NEWS CENTER - 33 intellectuals, including Edgar Morin, Alain Badiou, Slavoj Zizek, Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak and Angela Davis, have called for "the right to hope for Abdullah Öcalan", stating, "We call on all democratic, secular, and progressive forces around the world to listen to Öcalan."

 

Thirty-three thinkers worldwide have called for the "right to hope" for Kurdish People's Leader Abdullah Öcalan to be granted. The declaration, titled "Right to Hope for Abdullah Öcalan," was sent to the Imrali Delegation, Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights Michael O'Flaherty, European Commission Vice-President Kaja Kallas, European Parliament Permanent Rapporteur on Turkey Nacho Sánchez Amor, European Commission Enlargement Commissioner Marta Kos, and European Union Delegation to Turkey Deputy Head Gabriel Munuera-Viñals. 

 

The call reads: “One year has passed since Kurdish People’s Leader Abdullah Öcalan’s Call for Peace and a Democratic Society dated 27 February 2025. Drawing strength from the historical unity of the Turkish, Kurdish, Arab, and Persian peoples, Öcalan proposes a peaceful and democratic national liberation. Öcalan’s call, which categorically rejects violence, transcends borders and resonates throughout the world. -The PKK has dissolved itself and ended the armed struggle. -The conflict in Syria has come to an end following Öcalan’s call, and the integration process has begun.

 

The time has now come to implement the Right to Hope, which has also been voiced loudly by Devlet Bahçeli, the leader of Turkey’s Nationalist Movement Party. Öcalan must be able to work freely, and the Kurdish people must be able to hear the voice of their own leader. We call on all democratic, secular, and progressive forces around the world to listen to Öcalan.”

 

SIGNATORIES 

 

EDGAR MORIN

 

Edgar Morin (Edgar Nahoum), born on 8 July 1921, is a French philosopher, sociologist and thinker. He is considered one of the most influential intellectuals of the 20th century; he is particularly known for developing the idea of "complex thought" (pensée complexe) and has made original contributions to knowledge, society, culture and human nature through an interdisciplinary approach. He participated in the French Resistance during World War II, later conducting academic work at the National Scientific Research Centre (CNRS) and the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS). Morin's work has influenced not only philosophy and sociology but also fields such as education, media studies and ecology; his works have been translated into many languages worldwide.

 

ALAIN BADIOU

 

Alain Badiou, born on 17 January 1937, is a French philosopher, mathematician and political thinker. One of the most influential figures in contemporary philosophy, he is known for his attempt to ground ontology in mathematics and for his concept of "processes of truth". His philosophy centres on the concepts of being, multiplicity, subject, and event; he treats politics, love, art, and science as fields where truth emerges. Having taught at the École normale supérieure for many years, he has been influential internationally through his work combining radical political thought with theoretical philosophy.

 

GIORGIO AGAMBEN

 

Giorgio Agamben, born on 22 April 1942, is an Italian philosopher and political thinker. He is considered one of the most influential continental European thinkers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, known particularly for his concepts of sovereignty, the state of exception, and "bare life". Throughout his academic career, he has taught at various universities in Italy and France, developing his thought in critical dialogue with figures such as Aristotle, Benjamin, and Foucault. In his most comprehensive work, the Homo Sacer project, he analysed how the modern political order is established through the relationship between law and violence. Agamben's work has had a wide impact not only on political philosophy but also on legal theory, theology, biopolitics, and cultural studies; his efforts to conceptualise the crisis of modern forms of sovereignty have placed him at the centre of contemporary critical thought.

 

GAYATRI CHAKRAVORTY SPIVAK

 

Gayatri Chakravorty Spivak, born on 24 February 1942, is an Indian literary theorist, philosopher, and postcolonial thinker. She is particularly known for her contributions to postcolonial theory and subaltern studies. Centring her approach on the question "Can the subaltern speak?", she critically analysed the relationships between representation, power, and knowledge. Throughout her academic career, she has held positions at prominent universities in the United States, creating interdisciplinary impacts in the fields of literary theory, feminism, and decolonial thought. Her work calls for a rethinking of issues of subjectivity, identity, and resistance in postcolonial societies.

