(Re) watch Dr Jonathan Langdons presentation on Trans-local movement learning and alliance building

By telling the stories of several locally rooted movements who connect across their regions and by adding to this his deep analysis and experience, Jonathan showed us the value of investing in trans-local relationship building. The movements that put energy and time into such alliances learn from the ideas and strategies of each other (No other network has made this more palpable than the peasants movements La Via Campesina). The people in such movements feel legitimated and empowered from listening to each others experiences and, importantly, in many cases solidarity statements from abroad helped them carry out their actions without having to face state and police repression.

Education is not just something that is taking place in schools and other formal institutions, but also in informal and “incidental” spaces as created by social movements. When, for example, two women groups from Ghana and North America connect digitally with each other to exchange how they use songs as a form of protest, the huge difference in levels of formal education between them becomes irrelevant, as both groups can learn from each others practical experiences (see from minute 21:15 in the video above).

Jonathan closed his presentation by describing learning as a form of “carrying each others stories”. For him, stories need to be shared in a non-hierarchical manner between and among front-line movements, local movements, as well as transnational movements like 350.org and Extinction Rebellion.