Transformation Towards a (more) Socially and Ecologically Just Future

written by | August 30, 2025

From the Organizers

In the conference volume Anarchist Visions of Society, published in 2023, we compiled concrete concepts for a more just, democratic, and non-hierarchical society. At this upcoming conference, we aim to discuss paths toward such societies. To explore the diversity of these approaches together, we seek to bring together perspectives and participants from academia, activism, and civil society.

Venue: Vienna, with online streaming.

Dates: Friday, October 3 to Sunday, October 5, 2025

Languages: German and English.

Care team: susanne.stoelner@gmx.at, matthias.nemeth@students.boku.ac.at

Conference Coordination and Management: Utta Isop, Josef Mühlbauer, Susanne Stölner, Thomas Stölner, Michael Wissgott, Uwe Bittlingmayer

Supporters: VHS Vienna, PH Freiburg, Student Union (ÖH) BoKu, Empowerment for Peace, Vienna Institute for Philosophy with Children, an.schläge (The Feminist Magazine), Contraste (Newspaper for Self-Organization), espero (Libertarian Magazine | New Series), Editorial Team of Graswurzelrevolution (for a nonviolent, stateless society), University of Graz.

Conference Program

Friday, October 3, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM

  • 9:00–9:30 – Arrival / Registration / Music (Main Hall)
  • 9:30–10:30 – Welcome / Conference Goals / “How do we get from here to there?” (Main Hall)

1. Introduction

  • 10:30 – Musical Interlude (Main Hall)
  • 10:30–11:30 – Reading and Lecture with Ilija Trojanow (Main Hall)

2. Revolutionary Pathways: What revolutionary approaches respond adequately to today’s challenges?

  • 11:30–13:30 – What do various revolutionary perspectives (Castoriadis, Pankahyttn, Benjamin, Marx, Hindrichs, Bloch) contribute to shaping transformations toward a socially and ecologically just future?

Panel Discussion with Uwe Bittlingmayer, Birge Krondorfer, Alice Pechriggl, Anna Rosenberg, and Florian Telsnig (Main Hall)

  • 13:30–14:30 – Lunch Break
  • 14:30–14:45 – Artistic Interlude (Main Hall)
  • 14:45–17:45 – World Café: What current paths are we developing to dismantle power, violence, and hierarchy? What steps are we taking toward a more socially and ecologically democratic future? With: Black Voices, Lea Susemichel, Susanne Stölner, Cornelia Stefan, Mathilde Schmitt, Ivana Nenadovic, Utta Isop, Heide Hammer, GemSe, Chantal Bamgbala (Main Hall)
  • 17:45 – Music (Main Hall)
  • 17:50–18:20 – Plenary Summary (Main Hall)
  • 18:20–19:50 – Dinner
  • 19:45–20:30 – Final Event – Theatre performance by Dada Zirkus

Saturday, October 4, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 8:30 PM

9:00–9:15 – Welcome / Arrival / Music (Main Hall)

9:15–9:45 – Morning Activity – Theatre of the Oppressed, TdU Vienna (Main Hall)

3. Direct Action and Civil Society: How do direct action and grassroots organizing contribute to transformation?

10:00–12:00 – Anarchist Anti-Militarism: Against All Wars. Slide Lecture and Discussion with Bernd Drücke (Room assignment based on registration)

10:00–12:00 – Theatre of the Oppressed with Joschka Köck (Room assignment based on registration)

10:00–12:00 – Queer-Feminist Panel: Where do queer-feminist initiatives intersect with social and ecological justice? With: Black Voices, Lea Susemichel, Mathilde Schmitt, Alice Pechriggl, Ivana Nenadovic, Birge Krondorfer, Utta Isop, Heide Hammer, GemSe, Chantal Bamgbala (Main Hall)

12:00–13:30 – Lunch Break

13:30–13:45 – Artistic Interlude (Main Hall)

4. Education and Consciousness Shift

Which educational processes are necessary to unlearn imperial modes of living? How do we move toward ecologically meaningful everyday practices?

