Upcoming online conversation: "Fortress Fascism: Border Authoritarianism and Activist Struggles"

1.12.2025, 12.30 EST / 6.30 CEST

Across the world, border authoritarianism is fueled by racism and anti-immigrant rhetorics: fortification doubles down, whilst immigrants and refugees are scapegoated. Yet, the increasing fortification also reflects deeper fictions. The modern nation-state, born from colonial violence and predicated on exclusion, now creates a breeding ground for fascist ideologies that feed on emotions. This international panel brings together scholars and activists resisting borders across the world to consider anti-fascist strategies in light of the psychic frontiers that borders entrench.

An online conversation with Nandita Sharma (activist scholar in the No Borders movement and movements struggling for the Planetary Commons, author of “Home Rule: National Sovereignty and the Separation of Natives and Migrants”), Silky Shah (executive director of Detention Watch Network (US) and author of “Unbuild Walls: Why Immigrant Justice Needs Abolition”), Mahamat Daoud (Human rights defender and organiser with Refugees in Libya), and Seán Binder (Criminal Lawyer and Ex-Civilian Rescue coordinator). Moderated by Esme Smithson Swain (activist, campaigner with MiGreat (NL), and the Border Violence Monitoring Coordinator for No Name Kitchen).

This event is co-organized by Critical Theory Under Pressure and Emergencies of Authoritarianism.

Registration link for the Zoom webinar: https://uva-live.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_Rj_uaxmSQC62F-NSNDDhaA

Soon after the event, the recording will be published on our exchanges page.