Unequal Exchange in the Twenty-First Century

A Two-part Conference on Imperialism and Resistance Today

When: January 29-31, 2026
Where: Amsterdam, NLThis January, join Anti-Imperialist Network, the Arghiri Emmanuel Association, and scholars and activists from around the world for the inaugural convening of UE21 - Unequal Exchange in the Twenty-First Century.

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    Site background photo: from Spring 1975 issue of LSM News, published by the Liberation Support Movement, hosted on the African Activist Archive at MSU.

    Dates & Location

    UE21 - Unequal Exchange in the Twenty-First Century is a two part conference intended to bring together academics, activists, and organizers in order to:

    1. Analyze the modern global system of imperialism through the framework of Unequal Exchange, the theory advanced by the anti-imperialist, Marxist economist Arghiri Emmanuel.

    2. Strategize new modes and methods of anti-imperialist practice and solidarity, in both the Global North and Global South.

    Attendance is free and open to anyone who registers in advance (space permitting). Participation in Part One, Part Two, or both parts is welcomed.

    Part One: Theory

    Dates:
    January 29 & 30, 2026 (Thursday & Friday)    Location:
    International Institute of Social History
    Cruquiusweg 31, 1019 AT Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Part Two: Practice

    Dates:
    January 31, 2026 (Saturday)    Location:
    Ernest Mandel Study Centre
    International Institute for Research and Education
    Lombokstraat 40, 1094 AL Amsterdam, Netherlands

    Register

    Please fill out the individual registration form to register.Also make sure to sign up for conference updates via email on the main page!

    Program & Speakers

    Part One: Theory (Thursday & Friday)

    Tentative Program:Thursday, January 29, 2026 (10:00-18:00):

    • Opening Presentation: Representatives of IISH and the Arghiri Emmanuel Association will open the conference and present the archive.

    • Emmanuel's life and work: Arghiri Emmanuel’s daughter, Catherine Emmanuel, and his friend and assistant, Claudio Jedlicki, will give a personal account of Emmanuel. A new documentary of his life is under production and will be displayed.

    • Lunch

    • Presentation of papers

    • Social dinner

    Friday, January 30, 2026. (10:00 – 18:00):

    • Presentation and discussion of papers

    • Lunch

    • Summing up the discussions in plenum.

    • Closing Presentation

    Part Two: Practice (Saturday)

    Program coming soon, stay tuned!

    Call for Papers & Presentations

    Part One: Theory

    We hereby make a call for papers, related to Emmanuel's work or to other relevant topics, to be presented at the conference. We invite submissions of papers covering:

    • Biographical articles on the life and legacy of Arghiri Emmanuel.

    • Unequal Exchange and Marxist economic theory.

    • Globalization of production and Unequal Exchange.

    • The future of Unequal Exchange in the changing trade pattern from North-South to South-South.

    • Measuring the size of Unequal Exchange.

    • The political consequences of Unequal Exchange.

    • Ecological Unequal Exchange.

    • Profit and Crises: the contradiction in the capitalist mode of production.

    • The role of technological development in the struggle against imperialism.

    • Settler-colonialism.

    • The transitional state.

    • The question of nationalism in the development of socialism.

    The focus of the conference is South-South and North-South relations, therefore topics considering only the Global North remain out of scope. The conference organizers will consider papers on additional relevant topics. We plan to publish the material in a monograph after the conference.Deadline for papers is:Abstracts due: December 1, 2025.
    Papers due: January 14, 2026.    Abstracts should be sent to the following email: [email protected]The objective of the conference is for academic and activist worlds to meet, share experiences, and collaborate. Therefore, papers are not a requisite for participation. Activists are welcome to present papers within the framework of their anti-imperialist struggle and North-South/South-South cooperation and solidarity.

    Part Two: Practice

    For this section of the conference, we are inviting attendees or potential speakers to submit their ideas for talks, paper presentations, panels, or workshops that deal with any of the following topics:

    • Past Anti-Imperialist Movements and Strategies

    • Which historical anti-imperialist movements were most successful in the context of their conditions, and what were their shortcomings? This could include both Global South movements (e.g. the anti-colonial and/or socialist movements) as well as their Global North counterparts (e.g. anti-war movements, or material solidarity efforts with Global South groups).

    • Anti-Imperialist Practice Today

    • How are modern anti-imperialist movements and groups adapting to new global conditions? What does this look like in the Global South versus the Global North? What is working, and what isn’t?

