With Palestine In Mind: Imperialism and Social Movements In the Twenty First Century

More than a century after the publication of Vladimir Lenin's ‘Imperialism, the Highest Stage of Capitalism’, debates about imperialism remain central to understanding contemporary global politics. While the twentieth century witnessed powerful anti-colonial and anti-imperialist struggles, economic, financial, military, and political forms of domination continue to shape international relations and everyday life across the world. The dominance of the US dollar and global financial institutions, alongside US-led military alliances and geopolitical interventions, has generated various forms of dependency and inequality. At the same time, these processes have provoked diverse responses from social movements, labour organisations, anti-war coalitions, solidarity networks and others.

This panel seeks to examine the relationship between contemporary imperialism and social movements. How do imperial structures shape the conditions under which social movements emerge and operate? How have movements responded to sanctions, military intervention, occupation and resource extraction? And what lessons can be drawn from earlier anti-imperialist and decolonisation struggles? By bringing together analyses of both imperial power and collective resistance from across the world, the panel aims to foster discussion on the possibilities and challenges of anti-imperialist organising in the twenty first century.