After Barcelona, Warsaw and New York, Brussels joins the family of cities hosting a “municipalist” summit. Fearless Cities is a two day conference designed to discuss the “municipalist” way to manage the city. Municipalist programs tend to be focussed on the specific needs of city’s residents in order to dream and co-create programs that take care for them: let’s use this moment to take notes and truly listen to what Brussels diverse people and activists organisations have to say.
Policy making can happen bottom up and feminist. This will be the chance to dare to imagine a new city system by unlocking the transformative city- making power we all have. Participate in practical workshops to learn fresh ways to live the city, powered by local and international leaders of movements that are transforming society from below.
There will be an introductory plenary session, followed by 7 workshops per day by topics. Check the program at the event’s website. At the end of the day, the main points from the workshops will be harvested and joined up at the final plenary session. Also expect great food and unexpected artistic interventions that will keep the positive energy flowing.
What the summit aims at?
– Inspire participants to reflect on democracy: encourage them to become fearless about getting involved in public life. take responsibility for building what they need for a healthy public space and quality public services.
– To discover activist initiatives operating in multiple languages that are bridging communities: across Brussels’ communes, in Belgium across 3 regions and in the adjacent countries.
– To learn about what is happening around the world when it comes to municipalism, democratic alternatives, feminist politics etc.
– To connect people and organisations from the different communities of Brussels, Belgium and beyond to share their visions and strengthen their activism for a different kind of politics for the city – based on hope, solidarity, justice, equality, inclusion, love and ultimately care for people and planet
– To make responsive and responsible change and adaptation the way politics happen in Brussels. Brussels politics must become responsibly rooted in the everyday reality of its inhabitants.
Political decision-making to create spaces for participation and empowerment of citizen engagement, so Brussels can emerge from the Brusseleirs’ visions for their city.
To use the upcoming local (regional and European) elections as the incredible opportunity they are to not only call for, but to enforce -through the vote- more democracy into our system.
This is the chance to discover municipalism as a new way to structure ourselves to defend common goods. Experience a new working method : participatory methods – a different approach to politics and a way to do democratic debates in a new way.
When everyone talks about change, you make it happen! 14 workshops to reinvent your city in English / French / Dutch. September 22 – 23
Sat, September 22, 9:00 AM – Kaaitheater
