The Platypus Affiliated Society will be holding its tenth annual international convention in Chicago. Join us as we reflect upon the state of the Left, especially in a moment that marks 50 years since the events of 1968.
FRIDAY APRIL 6th
3:30-5:00pm
The Rise of the Far Right in Europe | UChicago- Reynolds Club, South Lounge, Hutchinson Commons 5706 S University Ave
- Dom J
- Efraim C
- Henry Mitko
- Clint M
- Moderated by: Pádraig M
7:00 - 9:00pm
​OPENING PLENARY: 50 Years of 1968 | UChicago- Reynolds Club, South Lounge, Hutchinson Commons 5706 S University Ave
- Mitchell Cohen (Author of An American in Revolutionary Nicaragua and Listen, Bookchin!)
- Abdul Alkalimat (Professor of African-American Studies at UIUC and author of Malcolm X for Beginners)
- Moderated by: Patrick Z.
Panel Description
For half a century, 1968 has represented a high-water mark of social and political transformation, a year of social upheaval that spanned the entire globe. Ushered in by a New Left that sought to distinguish itself from the Old Left that emerged in the 20s and 30s, the monumental events of 1968 set the tone for everything from protest politics to academic leftism.
Today, with the U.S. entangled in a seemingly endless war in Asia and people calling for the impeachment of an unpopular president, with activists fighting in the streets and calling for liberation along the lines of race, gender, and sexuality, the Left’s every attempt to discover new methods and new ideas seems to invoke a memory of the political horizons of 1968. We can perhaps more than ever feel the urgency of the question: what lessons are to be drawn from the New Left as another generation undertakes the project of building a Left for the 21st century?
10:0pm
Post-plenary Food, Drinks & Discussion | Exchequer Pub 226 S Wabash Ave
SATURDAY APRIL 7th
12:00pm - 12:45pm
Lunch | School of the Art Institute Chicago
3:00pm - 5:00pm
History of the Platypus Critique | SAIC - Neiman Center (37 S Wabash, first floor)
- Ian M (1st Phase: Anti-war Movement / Anti-Imperialism)
- Spencer L (2nd Phase: Marxist Turn / IBT, CPGB Engagement)
- Tom C (3rd Phase: #Occupy / Marxism and Anarchism)
- Ed R (Protracted 4th Phase: Syriza, Podemos / What is Political Party for the Left?)
- Omair H (4 ½ Phase: The Socialist Turn / Millennial Left)
- Moderated by: Erin H
Panel Description
7:00 - 9:00pm
​CLOSING PLENARY: Closing Plenary: President’s Report — Century of Counterrevolution SAIC - Neiman Center (37 S Wabash, first floor)
- Chris Cutrone
Panel Description
