Next Left [antikvár]

FOREWORDS The principle of the "Next Left" Research Programme has always been to inspire, while believing in hopes that have been entrusted in us. This is why every subsequent step ofthe project, illustrated by publication of all the previous 4 volumes, has been guided by an ambition to advance and to reach new dimensions of the ideological debates. This issue, which we are proudly presenting herewith, embodies the same desire. It is profoundly important that it has been realised in the framework of a new cooperation established in 2011/2012 between FEPS and IGLP - Institute for Global Law and Policy of the Harvard Law School (Cambridge, Massachusetts), which builds on the earlier exchanges with Watson Institute at Brown University (Providence, Rhode Island), enabling the Next Left debate to accomplish a new stage of development, in which scholarly framed transatlantic dimension is to play a relevant role. The process leading to establishment of Next Left - Dialogue of Dialogues in April 2012 had featured several prior intellectual exchanges, which took place both in Europe and in the US. In the second of those, it was originally hosted by Watson Institute of Brown University, where professor Michael KENNEDY has played a vital role in bringing together progressives from different networks. In his preface to this volume, he is describing more in detail the road that the process had taken back then - starting from a conversation between two visiting professors-at-large at Watson, Dr Alfred GUSENBAUER (former Chancellor of Austria and Chair of the FEPS Next lLft Research Programme) and Dr Ricardo LAGOS (former President of Chile and Head of Chilean Fondacion Democracia y Desarrollo).The subsequent transfer ofthe discussions to the IGLP HLS, thanks to the hospitality of its Director, professor David KENNEDY, meant both enlarging the group through reaching out to new networks of progressive academics and broadening ofthe agenda - which challenges he describes respectively in his introductory words. The certain shift ofthe focus mirrors opening to new themes, which go beyond seeking common answers to the global crisis and focus rather on a common aspiration to contribute to framing a new, prevailing global narrative. The historical challenges lay in the fact that not only was the feasibility ofthe post-war order questioned in its every dimension by the multilayer crisis of the last years, but also that the aftermath of its pick has featured new developments worldwide.The recent social mobilisations, which impact may differ depending on the circumstances in which they took place, have one important notion in common. Regardless if one looks at the Occupy Movements, Indignados or people, who courageously united within Arab Spring - it is very clear that they bring a demand for a new sort of settlement. This new arrangement shall be anchored in a new, complex vision that will provide an alternative to financial capitalism and help re-establish primacy of politics at the service ofthe people over the rule of markets. It is a growing belief that its anchoring in values such as equality and solidarity, would also bring along a strategy on how to combat the disintegration of a global community and consequent fragmentation of our societies. As such, the circumstances prove to bring about a vacuum that a new narrative could claim.The difficulty