Democratising the Democracy: Lessons about Economic Self-Determination from the Jordanian Popular Movement (2011-12)

Since the beginning of the twentieth century, peoples around the world have been struggling to find paths to liberation. After the end of colonialism, many newly independent nations discovered that political sovereignty meant little when the country’s economic system was still the old one. Meddling in political and economic affairs of the majority world, was to be a defining feature of the post World War II global order, leading to uneven sovereignty precisely at the same time in which self-determination and sovereignty became seen as defining features of states. Resistance to this meddling has become a defining feature of the current world order. This talk examines the Jordanian Popular Movement of 2011/12 as an example of an attempt to regain economic self-determination and sovereignty.   It looks at ways in which activists reimagined Jordanian politics centring social justice and economic rights. Activists, went against hegemonic narratives of progressive politics and sought to expand democracy to include economic decision making. 

Dr Sara Ababneh is Lecturer in International Relation at the University of Sheffield and Visiting Fellow at the Alwaleed Centre, University of Edinburgh. Dr. Ababneh has conducted research on Mandate Palestine, gender and Islamism, Muslim family laws, and labour movements. Her research interests include class, gender, resistance, struggles for liberation, social justice, and economic sovereignty.