 

ANGELA DAVIS

 

Angela Davis, born on 26 January 1944, is an American political activist, academic and writer. She is particularly known for her work on race, gender and criminal justice, and her active role in the civil rights movement. Her work in the 1970s on the US prison system, the black liberation struggle and women's rights made her an international figure; her Marxist feminist perspective and radical critiques shaped debates on social justice. Furthermore, during her time as a student at New York University and San Diego State University, she was heavily influenced by the ideas of Herbert Marcuse, an influence that shaped her philosophical and political vision. Angela Davis is considered one of the most influential civil rights and feminist figures of the 20th century for her political activism and academic work.

 

NANCY FRASER

 

Nancy Fraser, born on 20 May 1947, is an American philosopher and critical theorist. As one of the leading figures in contemporary political philosophy, she is known for her theoretical framework on concepts such as justice, recognition, redistribution, and representation. Bringing together feminist theory and critical theory, 

 

Fraser has analysed the structural crises of capitalism in the context of gender, care work and democracy. She has also made significant contributions to discussions of intersectional justice, emphasising that social inequalities arise not only along a single axis but within intersecting structures such as gender, class, race, and status. She conducted academic research at the New School for Social Research for many years and has been one of the thinkers shaping discussions of social justice on a global scale.

 

JACQUES RANCIÈRE 

 

Jacques Rancière, born on 10 June 1940, is a French philosopher and political thinker. He is considered one of the most influential continental European thinkers of the late 20th and early 21st centuries, known particularly for his original approaches to democracy, equality, and the theory of aesthetic politics. He pursued his academic career at the Université de Paris VIII; initially working with Louis Althusser in his intellectual development, he later took a critical distance from structuralist Marxism. Rancière's work conceptualises politics not as the management of social order, but as the emergence of the claim to equality and the "demand for a share by those who have no share".

 

He has also produced important works on aesthetics and art theory, rethinking the relationship between art and politics through the concept of the "sharing of the sensible" (partage du sensible). Rancière's thought has resonated widely in discussions of political philosophy, aesthetic theory, and radical democracy; it has become one of the fundamental reference points of contemporary critical theory.

 

SLAVOJ ZIZEK

 

Slavoj Zizek, born on 21 March 1949, is a Slovenian philosopher, cultural theorist and psychoanalytic thinker. As one of the most prominent figures in contemporary critical theory, he is known for his original approach that combines Hegelian dialectics with Lacanian psychoanalysis. His incisive analyses of ideology, popular culture, politics and cinema have reached a wide readership. Reinterpreting the Marxist tradition, he tackles concepts such as capitalism, the subject and desire from a radical perspective; his provocative style and prolific writing make him an influential figure in global intellectual debates.

 

GRETCHEN DUTSCHKE-KLOTZ

 

Gretchen Dutschke-Klotz, born on 6 March 1942, is an American-German writer and political activist. Known as the wife of Rudi Dutschke, a leading figure in the student movements of the 1960s, she has also distinguished herself through her own work on the peace movement, democratic participation, and social transformation. She has contributed to the preservation and archiving of the political legacy of the 1968 generation, playing an active role in shaping the historical memory of student movements in Germany. Her writings and speeches focus on the themes of radical democracy, civil resistance and social responsibility.

 

ELISABETH ROUDINESCO

 

Élisabeth Roudinesco, born on 10 September 1944, is a French historian, psychoanalyst and thinker. She is particularly known for her extensive work on the history of psychoanalysis and Jacques Lacan. She has examined the psychoanalytic tradition from Freud to Lacan within its historical, intellectual and political context, analysing psychoanalysis' place in modern culture and identity debates. Through her academic output and public interventions, she has positioned psychoanalysis not merely as a clinical field but as one of the central elements of contemporary thought.

