Learning from Latin America

Building a Common Front

Inspired by research on issues raised through our Ecology of Social Movements training and the Movement Learning Catalyst, Learning from Latin America: Building a Common Front explores the experiences of activists from the Uruguayan Frente Amplio in their building of broad-based progressive alliances and strong relationships between social movements and other institutional actors since 1971 until today. [Link to Spanish version of page here]

This resource is part of Ulex’s ongoing work to support learning within and between social movements growing out of our work around the challenges of building movements capable of achieving large scale radical social transformation. The core resource is a series of six videos that we hope offer a basis for reflection, study and inspiration to European activists. It includes conversations with some of those involved since the Frente Amplio was founded, as well as the younger generation of activists who have been helping to address the ongoing challenges and criticisms involved in a collective political practice lasting over 50 years and leading to entering government for the third time following recent elections.

A short introductory conversation with the series creators, Carol Marin and Maria Llanos:

Background

The socio-political situation in Europe and beyond is easily characterised as in a state of polycrisis. Both politically and culturally, we see fragmentation and polarisation, that also reflects within social movements and across the Left in general, which has difficulties transmitting an alternative vision. At the same time, we are witnessing the growing influence of the far right, which dominates the narrative, mobilises opinion, and conquers institutions.

Within our movements, many of us are asking: How can we reverse this trend and build joint strategies to face these common challenges? It seems evident that to overcome polarisation we must propose dialogue and listening between the different struggles, ideological lines and tactics on the left.

The Learning from Latin America: Building a Common Front offers a chance to deepen the process of learning from each other’s struggles by inquiring into some of the learning offered by the experiences of Latin America where radically diverse and long-lasting coalitions and alliances have been developed, at times achieving significant transformative impacts. In this series we focus on the strategy of the Frente Amplio, which was founded in Uruguay in the 70s, grew out of popular struggles, and has spread to other Latin American countries. In this series of interviews we address topics such as:

– Keys to understanding the context where the Frente Amplio emerges, its historical trajectory and contrast and parallels with the European reality;

– The role of citizen participation, learning and strategies to promote and sustain it;

– Power and inclusion within these great coalitions, with a focus on feminism and leadership in the Frente Amplio;

– The relationship between social movements and the political institutions, coalitions and parties involved;

This case study is designed specifically for activists, organisations and social movements in Europe. This series offers inspiration and practical tools to strengthen collaborative strategies and alliance building.

Episode One: Keys to Understanding the Frente Amplio: A Historical Overview

Ricardo Ehrlich tells us about the history, the internal organisation and key learnings of the Frente Amplio in its different historical moments as well as how they have adapted to current challenges. He highlights the importance of militancy as a vital commitment.Ricardo is a Uruguayan scientist and politician. His long career combines revolutionary activism and institutional experience, he will tell us about the tensions between both these roles, as well as the challenges and opportunities, offering a unique perspective on the historical development of the FA.

Episode Two: Feminist Leadership and Politics in the Frente Amplio

Margarita Percovich, a founder, long standing activist and politician, shares her decades-long career in politics, feminism, and social activism. She reviews the origins of the Frente Amplio and its consolidation, as well as the challenges of building sustainable alliances in a context of fragmentation. Margarita emphasises the importance of citisen participation and describes the processes and mechanisms of representation and inclusion within the FA. Her experience illustrates the development of women’s leadership in the FA and the consolidation of feminist policies. With a vision of the future focused on collective dreams and solidarity, her testimony offers valuable lessons for social movements in Europe. She emphasises the implementation of care policies and feminist leadership, as well as the need for well-organised and coordinated bases.

Episode Three: Citizen Participation Part 1 – Grassroots Commitees

This interview with Romina Redesca and Eduardo Alonso is in two parts. In this first part we look at the organisation of the Frente Amplio from the experience of grassroots activism, hearing about its complex and organic framework, with more than 500 grassroots committees distributed throughout the country coordinated transversally and transnationally. Romina and Eduardo will explore the relationship between the bases and political institutions, the culture of values that sustains those relationships and the decision-making mechanisms that help to ensure the power of influence to the grassroots and connected social movements. Romina and Eduardo are both key members of the Frente Amplio grassroots movement, Romina is a delegate to the National Plenary and part of the National Political Table, while Eduardo has responsibilities as executive secretary of the bases.

Episode Four: Citizen Participation Part 2 – The Frente Amplio A Coalition and A Movement

In this second part of our interview with Romina Redesca and Eduardo Alonso we continue to look at the organisation of the Frente Amplio from the experience of grassroots activism. We will hear about the causes of past and present tensions and periods of distancing between the party and the movements, and the learning and processes involved in restoring trust and sustaining meaningful collaboration. Their testimonies also offer us interesting and diverse intergenerational and gender perspectives informed by a long history of committed militancy.

Episode Five: The Redes Frente Amplistas – A Critical Response to the Challenges of FA

In this episode we talk with Andrea Apolaro, one of the founders of the Redes Frente Amplista, an innovative initiative that emerged in 2002 as an independent response to some of the challenges facing the FA. The’redes’ or networks seek to revitalise and modernise political participation. They stand out for their creative approach, using tools such as cyberactivism, artivism and playful strategies to encourage citisen participation and connect with new generations. In this interview, Andrea will share with us the challenges and achievements of this experience, as well as the keys to keeping the political imagination and collective dream alive in a context of disenchantment and fragmentation.Andrea has an admirable career as a militant that began at the age of 13 during the military dictatorship. She has been a witness and protagonist of the evolution of the Uruguayan left, with a focus on citizen participation and community organisation through initiatives such as the Citizen Innovation Laboratory of Montevideo.

Episode Six: International Relations in the Frente Amplio – Building Solidarity and Global Alliances

In this interview, we explore how the Frente Amplio develops its international relations strategy. Pablo Álvarez, president of the International Affairs and Relations Commission of the Frente Amplio, shares his vision on how the FA has built a network of solidarity and collaboration with social movements and progressive parties in Latin America and beyond. Pablo analyses the challenges and learnings of regional integration, the importance of unity with diversity and the need and challenges of building new utopias and ambitious social transformations, both in Uruguay and in the global context. He tells us about the relations between the Frente Amplio and other regional actors as well as its internationalist and unifying position.

Learning Together

This video series is accompanied by a set of additional resources that you can find below. We also want to organise webinars and a community of inquiry where we will start a conversation to investigate the topics in more detail. We are setting up a discussion forum within the Ulex online learning community space, where we can carry on discussion and exploration of some of the key themes. To join the conversation write to us at carol@ulexproject.org.