‘EUROPEAN LAB 03/10’

A few days before the October International Rebellion, planned by the Extinction Rebellion movement, the European Lab Brussels brings together young climate activists for its first day.
While they address the question of potential ‘political collaborations’, philosopher Bernard Stiegler will set forth his vision of the ecological and digital transformations that are underway.
Europe will be at the heart of the debate, since the challenges that will be discussed need to be considered in a European scope. Newly-elected young Members of the European Parliament will take part in the debate.

Workshop - BOZAR Lab

16:00 - 18:00 How to build your own propaganda machine?​​​​​​​

Registration mandatory

Radio Lab - Rotunda Bertouille

17:30 – 18:15 Space as leverage for societal transformation. World Transformation Center, powered by Architecture Workroom - Joachim Declerck
In 2018, the World Trade Center in Brussels’ North District, was temporarily occupied by many creative entrepreneurs, design practices, urban initiatives and an architecture school. The WTC-I 23rd floor was transformed into a public knowledge platform and incubator for the collaborative design of strategic transformation projects and investment programmes to better respond to global challenges. For this occasion, the WTC was renamed “World Transformation Center” and established as the central venue of You Are Here, Brussels’ architecture and transition biennial ‘in the making’.

Joachim Declerck (1979) is an engineer-architect and founding partner of Architecture Workroom Brussels (AWB) - a European think-and-do tank for innovation in the field of architecture and urban and regional development.

18:30 - 19:30 Europe: a new era, a new order?

The European elections in May were marked by a significant turnover in MEPs; almost two-thirds were newcomers. Many young activists are among the new arrivals, some of whom are new to politics. Taking their seats at a time of widespread mistrust of all politicians, they represent hope for change in political practices. Will they be able to reconnect citizens who are increasingly disillusioned with Europe? In the framework of European Lab Brussels, newly-elected MEPs, either young or out of the ordinary, are invited to discuss the upcoming European challenges, and to share the vision of their role as supranational representatives.

19:45 - 20:45 Bernard Stiegler: Witness of his time

Bernard Stiegler is one of the sparingly few philosophers to develop transversal thinking on a multitude of topics, while experimenting with the concepts he has developed, and in particular through the Plaine Commune ‘contributory territory’ in Seine Saint-Denis. Involved in collective projects such as the Ars Industrialis association, the former Deputy Director of the INA and former Director of IRCAM is a key thinker in understanding the fundamental changes brought about by digital technologies. Alongside engineers, artists, farmers and citizens, he is preparing a Memorandum of Understanding, which he will submit to the UN on 10 January 2020, 100 years after the creation of its ‘ancestor’, the League of Nations. In the document, the collective denounces the ongoing “economic war”, while working to find solutions.

21:00 - 22:30 Climate: Rebellion in 2020? 

Humanity is living on credit since 29 July 2019 and all the biodiversity indicators have been flashing red for years. As a result, new forms of mobilisation have emerged in recent months. In the wake of the student climate strikes, collectives have formed in Europe and around the world to personally denounce the inaction of governments. This activism without borders, which ignores traditional ideological dictates, distinctively includes very young people in its ranks. They all agree on the situation’s urgency and on the need to act now in order to save future generations – their own. As major “rebellion” actions are planned for October in Paris, London, Berlin and New York, European Lab Brussels invites the movement activists to discuss how their different organisations can potentially converge.