 

MARTIN JAY

 

Martin Jay, born on 2 December 1944, is an American historian and thinker. He is particularly known for his extensive work on the Frankfurt School and critical theory. One of his most famous works, The Dialectical Imagination, has become one of the fundamental reference sources in the field by examining the intellectual history of the Frankfurt School in detail. Through his work on visual culture, experience, Marxism, and the history of European thought, he analysed the conceptual transformations of modern thought. He taught at the University of California, Berkeley for many years, making significant contributions to critical theory studies.

 

FREI BETTO

 

Frei Betto (born Carlos Alberto Libânio Christo), born on 25 August 1944, is a Brazilian Dominican priest, theologian, and writer. He is recognised as one of the leading representatives of liberation theology (teología de la liberación) in Latin America. He is known for his approach that combines Christian faith with the struggle for social justice; he has been an active intellectual and political figure, particularly on issues of poverty, inequality and human rights.

 

He was imprisoned for his opposition activities during the military dictatorship in Brazil; he later continued his involvement with social movements and left-wing politics. He served as an advisor on social programmes, particularly during the Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva administration. Frei Betto's work has had a wide impact not only in the field of theology but also in political thought and social justice debates; his approach, emphasising the liberating potential of religion, has resonated globally. His works have been translated into many languages.

 

GORAN THERBORN

 

Göran Therborn, born on 23 September 1941, is a Swedish sociologist and Marxist thinker. He is particularly known for his work on class, ideology, state theory and global inequalities. Reinterpreting the Marxist tradition in light of contemporary social transformations, Therborn has analysed the structural changes of capitalism and the development of modernity in different geographical regions from a comparative perspective. He was awarded the Lenin Prize in Sweden in 2010 and has become an influential academic on an international scale for his contributions to critical social theory.

 

FRANÇOISE VERGES 

 

Françoise Vergès, born in 1952, is a French political theorist, historian, and decolonial feminist thinker. She is known for her work on postcolonial theory, race, memory politics, and postcolonial societies. In particular, through her approach to "decolonial feminism," she has critically analysed the relationships between global capitalism, racialised labour, and gender regimes. 

 

She has pursued her academic and intellectual work in France and at international institutions, examining the traces of the colonial legacy in contemporary European societies. Vergès's work has been influential not only in the fields of political theory and history, but also in the context of art, cultural studies and activism; it has contributed to rethinking issues of memory, violence and justice within an interdisciplinary framework. Her works have been translated into many languages and are among the important references in decolonial debates on a global scale.

 

MICHAEL HARDT

 

Michael Hardt, born on 17 August 1960, is an American philosopher and political theorist. He is particularly known for his work on anthropology, political philosophy and global capitalism. Together with Antonio Negri, he has analysed contemporary global power relations, forms of resistance and possibilities for collective action in works such as Empire, Multitude and Commonwealth, addressing the concepts of capitalism, democracy and common ownership from a radical perspective. Hardt's work has had a significant international impact in the fields of political theory and critical theory.

 

LEONARDO BOFF

 

Leonardo Boff, born on 14 December 1938, is a Brazilian theologian, writer and environmental activist. He is particularly known for his work in liberation theology and ecology. He has addressed issues of poverty, human rights, and environmental justice in Latin America within a Christian ethical framework; his ideas, which combine "Theology and Ecology," have had a global impact. Boff has emerged as an active thinker and public intellectual on issues of social justice, sustainability, and ethical leadership.

 

ENZO TRAVERSO

 

Enzo Traverso, born on 14 October 1957, is an Italian historian and thinker. He is known for his works on modern European history, totalitarianism, fascism, revolutionary traditions, and collective memory. His analyses of 20th-century political violence, genocide, and the history of leftist thought have established him as a key figure in contemporary historiography. He pursued his academic career in France and the United States, drawing particular attention for the connections he established between intellectual history and political theory. Traverso's work approaches fascism not merely as a form of regime but as a historical phenomenon within the context of modernity's crises. He has also contributed to interdisciplinary debates with his interpretations of the defeats of the left, melancholy, and memory politics. His works have been translated into many languages and have had a wide global impact.

