hijack “common sense,” and the rise of fascist influencers (and whether there can or should be an anti-fascist equivalent). We’ll consider texts from the long history of antifascist thinkers (including the Frankfurt School and the Black radical tradition) and fascist ideologues (from Mussolini to Palantir’s CEO). We’ll think about the role of alienation, gender, horror, technology, and games. And we’ll help each other develop our theories of change and radical strategies.
This is Sense & Solidarity’s sixth in-person workshop intensive.
The event will take place from 11am-6pm, April 10-12th. There will also be an optional welcome event on the evening of April 9th.
Registration is $200 CAD for regular participants and $450 CAD for those with institutional supports. Bursaries are available which typically waive the cost of registration ($200 CAD) but can potentially also help with travel and other costs.
Please use the application form linked here by March 14th. We will strive to confirm participation by the end of the following week.
For more information, contact us at info [at] senseandsolidarity [dot] org
This workshop is supported by RiVAL: The ReImagining Value Action Lab.