    • Looking Forward: Developing New Strategies and Tactics

    • Material Solidarity: What are our concrete strategies for fundraising and other material support of Global South movements?

    • Local Action: How do we develop campaigns that can be carried out in a local context but remain focused on fighting global imperialism?

    • Media & Propaganda: What is the role of media in shaping narratives and influencing resistance? How do we intervene?

    • Diasporic Solidarity Organizing: What is the role of diasporic groups (like Migrante, Anakbayan, and others) in supporting anti-imperialist struggles in the Global South? How can we encourage or further develop diasporic organizing?

    Speakers are highly encouraged to be critical in analyzing the strategic weaknesses of anti-imperialist movements and practices. We’re focused on learning from our experiences – both successes and failures – to build a stronger approach.If you have a proposal for contributing on any of these topics, please let us know! Include information about the content you would like to share as well as what form you think would be best (i.e. presentation, panel, workshop, etc.).Send proposals to:
    [email protected]

    About the Conference

    Overview

    UE21 - Unequal Exchange in the Twenty-First Century is a two part conference intended to bring together academics, activists, and organizers in order to:

    1. Analyze the modern global system of imperialism through the framework of Unequal Exchange, the theory advanced by the anti-imperialist, Marxist economist Arghiri Emmanuel.

    2. Strategize new modes and methods of anti-imperialist practice and solidarity, in both the Global North and Global South.

    We invite all attendees to participate in both parts of the conference.The conference is free and open to all guests registering in advance (space permitting). Thus, no funds are currently available for travel. Note, the conference organizers are also paying their own expenses. However, we have secured inexpensive lodging at a low rate. If individuals are short on funds for the flight to and from Amsterdam, you may wish to consider crowdfunding in your area. We are trying to secure a remote link for those who are unable to attend in person, although this is not guaranteed and may be possible for only part of the conference.

    Part One: Theory

    Organizers: The Arghiri Emmanuel Association and the IISG | International Institute of Social History.Why the conference:Arghiri Emmanuel (1911-2001) was one of the leading theoreticians of the political economy of imperialism from the mid-60s through the 70s, accompanying the wave of national liberation struggles against imperialism. Emmanuel put forward the idea of “Unequal Exchange,” which was the economic backbone of his theory. The concept and especially its political implications were widely discussed among academics as well as political activists at the time.When Emmanuel passed away in 2001, the world was very different. It was at the height of neoliberal globalization. The national liberation struggles had not managed to achieve an economic liberation from the grip of imperialism. Instead, transnational capital had outsourced industrial production to the Global South, taking advantage of the low wage level of hundreds of millions of new proletarians, making the concept of “Unequal Exchange” more relevant than ever. However, at the time, the discourse of “imperialism”, not to speak of “anti-imperialism,” was considered something “retro” from the 70s. Few were interested in the legacy of Emmanuel, and his archive and papers was stored in the cellar of his friend and collaborator Claudio Jedlicki.Nearly twenty-five years have passed, and the world has changed again. The globalization of production in the intervening period, in the form of transnational supply chains, have even further cemented the centrality of Unequal Exchange as the principal mechanism of imperialist exploitation. Neoliberal globalization is now in crisis, China has become the factory of the world, and the U.S has increasingly turned to military geopolitical struggle to uphold its hegemony. Today we see a new wave of resistance in the Global South against the dominance of the center. Imperialism has returned as a theme of interest, and so have the ideas of Emmanuel, reflected in many new books and articles.

    Part Two: Practice

    Organizers: Anti-Imperialist NetworkWhy the conference:While the economic consequences of Unequal Exchange are evident in the vastly different material conditions between North and South, the political consequences of UE have often been neglected, especially in the practices and activism of the left in the Global North. This part of the conference is intended to address questions of anti-imperialist strategy and tactics, and will be further divided into the following focuses:

    1. Historic anti-imperialist movements and the lessons to be drawn from them, both positive and negative.

    2. Present-day anti-imperialist practice - what's working and what isn't.

    3. The future of anti-imperialist practice and material solidarity - a path forward for activists in the Global North and Global South.

    Contact Us

    For inquiries on Part One of the conference, please contact the Arghiri Emmanuel Association: [email protected]

    For inquiries on Part Two of the conference, or for general inquiries, please contact Anti-Imperialist Network: [email protected]