 

JODY WILLIAMS

 

Jody Williams, born on 9 September 1950, is an American human rights activist and peace advocate. She is particularly known for her campaign to ban landmines on a global scale and was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997 for her work. Williams, who is actively involved in disarmament, peacebuilding and human security issues, has stood out for her efforts to link civil society movements to international politics and has made a lasting impact in the field of peace diplomacy.

 

VICTOR WALLIS

 

Victor Wallis, born on 16 September 1938, is an American political scientist, academic, writer, and activist. He is known for his work examining the relationships between capitalism, ecology, and socialism at both theoretical and practical levels; he has particularly developed the concept of ecosocialism and produced works such as Red-Green Revolution: The Politics and Technology of Ecosocialism within this framework. He served as editor-in-chief of the journal Socialism and Democracy for many years, taught as a professor in the Liberal Arts & Sciences department at Berklee College of Music, and focused on synthesising Marxist critical theory with environmental struggles. Wallis's work is an important reference point in global left-wing discussions on how socialism can be integrated with the ecological crisis.

 

DONATELLA DELLA PORTA 

 

Donatella della Porta, born on 19 December 1956, is an Italian political scientist and sociologist. She is particularly known for her research in the fields of social movements, political violence, democratic theory, and civil society studies. Her empirical and theoretical work on protest movements in Europe, anti-globalisation mobilisations, and radical political organisations has established her as one of the leading figures in contemporary political sociology.

 

Throughout his academic career, he has held positions at various universities in Italy and Germany; in particular, he pioneered the establishment of research centres on social movements within the Scuola Normale Superiore. Della Porta's work addresses the transformation of democratic participation, the evolution of protest repertoires, and the restructuring of the public sphere within an interdisciplinary framework. His writings have influenced political science and sociology, as well as European studies and human rights debates; his contributions, particularly on the need to rethink democracy in times of crisis, have been widely acclaimed.

 

HAUKE BRUNKHORST 

 

Hauke Brunkhorst, born on 24 October 1945, is a German political sociologist, academic and thinker. He is known for his work on the European constitutional order, political theory, and critical theory; he has conducted in-depth analyses of the works of thinkers such as Theodor W. Adorno, Hannah Arendt, and Herbert Marcuse. He served as a professor of sociology at the University of Flensburg for many years and has published important books on solidarity, law, and the evolution of democratic structures in global society. Brunkhorst's work contributes to a critical re-evaluation of modern democratic institutions.

 

CATHERINE MALABOU

 

Catherine Malabou, born on 15 October 1959, is a French philosopher. She is particularly known for her interpretations of Hegel and her original approach developed around the concept of "plasticity". Malabou rethinks the formation and transformation of the subject by relating Hegel's dialectic to contemporary philosophy and neuroscience. She uses the concept of "plasticity" to explain both the neurobiological flexibility of the brain and the transformability of identities, social structures, and political forms. Malabou, who occupies an important position in post-Derrida and post-Heidegger continental philosophy debates, is one of the pioneers of the dialogue between philosophy and neuroscience.

 

YANN MOULLER-BOUTANG

 

Yann Moulier-Boutang, born on 19 June 1949, is a French economist, essayist and journalist. He is known for developing the concept of cognitive capitalism and for his work examining the transformation of capitalism through knowledge, labour, and technology; his works, such as Cognitive Capitalism, have been an important reference in conceptualising the current dynamics of economic production. He studied at the École normale supérieure in Paris, founded the journal Multitudes, and spent many years in academia conducting research on economic theory, globalisation, and the transformation of labour; he has also contributed to thinking on ecological politics and universal basic income.

