Abolitionist Futures Reading Group Returns
(Abolitionist Futures logo, on a purple background with three books gradually opening)
We have been running the reading group for several years now and each year brings new people, new insights and new challenges for learning together. This year, we will hold a learning space, knowing that our collective struggles are even more urgent and pressing.
In the wake of increased military and colonial violence globally, whether in Palestine, the Ukraine, Congo, Yemen, Afghanistan or Haiti, and the complicity of the British state in upholding such violence, we will reflect on what abolitionist ideas can offer to our collective struggles - locally, nationally and globally - and for the everyday and the long term.
If there is one thing abolitionists are certain about it’s that punishment and revenge will never bring about safety and that violence met with violence only results in more violence. Policing, prisons and militarisation is not a solution to social problems.
Join us if you are looking for a space to talk about how we respond and prevent harm and how we build the world we want.
Sessions will be held on zoom starting 6th February 2024, every second Tuesday evening (7.30 pm - 9:00 pm - UTC/GMT). We usually start the call together, then break out into smaller rooms with facilitators in each group to discuss the readings, and then return to the larger call.
We encourage people to try to read as much as they can on each session, but to come along anyways if they haven’t had a chance to.
We will have six sessions covering the readings:
6th Feb 2024 Session 1: Introduction to Abolition
20th Feb 2024 Session 2: What’s wrong with reform?
5th Mar 2024 Session 3: Feminist, Queer, Antiracist Abolition
19th Mar 2024 Session 4: Policing, Anti Racism & Abolition
2nd Apr 2024 Session 5: Transformative Justice
16th Apr 2024 Session 6: Everyday Abolition
Call for facilitators: For those of you who have joined us before, we’d love to see you again! If you fancy joining the facilitation team please fill in this form. We will be having a facilitation briefing session on Tuesday 30th January (7.30pm-8.30pm UTC/GMT).