Solidarities in Times of 'Crisis'

Abstract

Recent events such as the 2007-2008 global economic crisis and the related austerity policies, or the so-called “migration and refugee crisis” in 2015 have had a profound impact on civil society mobilisation processes in Europe. Although the notion of “crisis” should be de-constructed, scholars have observed how crises can lead to an increase in political protests, as in the case of the Occupy movement and the “Refugees Welcome” demonstrations across Europe in 2015-2016. In addition, direct actions of solidarity that aim to support those affected by austerity measures and by restrictive immigration policies have flourished across Europe. For instance, during the economic crisis, new solidarities have been established between squatters, migrants, and minorities, and geographies of care and spaces of encounter have emerged in food banking. Likewise, since the “migration and refugee crisis”, networks dedicating to new forms of solidarity such as donating, hosting, and volunteering in refugee camps abroad have also emerged and rapidly gained visibility. These types of initiatives aim to provide direct help to those affected by current policies but they do not necessarily address demands to governments; they are mostly organised by highly decentralised and localised networks, and they involve actors that often distance themselves from more “traditional” forms of political activism. This panel aims to investigate the multi-faceted forms, tensions, and effects of the support and solidarity actions emerging during the times of “crises” in Europe. The papers in this panel address, though are not limited to, the following topics - The engagement trajectories and the strategies of the actors involved in contemporary forms of solidarity - The relation between solidarity actors and social movements - The discursive frames developed by these solidarity actors - The transnational/national/urban dimension of current solidarity movements - The continuities and changes of solidarity action over time and space

Title	Details
The Different Forms of Hosting Migrants in Italy: Between Humanitarian, Contentious and Economic Logics	View Paper Details
The Frames of Solidarity and Altruism in the British and French Refugee Support Organisations	View Paper Details
The Politics of Survival: Minority Women, Activism and Austerity in France and Britain	View Paper Details
Solidarity after Compromise: The Ethics of Giving in Times of Protracted Austerity	View Paper Details