We are delighted to invite you to the open discussion with Dr. Chiara Bottici on Anarchafeminism in Troubled Times.

Living in a region ruined with persistent wars, dictatorships, an upsurge in conservative ideologies and deteriorating conditions to sustain even everyday life, makes us wonder what are the limitations and possibilities of our collective resistance. Every day, we are facing growing attacks on the feminist and queer ideas, which are now declared as the true public enemy. Most recently, the Azerbaijani government's crackdown on free media has been rationalized under the pretext of combating radical feminism and the so-called "LGBT agenda". In Georgia, the Pride march was forcefully dispersed by anti-LGBT protesters, further exacerbated by the government's escalating anti-queer rhetoric. The Russian government recently banned LGBTQI+ activism as "extremists" while Belarus is most likely to follow similar steps. On the other hand, the fight for a dignified life continues in war-torn Ukraine and Armenia. The rise of conservative rhetoric in Turkey and Central Asia makes these places unbearable for feminist and queer people. Finally, the recent feminist uprising in Iran was brutally crushed by the authorities. These characteristics are not exceptions but a part of the broader global backlash on feminist and queer ideas.

Against the backdrop of this stark reality, we would like to gather for a collective discussion with Dr. Chiara Bottici on the possibilities of anarcha-feminist activism, what this intellectual trend can offer and how we as activists and scholars can use these ideas for fighting for a better life. An open conversation with Dr. Bottici — a scholar on feminist thought — on the anarcha-feminist ideas and their application in our realities can bring new ideas to our struggles.

The discussion will take place online12 March, at 20:00 Caucasus time and it is open for everyone. The language of the event is English. To receive access to the event, please register at the following link.

Please, read theCODA: An Ongoing Manifesto by Dr. Bottici to be prepared for the discussion (you will find the attachment in the registration link). The discussion will be 1.5 hours, with a 20-minute introduction by Dr. Bottici, followed by Q&A and comments from the audience. The event is intended to be horizontal and conversational, please, come prepared.

To register, please click on this link:https://cryptpad.cz/form/#/2/form/view/T6Nv6KNAWtN2Gyh9g1U+Diq90X5LZd3FlQR9miC2gZw/