Press release junge Welt: 30th International Rosa Luxemburg Conference will take place on 11 January 2025

The 30th International Rosa Luxemburg Conference (Rosa-Luxemburg-Konferenz, RLK) will take place on 11 January 2025 at the Wilhelm Studios in Berlin-Wilhelmsruh.

The motto of the daylong meeting is ‘The Final Fight – How Dangerous Is Declining Imperialism?’ International speakers will address a fundamental shift observable in global power relations: They will show how the West, facing its loss of hegemony, is increasingly seeking solutions in fascism and war, but also, which opposing forces exist, and how, despite all this, a new peace order can be achieved.

‘The wars in Ukraine and the Middle East, with all their further escalation potential, appear to be harbingers of an impending major war, for which the ruling classes in Germany are also arming themselves. The 30th International Rosa Luxemburg Conference, where we will welcome international speakers and want to reach thousands of leftists from the entire German-speaking area, should, especially in these times, give courage and show that peace fighters are not alone,’ says junge Welt editor-in-chief Nick Brauns, describing the goals of the conference.

The manifestation ‘For a World of Solidarity’ will be one of the highlights of the day. With guests from Cuba and Palestine, as well as solidarity delegations from various countries, its emphasis will be on calling for an end to the US blockade of Cuba and for peace and freedom for Palestine.

High-profile international speakers have confirmed their participation in the 30th conference: among others, the journalist Kwesi Pratt from the Socialist Movement in Ghana, the Secretary General of the Belgian Labour Party and Member of Parliament Peter Mertens, the former Irish MEP Clare Daly, the writer and journalist Dietmar Dath from Germany, political scientist Yücel Demirer from Turkey, Eran Torbiner, coordinator of the Archives of the Left from Israel, and Jennifer Black, a US prisoner rights activist. There will also be a message of support from political prisoner and author Mumia Abu-Jamal from the USA.

The conference’s cultural programme will be presented by composer and pianist Hannes Zerbe and his jazz orchestra, as well as musician Ezé Wendtoin from Burkina Faso, who will perform with special guest Mal Élevé from Germany. In addition, an excerpt from the play ‘CLARA Z – Fighting Where Life Is’ will be performed.

The conference will conclude with a panel discussion on the topic ‘Fit for War? Never Again! How do we stop Germany’s armament?’ Petra Erler (former state secretary in the de Maizière government), Günter Verheugen (former EU commissioner, Social Democrats for Peace), Mark Ellmann (GEW trade unionist, DKP peace work), Ulrike Eifler (spokesperson for the BAG Betrieb und Gewerkschaft union, board member of Die Linke), and a representative of the ‘Rheinmetall entwaffnen’ (Disarm Rheinmetall) alliance will discuss the stationing of medium-range weapons in Germany, as well as the peace movement’s challenges and perspectives in a round table moderated by jW editor-in-chief Nick Brauns.

The conference, which former BDI President Hans-Olaf Henkel considers to be the most important regular symposium of the German-speaking Left, is organised by the daily newspaper junge Welt with the support of over 30 organisations, groups, and media.

The 30th Rosa Luxemburg Conference will take place at the Wilhelm Studios event venue in Berlin-Wilhelmsruh with up to 3,000 participants on site. As in previous years, when a further 40,000 people were reached online, the conference will also be livestreamed on the internet. The contributions will be interpreted into English, Spanish, German, and Turkish.

Further information on the conference is available from the newspaper junge Welt at jungewelt.de/rlk