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Rethinking Capitalism: Insights from the Festival dell’Economia Critica in Milan
10 October 2024
The Festival, hosted by Fondazione Giangiacomo Feltrinelli, unites scholars and activists to explore alternatives to mainstream economic narratives.
On 4-5 October, Milan's Festival dell’Economia Critica brought together economists and critical thinkers to challenge capitalism and explore viable alternatives. The event featured 18 sessions with renowned scholars discussing issues of inequality, gender, and development, and included IIPP’s Dr. Cecilia Rikap and Dr. Lorenza Monaco.
The Festival provided a platform for heterodox economists and critical thinkers to reexamine capitalism and its alternatives. Over two days, the various sparked rich discussions on inequality, gender, democracy, and the environment, showcasing the power of critical economic thought.
Key figures such as Emmanuel Todd, Wolfgang Streeck, and Yanis Varoufakis shared insights with an audience spanning generations. Dr. Cecilia Rikap, IIPP’s Associate Professor and Head of Research, led a compelling session on Capitalism and Technology, highlighting her research on Big Tech and the need for stronger regulatory frameworks. explaining the functioning of the AI value chain and the mechanisms for knowledge production, control and value appropriation within platforms and big data companies; advocating the need for a democratic control of the cloud and much stronger regulation of Big Tech.
Session on Capitalism and Technology, with Dr Cecilia Rikap (UCL IIPP) and Prof. Michelangelo Vasta (Univ Siena).
Additionally, Dr. Lorenza Monaco participated in a roundtable on Capitalism and the Global South, emphasising the importance of agency in development studies. Together with Prof. Di Tommaso (University of Bologna & CiMET), Prof. Mario Cimoli (former ECLAC), and Vijay Prashad(Tricontinental Institute for Social Research), Dr. Monaco discussed the economic and political relevance of a Global South perspective, and the need to focus on the question of agency within the study of development. She illustrated how focusing on agency can help identify key actors and policies in the Global South, ultimately advocating for equitable participation in global economic networks.
The Festival served as a vibrant hub for progressive debates, uniting academics and civil society in their quest for alternative economic visions. With the success of this gathering, we hope for a sequel that continues to foster critical discourse around the future of capitalism.
IIPP is making available up to 15 places for policymakers on its groundbreaking Rethinking Capitalism module, running 8 January – 24 March 2025. For more information and to apply click here.
Roundtable on Capitalism and the Global South, with Prof. Marco di Tommaso (Univ Bologna), Dr Lorenza Monaco (UCL IIPP) Vijay Prashad (Tricontinental) and Prof Mario Cimoli (former ECLAC, online).