Mechthild Exo, @historyastheory.bsky.social, and @amberhuff.bsky.social led discussions on hope in the 21st century and the role of sociology in building a free life for everyone.
Both events concluded with an invitation to join the Academy of Social Science's work and research communes.
Some pictures from the talks in Berlin on February 20th and 21st.
The presentations took place at Humboldt University, moderated by Alice von Bieberstein, and at the Kurdish Community Center.
The presentations in Canada will continue: on the 23rd of February at the Concordia Universiry in Montrรฉal, on the 24th of February at Carleton University in Ottawa!
Some pictures from the presentation and talk held by Harriet Friedmann and Havin Guneser on the 13th of Feburary at the University of Toronto.
Danasรฎna saziya Akademiya Zanistรชn Civakรฎ were kirin. Kowara Moderniteya Demokratรฎk were nasรฎn. Bangawazรฎ ji bo tevlรฎbรปna komรฎnรชn lรชkolรฎnรช were kirin. Mechthild Exo, Nik Matheou รป Amber Huff wรช amade bin รป bi danasรฎn รป sohbetรช bi we re bin. Em li hรชviya we ne!
bi Kurdรฎ, Almanรฎ รป Inglizรฎ
JIN JIYAN AZADร
HรVร JI BO SEDSALA 21'EMรN
21.02.2026
16.00-18.00
Komel Berlin
(Residenzstraรe 53-54, 13409 Berlin)
A presentation of the newly built up Academy of Social Science, the journal Democratic Modernity and a call to join research communes. Founding members Mechthild Exo, Nik Matheou and Amber Huff will be presenting and look forward to a discussion with you!
in English, Kurdish and German
WOMEN LIFE FREEDOM
HOPE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
21.02.2026
16.00-18.00
Kurdish Community Center
(Residenzstraรe 53-54, 13409 Berlin)
WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM, HOPE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
February 24, 2:30-4PM
D492 Loeb Building, Carleton University, Ottawa
In this talk, Havin Guneser and Harriet Friedmann will introduce the Academy of Social Science, its communes, and the journal Democratic Modernity as a collective infrastructure for anti-oppressive knowledge production and political education.
The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.
WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM, HOPE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
13 Feburary, 3-5 PM
BA 2135, Bahen Building, 40 St George Street, Toronto
โTo think hope is to enter into a different grammar of thought.โ
Read more in Issue 01 of Democratic Modernity, and at academyofsocialscience.org/2026/02/10/e...
The Editorial of issue 01 of Democratic Modernity, written by Patrick Huff and the Editorial Collective, is now available online!
Mechthild Exo, Nik Matheou, and Amber Huff will be the main speakers at the event. The presentation will be followed by a Q&A.
The conversation approaches democratic modernity as a horizon of hope grounded in woman's freedom, community self-organization, and transnational solidarity.
WOMEN, LIFE, FREEDOM, HOPE FOR THE 21ST CENTURY
20 February, 16:00-18:00
Lichthof Ost, Humboldt University, Berlin
This talk, moderated by Alice von Bieberstein, will introduce the Academy of Social Science, its research communes, and the Journal Democratic Modernity.
Today our sisters and brothers in the Kurdish Freedom Movement continue to demonstrate the possibilities of building a truly free life for all, against the depredations and utter misery of capital, empire and the Nation-State."
The workers of @pmpress.bsky.social share a message of solidarity with Rojava:
"More than 125 years ago, the rallying cry of the international working class, and their opposition to capitalism, nationalism, imperialism and war, was "The Workers of the World Have No Country".
We stand in solidarity with the struggle of the Kurds in Rojava and strongly reject fascist intervention."
They want to destroy Rojava because Rojava represents not only the most radical experience of popular self-determination in the Middle East, but also an example of the construction of a revolutionary democracy from below, which challenges and transcends the dominant paradigm.
The forces of fascist violence that accompany the restructuring of the capitalist system are determined to destroy Rojava, now besieged and attacked by the Syrian and Turkish armies.
A statement of solidarity with Rojava from the Posgrado de Sociologรญa of the Instituto de Ciencias Sociales y Humanidades โAlfonso Vรฉlez Pliegoโ, at the Benemรฉrita Universidad Autรณnoma de Puebla, Mexico.
"Stop the fascist aggression in Rojava!
"Today we have to choose: either the world of nationalism or the world of Rojava; either the barbarism of the state or the freedom of democratic autonomy; either the world of Trump, Erdogan, and Putin, or an egalitarian, environmental society based on the liberation of women and all life."
Andrej Grubaฤiฤ, founding Chair of the Department of Anthropology and Social Change at the California Institute of Integral Studies in San Francisco and founding member of the Academy of Social Science, issued a statement and video message in solidarity with Rojava.
"From Brazil, I express solidarity with Rojava in the face of the attacks it is currently suffering. To defend Rojava is to defend the autonomy of peoples, the liberation of women, and the possibility of other worlds amid the ruins of this one."
Ana Paula Morel, Associate Professor at Fluminense Federal University (UFF) and author of "A World To Many Worlds: Decolonizing Education and the Zapatista Revolution", issued a statement in solidarity with Rojava.
A video message and statement for the end of the attacks on Rojava and the Autonomous Administration by Mechthild Exo, a founding member of the Academy of Social Science, peace researcher, lecturer and activist.
"The war must stop now! Rojava is where the grounds for peace to flourish are reality."
I believe that principle remains unchanged.
Today, it is a matter of the people of the world mobilizing against imperialism and capitalism to halt this deadly offensive.โ
...without the slightest intention of being consistent.
We are in a period of resistance, but not of absolute defensiveness. "The mobilization of the entire people will form a vast sea to drown the enemy," wrote Mao Zedong in response to the Japanese invasion in 1938.
Given this situation, we, the people, must be very clear about the times we live in. The powerful have refused to sign agreements with the people and are far from initiating peace processes, although, as deception is a key element of war, they sometimes utter the word "peace"...
