Technological Sovereignty and the crisis of capitalism BITS Symposium Event details Date: 8-9 December 2016 Time: 10.00am – 8.00pm Event: Symposium Invitation only and open community events Venue: Welcome Welcome to the symposium of the Barcelona Initiative for Technological Sovereignty (BITS), a multidisciplinary effort to analyze and shape a technological agenda rooted in the ideals of democracy, solidarity, and autonomy. Hosted by the City of Barcelona and bringing together leading thinkers about technology, cities, and geopolitics, BITS is a strategic partnership between Hans Crescent Symposium London, the Internet Interdisciplinary Institute (IN3/UOC), the Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP/UAB), and a network of social movement activists and academics. It originates from the partners’ shared interest in developing a strategic vision of using advanced information technologies to benefit an alternative political, social, and economic agenda. Purpose BITS will stimulate a global debate about the changing meanings of sovereignty and explore the ways in which various types of sovereignty – of citizens, cities, nation states, and regions – can still be maintained in today’s highly technological global conditions. With a strong focus on the political effects of technological change, BITS will explore how the rise of technology platforms and the data extractivism they enable is transforming governments, labor, ownership, and access to the basics of life such as water, food, housing, and energy. This task is particularly important as the current political and economic regime reformulates itself around the rhetorical and practical kernel of digital technology, with a new mighty alliance between technology firms, global finance, and the military-industrial complex. Activities BITS’ initiatives include workshops, Symposiums, a series of monthly lectures and workshops linking researchers, grassroots, and public officials starting in 2017, and a Summer School in July 2017. Regular content will be produced and shared, including research briefings and news digests pertaining to the questions addressed by the initiative. BITS seminars, work streams, and research lines are geared towards "what's to be done?" sort of questions. Its members and audience include prominent academics, journalists, researchers, social movement activists, campaigners, entrepreneurs, and public officials from municipal and national governments in attendance. Thus, while BITS raises awareness and stimulates robust theoretical discussions, it also brings in and encourages concrete examples and suggestions for specific policy interventions in the political context. Agenda December 8 DAY ONE: POWER 10.00 Welcome Gerardo Pisarello, First Deputy Mayor, Barcelona Francesca Bria, Chief Technology and Innovation Officer, Barcelona 10.15 Opening Remarks Roy Singham, Chairman ThoughtWorks 10.30- Keynote: Power, Economics and Crisis in the Era of Authoritarian 12:00 Capitalism Kees van der Pijl, Emeritus Professor International Relations, Sussex University Respondent: Julian Assange, Founder and Editor Wikileaks 12:15- Session 1: The Geopolitics of Technology 14:15 Keynote: Dan Schiller, Historian of information and communications, University of Illinois Respondents: Evgeny Morozov, author Carlos Figueira, former Vice Minister of Technology, Venezuela Open debate Facilitator: Francesco Nachira, independent researcher Note taker: Renata Avila, lawyer and activist Lunch break 15:15- Session 2: The New Global Financial Architecture 17:15 Keynote: Andres Arauz, Minister of Talent and Knowledge, Ecuador Respondents: Brett Scott, Journalist and Researcher Ekaitz Cancela, Journalist and author Open debate Facilitator: Jaromil, Dyne.org <http://dyne.org/> Note taker: Anthony Arnove, ThoughtWorks Coffee Break 18:00- Session 5: Automation, Labour struggles and the Future of Work 20:00 Panelists Valery Alzaga, Union Organiser, Change to Win Federation- EOC Annette Muehlberg, Ver.di Philipp Staab, Institute for the history and future of work Open debate Facilitator: Juha Leppänen, Demos Helsinki Note taker: Federico Primosig, BITS Dinner with guests (public event with Barcelona en comù and BITS communities) DAY TWO: COUNTERPOWER 10:00- Session 4: Transcending the State, Transcending Capitalism? 12:30 Leslie Sklair, Emeritus Professor of Sociology, London School of Economics Shelley Hurt, Professor of International Relations, Science & Technology Policy and American Political Development, Cal Poly University Open debate Facilitator: Evgeny Morozov, author Note taker: Arnau Monterde, UOC Lunch break 14:00- Session 3: Elites and Power brokers 16:00 Keynote: Inderjeet Pramar, City University Respondent: Matt Kennard, Centre for Investigative Journalism, Goldsmiths university of London Open debate Facilitator: Prabir Purkayastha, ThoughtWorks Note taker: Olga Coscodan, BITS 17:00- Session 6: Data Sovereignty and Democracy 19:00 Panelists Richard Barbrook, Professor of Media University of Westminster Alex Hache, Tactical Tech Collective Tamar Sharon, University of Maastricht Open debate Facilitator: Joan Subirats, IGOP Note taker: Renata Avila, lawyer and activist Closing Session and General Reflections -- Check out the Commons Transition Plan here at: http://commonstransition.org P2P Foundation: http://p2pfoundation.net - http://blog.p2pfoundation.net <http://lists.ourproject.org/cgi-bin/mailman/listinfo/p2p-foundation>Updates: http://twitter.com/mbauwens; http://www.facebook.com/mbauwens #82 on the (En)Rich list: http://enrichlist.org/the-complete-list/