7th Socialism on the Bench: Global Socialism and Non-Alignment

The series of biennial international conferences Socialism on the Bench (Socijalizam na klupi) have been organised since 2013 by the Centre for Cultural and Historical Research of Socialism (CKPIS), at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula. Around a hundred participants per conference have been gathering to discuss different main themes: Cultural and Historical Interpretations of Yugoslav and Post-Yugoslav Societies (2013), Socialism: Construction and Deconstruction (2015), Communists and Communist Parties: Policies, Actions, Debates (2017), Continuities and Innovations (2019), Antifascism (2021), and Crises and Reforms (2023). Selections of papers have been published in edited volumes and journals.

Recent years have been marked by war conflicts in Eastern Europe and the Middle East, challenges of the pandemics, shifting roles among global powers and continents, as well as growing migration, social tensions and environmental issues. By focusing on global socialism, the conference seeks to explore the reach of socialist ideas, their impact over the past century and a half, and their relevance to the present day, with particular emphasis on the period from the early 1950s to the late 1980s. This era saw socialism intersect with Cold War dynamics, decolonization and the rise of the Non-Aligned Movement. During this period, socialist ideas and revolutionary movements influenced societies across Africa, Asia, Latin America and Eastern Europe. Progress, cooperation, internationalism and peace often coexisted with conflict and competition in political, economic, cultural and other spheres. While maintaining a focus on the discourse and practice of socialism and non-alignment, their histories and legacies, the conference aims to address policies, ideologies, manifestations and actions on the international, national and local levels, both within and beyond the blocs, in Europe and the Global South, from the global stage to individual interactions within societies.

The conference programme will include three keynote speakers:

CHIARA BONFIGLIOLI (Ca' Foscari University of Venice)
TVRTKO JAKOVINA (University of Zagreb)
PAUL STUBBS (The Institute of Economics, Zagreb)

The goal of our conferences, as well as the entire mission of the Centre, remains the same: strengthening the cooperation among scholars with similar research interests, revealing thematic, methodological and theoretical similarities, getting to know different interpretations, enhancing dialogue and new research.

The conference languages are Croatian (and mutually understandable languages) and English. Participants’ presentation time is 15 minutes. We accept individual applications, but it is possible to indicate the desire to participate in a specific panel. It is also possible to suggest events like book launches and round tables.

The conference will be held at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula (Faculty of Humanities, Aldo Negri Street/Negrijeva 6, Pula), and in partnership with the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation SEE. There is no conference fee. Conference organizers will provide a meal per day and arrange a discount at the recommended hotel. Participants will have to arrange and cover their own trip and accommodation.

APPLICATION DEADLINE IS APRIL 1, 2025. By April 30, applicants will be notified about the acceptance of their proposal. For more information and the application form, please visit the conference website

https://www.unipu.hr/ckpis/en/socialism_on_the_bench/2025, or contact us at ckpis.conf@gmail.com.