What is an effective movement? How do you feel about activism? Do you want to learn tools on how to be politically relevant? Do you want to join a course that seeks to create a space to explore and reflect on agency and power with a focus on combining theory and practice? If these questions intrigue you to learn more, consider joining this 6 ECTS elective course You can find more on the course content in the study handbook. The course is open for advanced BSc students, Master students and PhD students from all study programs.

Contact hours & costs
The contact hours of the course cover two weekends (in between the weekends you engage in groupwork with your action group), the first weekend includes sleepovers. We will share meals, experiences, knowledge and walks in the forest with students, lecturers and activists. The relative isolation provides for ample time for learning, sharing and reflection.

The participation fee of the course can be paid on a sliding scale (€40 – €80. If it is difficult for you to cover these costs, let us know and we will work something out), and first we invite you to save the following dates:
March 15, 16, and 17, 2024
April 5, 6, and 7, 2024
April 25, 2024

This course is co-organised by the Sociology of Development and Change (SDC) chair group, the Centre for Space, Place and Society at Wageningen University, and Stichting OtherWise. The course takes place over the two weekends mentioned above, and the student output (an act of resistance) of the course will be presented on April 25th.

Content
• What do ‘activism’ and ‘being an activist’ mean in today’s political context?
• What are the different options that citizen groups and (activist) social movements have to organize around the topics they consider urgent?
• How to organize a sound and constructive movement or action group?
• What can be learnt from the past’s social movements and mobilizations?
• How can theories on social movements, activism and resistance be useful for organizing an impactful action?
• How to combine activism and academia and/or be an activist scholar?

This course seeks to create a space to explore and reflect on agency and power with a focus on combining theory and practice. In so doing, WUR lecturers, activists and trainers bring theory and practice of resistance, protest and movements together in a mix lectures and interactive workshops. On top of this, students will be guided to design and realize a small protest/act of resistance.

You can stay up to date on the details through the OtherWise social media channels:
Website: otherwisewageningen.org
Instagram: otherwise_wageningen

For more info, you can also e-mail elisabet.rasch@wur.nl and michiel.kohne@wur.nl