INFRASTRUCTURES

WHAT IS PERVASIVE INFRASTRUCTURES?

We are going through a period with multiple crises - climate, economic and security. And that brings us to the role that infrastructure plays in shaping social and political life.

We have gathered this under the title of Pervasive Infrastructure, infrastructure that penetrates everywhere.

WHAT ARE THESE INFRASTRUCTURES?

Or to put it another way: what forms our need for consumption today or determines our standard of living and what are the means by which we choose either medication, where we live, what and how we work or what we want.

Another question we seek answers to is how it affects us and what to do with the latest global geopolitical developments. Wars, militarization, borders, the increased price of energy and of life in general... these are the questions we start from.

PIVOT TO CANAL

The Danube-Black Sea Canal is the largest transport infrastructure project in Romania's history. Its symbolic importance in the public discourse in Romania - political, economic and cultural - is considerable. For this reason we chose it as a symbol and a pivot theme so that, by shedding light on some of the transformations it went through, we can capture something of the evolution over time of the notion of infrastructure in general. Thus, we wanted to relate the canal, if often implicitly, to the discussions in the podcast series.

We invited 14 people with activities in quite varied fields, to discuss infrastructures.

coming next:

On Fire. Brand Magazine and the workers’ struggle in Sweden with Viktor Mauritz

We talk about the Sweden's oldest anarchist magazine, founded more than 100 years ago. The conversation revolves around the relationship the magazine establishes with its readership and how magazines with a radical emancipatory content, such as Brand, can contribute to the labor struggles in Sweden.

Making peace by making war? with Vijay Prashad PART I

This episode talks about the connection between the economy and militarization in Europe. There are also hints to the politics of militarization in Romania and to the expansion of NATO bases in Eastern Europe. The strong political consensus about rearming Europe is discussed and given a broader historical context.

Making peace by making war? with Vijay Prashad PART II

In this episode the strong political consensus about rearming Europe is further discussed in relation to the concept of freedom of speech, while the discussion touches upon the role of infrastructure in connection with the Belt and Road Initiative initiated by China and the Recovery and Resilience Plan initiated by the European Union.

Fortress Europe - Border Regime in Europe Today with Klaudia Wieser & Nidžara Ahmetašević

PART I

This episode explores the detention infrastructure in the context of the so-called migration management put in place by the European Union. The inhumane ways in which migrants are treated by the institutions of force – police, border guards, Frontex and others - come to light among deportations, push backs, detention centers, protective walls, surveillance technologies.

Fortress Europe - Border Regime in Europe Today with Klaudia Wieser & Nidžara Ahmetašević

PART II

This second episode explores the ways in which European imperialism resurges through and around anti-migration politics. Also discussed is the use of legislation by the EU core countries in relation with countries that want to access the Schengen area - that is: how the accession is conditional on the implementation of security measures against migrants.

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