Tag: Emancipation

Nearly 300 academics and activists gathered over a weekend recently at the International Institute of Social Studies in The Hague for an extraordinary, highly animated conversation about ‘authoritarian populism and the rural world’. What, then, does the rise of such different forms of authoritarian populism mean for rural peoples around the world? Many themes emerged. Authoritarian populisms The term ‘authoritarian populism’ we used to frame the conference was intensely debated. The need for a new narrative to counter authoritarian populism, one that is popular, inclusive and progressive was a common call across the event. Religion and moral solidarities Religion was a common theme; one not often discussed in gatherings on agrarian issues. With such repressive closing down, how can emancipatory alternatives emerge? There was much talk too of the importance of cross-class mobilisation and the importance of intersectional analysis and organising. But the challenges of generating and sustaining alternatives are very real. Our focus is on the rural origins and consequences of authoritarian populism, as well as the forms of resistance and variety of alternatives that are emerging.

This article is seventh in the series on ‘confronting authoritarian populism and the rural world’, linked to the Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative (ERPI). The Indonesian Fascist Party founded in 1930 was chaired by a Javanese aristocrat. Peasants were depoliticized through one-party domination. The return of authoritarian populism and heightened agrarian conflict Despite populist challengers, such as Prabowo Subianto, Jokowi won the presidential election in 2014, propelled by a majority in the rural areas. The political strategies that have depoliticized rural peasants for the last 40 years have successfully contained rural resistance and protests. The crushing of emancipatory initiatives The combination of right-wing militarism, conservative Islamic populism and the prevailing neoliberal market conditions has resulted in the co-optation and/or destruction of genuine emancipatory rural initiatives. In both these cases, the internal organization of the cooperative is now marked by the patriarchal and authoritarian structures found in the wider society. Neoliberal developmentalism has worsened inequalities and heightened rural resistance and agrarian conflicts. E-mail: white@iss.nl The Emancipatory Rural Politics Initiative (ERPI) was launched during 2017 as a response to the rise of authoritarian populism in different parts of the world. ERPI small grant holders will present researchThe Samadhya Institute is a community of critical researchers and scholar-activists that aims to develop critical research in service of activism.