  • 13:45–15:30 – Panel Discussion: Petra Isepp (Alternative Economy), Thomas Lehnen (Prefiguration), Ivana Nenadovic (Between Utopia and Practice), Peter Seyfert (Murray Bookchin) (Main Hall)
  • 15:30–16:00 – Coffee Break
  • 16:00–17:00 – Parallel Sessions (Room assignment based on registration): Josef Mühlbauer: Civilian-Based Defense; Gerhard Senft: The Commune as the Cell of Social Life;Peacegang: Clown Army; Alexander Behr: Workshop: Money for the common good: financing models for socio-ecological; transformation and Marlene Engelhorn’s ‘Good counsel for redistribution’; Roman Kiefer: A-Strategies Against Elon Musk
  • 17:00–18:30 – Performance and Talk with Konstantin Wecker (Main Hall)
  • 18:30–19:00 – Summary of the Day’s Sessions (Main Hall)
  • 19:00–20:30 – Dinner

Sunday, October 5, 2025 | 9:00 AM – 6:00 PM

  • 9:00–09:15 – Welcome / Arrival / Artistic Interlude (Main Hall)

5. Gradual or Evolutionary Change (Reformism): What reformist approaches can currently be discussed in terms of democratization and ecological transformation?

  • 9:15–12:15 – Panel: Lottocracy, Citizens’ Assemblies and Council Democracy – What do these approaches contribute to a more socially and ecologically just future? With Utta Isop, Jason Chrysostomou, Heide Hammer, Pedro Jacobetty, and Maria from Peoples Platform (Room assignment based on registration)
  • 9:15–12:15 – Deep Democracy: Interactive Talk and Workshop with Maria Wiprich
  • 9:15–12:15 – The Triad of Political Struggle. The Practice of Change – Changing Practice (workshop) with Anna Rosenberg, Gerhard Wogritsch, Mark Ant
  • 9:15–11:15 – Thomas Friedrich: Critical Social Analysis
  • 9:15–11:15 – Uwe Bittlingmayer: Working on the Habitus or Flipping the Table? Pierre Bourdieu and the Possibilities of Progressive Social Change
  • 12:15–13:45 – Lunch
  • 13:45–14:00 – Artistic Interlude (Main Hall)

6. Current Transformation Topics: Anti-Fascism, Digitality, Agrifood, Philosophy

  • 14:00–17:00 – Workshop 1: Robert König: Digital Anarchism
  • 14:00–17:00 – Workshop 2: Gerlinde Krehn: Philosophizing as Part of Transformation
  • 14:00–15:30 – Jens Kastner: Anarchist Anti-Fascism
  • 15:30–17:00 – Paper Lantern Collective: Community Music
  • 14:00–15:30 – Mathilde Schmitt: Staged Reading: Agrifood and Gender Perspectives
  • 15:30–17:00 – Anna Fünfgeld: Emancipatory Transformation Against the Far Right
  • 17:00–17:30 – Summary: Workshop Results and Discussion (Main Hall)
  • 17:30–18:00 – Farewell and Next Steps (Main Hall)

Conference Fee:

A contribution of €45 is requested, which will help cover part of the catering costs. Due to limited food options near the venue, we aim to provide a shared meal space.

We would also like to offer our speakers travel reimbursements and modest honoraria – please support this by donating to:

Thomas Stölner, GLS Bank, IBAN: DE89430609674034061600

If the fee is a barrier to your participation, email us and we’ll register you without charge.

Catering: All meals will take place at the conference venue.

Accommodation: For accommodation, we are relying on your hospitality in the Vienna area. We strive to make it possible for everyone to participate in the conference and hope that the conference itself will contribute to the transformation of our world into a more hospitable and just place. Please indicate your accommodation options when registering. We will then forward them to those who are interested.

Registration at: www.uttaisop.at/anmeldung

Information: https://uttaisop.at/tagung-transformation-in-eine-sozial-oekologisch-gerechtere-zukunft

Questions and further information at: thomas.stoelner@gmx.de

1 Anarchistische Gesellschaftsentwürfe. Zwischen partizipatorischer Wirtschaft, herrschaftsfreier Vergesellschaftung und kollektiver Entscheidungsfindung (Anarchist social models. Between participatory economy, non-hierarchical socialisation and collective decision-making), edited by Thomas Stölner, Gözde Okcu and Uwe H. Bittlingmayer, Münster: