Women Against Fascism (WAF)

Is Populism a Possible Strategy for the Left?

Emmy Eklundh

 Conversations  | Wed 10th June | 7pm
Doors open 6.30pm

Open to everyone | Booking required
Bar open

Can populism and nationalism be useful for the Left as a political strategy? Is there a form of good populism? What would really be feasible for the Left to do?

An original thinker in the field of populism, Emmy Eklundh joins us to question and rethink existing, comfortable paradigms. In this WAF conversation, Emmy draws upon both her extensive experience on the frontiers of populism studies and her engagement on the Left to consider possible ways forward to pursue effective progressive politics today. For all of us concerned about contemporary politics, she connects liberalism, populism and a critical decolonial perspective in a highly original way.

ABOUT THE SPEAKER

Dr. Emmy Eklundh is Senior Lecturer in Politics at Cardiff University, UK. The focus of her research is in the interface between European Politics and political and social theory. I'm particularly interested in social movements and political parties on the left, and especially cases of left-wing populism in Southern Europe. She uses radical democratic frameworks to further our understanding of democracy in Europe, the challenges to our current liberal order, but also the possibilities for democratic reform.

Current research projects include left-wing populist responses to nationalism, and resistance to European integration from the left. She also closely looks at the role of social media for political action, and at how emotions influence the way we think about political identities.

She is a regular contributor to media outlets on discussions on Spanish politics and populism (including the BBC, CNN, Sky News, CNBC, Swedish national radio, Newsweek). She was previously Lecturer in Spanish and International Politics at King's College London. 

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ADDITIONAL INFO

FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium (15-30)	Available on request

Act on DEMOCRACY

Understanding Our Rights and Protections Online:
The EU's Digital Services Act

with Maria Koomen & Cindy Zheng

 Ideas / Action | Thurs 18th Jun | 6:30-8:30 pm

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ABOUT THE HOSTS

Maria Koomen is a Democracy, governance & tech analyst and advocacy specialist. She is the former governance director at the Centre for Future Generations, working on the challenges at the intersection of emerging technologies, democracy, and governance. Her work focused on ensuring that governance systems evolve to keep pace with technological and societal change. Maria led the Open Governance Network for Europe, a joint initiative of Open Government Partnership and Democratic Society to drive connection, dialogue, and learning around public participation, transparency, and accountability with an eye to improving democracy and governance in and across the European Union. Prior to that Maria was senior programme manager on the Democracy Conflict & Governance program at the Carnegie Europe.

Cindy Zheng is a young professional engaged in digital policy. She previously worked in digital transformation in the area of EU projects, development cooperation, and global governance, with the aim to contribute to a more responsible and human-centred digital future. 

ADDITIONAL INFO

FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Medium <30	Available on request

Deep Thought

A Series with Andreea Petre-Goncalves

 Ideas / Conversations  | Sat 27th Jun | 5-7 pm

Join us for a hopeful conversation with Andreea

* Stay tuned, more details coming soon *

In the Deep Thought series, Andreea offers opportunities to interrogate our ideas of what is normal and desirable in society. Together we walk towards the mindset shifts that are needed to protect our planet, make the world safe and ensure lives and dignity and meaning for all. Deep Thought is a space for courage and authenticity, with no stone left unturned. We build trust, encourage each other and take action together.

What happens to trust in a transactional world? What does a selfish society do for our happiness? What does meaningful work mean in an era of precarity, automation and uncertainty? What is society for? Join us for our monthly conversations.

Open to everyone

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ABOUT THE HOST

Andreea Petre-Goncalves was 8 years old when totalitarian Communism collapsed overnight in her native Romania. She saw then how quickly yesterday’s absolute truth can become tomorrow reviled atrocity. She knows that societal narratives can shift fast, and when they do, they make deep system re-set possible. For two decades she worked for international development, human rights, health and sustainability in the EU institutions and international NGOs. In 2019 she set up Flare, a Brussels-based think-and-do tank that experiments with practical ways of shifting the collective ideas we hold of what is normal and desirable. This work builds on 15 years of her researching and writing about societal narrative shifts. She is a BMW Foundation Responsible Leader and a member of Global Diplomacy Lab.

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ADDITIONAL INFO 

FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Small (10-15)	Available on request

CRITICAL CONVERSATIONS ON
CONFLICT & PEACE

Ukraine

Sandra Melone

 Conversations | Sat 27th Jun | 5-7pm 

Save the date. More info coming soon!

Open to everyone | Booking required

Bar open

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ABOUT THE HOST

Hosting the Series is Sandra Djuvara Melone, CEO of Zancora Consulting, which she founded in 2021, with a strong expertise in peacebuilding, conflict resolution, crisis management, human rights and, not last, gender. With a vast experience on the ground, she has worked across Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, and the Middle East. She knows first hand what living through civil war is like. Sandra is the Chairwoman of the Board of Directors of Search for Common Ground, Europe, one of the world’s leading international non-governmental organisations working in peacebuilding and conflict transformation, where she's been involved in various roles since 1995. Sandra is a founding member of the European Platform for Conflict Prevention and Transformation (EPCPT), of the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office (EPLO), and of the Child Soldiers Initiative (CSI). Before dedicating her career to conflict transformation, Sandra worked in human rights advocacy with Amnesty International, and in international education.

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ADDITIONAL INFO

FOOD & DRINK	EVENT SIZE	ACCESS
Bar & snacks	Small (10-20)	Available on request

FESTIVAL OF IDEAS 2026

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Fri 20th - Sat 21st - Sun 22nd Nov

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