 

REBECCA GOLDSTEIN

 

Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, born on 23 February 1950, is an American philosopher and writer. Although trained in the tradition of analytical philosophy, she is known for her work that brings philosophical issues together with literature. She is particularly noted for her thoughts on consciousness, identity, ethics and rationalism. In addition to her academic work, she has written novels and played an important role in bringing philosophical ideas to a wider audience. She is seen as one of the contemporary defenders of Enlightenment thought and strives to build bridges between science and humanist values.

 

ALEX CALLINICOS

 

Alex Callinicos, born on 24 July 1950 in Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), is a British political theorist, academic, and Marxist thinker. Known for his political stance close to the Trotskyist tradition, Callinicos has produced extensive works on Marxism, political philosophy, international political economy and critical theory; he has been an influential voice in contemporary left-wing thought with books such as Against Postmodernism, Social Theory and An Anti-Capitalist Manifesto. He served on the central committee of the Socialist Workers Party (SWP) for a period and was the long-standing editor of the party's theoretical journal, International Socialism. He pursued his academic career at the University of York and King's College London, contributing to debates on Marxist theory and global political economy.

 

FRANCO 'BIFO' BERARDI

 

Franco “Bifo” Berardi, born in 1949, is an Italian philosopher, media theorist and political thinker. He is particularly known for his work within the autonomist Marxist tradition and his critiques of digital capitalism. He was involved in Italy's radical left movements in the 1970s, particularly associated with the Bologna-based Autonomia movement. His work analyses the psychological, cultural and cognitive effects of late capitalism, offering original contributions on communication technologies, the transformation of labour and social alienation. Berardi's thinking has had a wide resonance in the fields of media studies, cultural theory and contemporary political philosophy.

 

MICHAEL LOWY

 

Michael Löwy, born on 6 May 1938, is a Brazilian-born French sociologist and thinker. He is known for his work in Marxist theory, critical theory and the sociology of religion. He is considered one of the important critical intellectuals of the 20th and 21st centuries, particularly for his interpretations of romantic anti-capitalism, utopian thought, and revolutionary traditions. He conducted research at the CNRS for many years, developing his ideas in dialogue with figures such as Marx, Lukács, and Walter Benjamin. Löwy's work bridges political thought and cultural analysis, examining the relationships between religion, messianism, and revolutionary ideas; his analyses of liberation theology in Latin America, in particular, have had a wide resonance. His works have been translated into many languages and have been influential in critical theory debates on a global scale.

 

CRAIG CALHOUN

 

Craig John Calhoun, born in 1952, is an American sociologist. He is known for his work on globalisation, nationalism, the public sphere, and social movements. Throughout his academic career, he has held positions at various universities and has also served as director of important research institutions. His work analyses the transformation of modern society, crises of democratic legitimacy, and global inequalities. Thanks to the bridge he has built between sociology and political theory, he is considered one of the important figures in contemporary social theory.

 

HANS JORG SANDKUHLER

 

Hans Jörg Sandkühler, born in 1940, is a German philosopher. He is known for his work in the fields of epistemology, philosophy of law, and human rights theory. He has made particular contributions to critical realism, intercultural philosophy and normative thinking. Throughout his academic career, he has held positions at various universities in Germany, developing an interdisciplinary approach that analyses the historical and social contexts of philosophical concepts. His work focuses on the relationship between normative theory and social criticism in contemporary German philosophy.

 

MAURICE GODELIER

 

Maurice Godelier, born on 28 February 1934, was a French anthropologist and thinker. He is recognised as one of the leading figures in French anthropology in the second half of the 20th century, particularly known for his work in Marxist anthropology and kinship theory. He conducted research at the CNRS for many years and was involved in academic activities under the umbrella of the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS).

 

Through his fieldwork on the Baruya society in Papua New Guinea, Godelier examined the connections between production relations, power, gender and kinship structures; he analysed the mutual determination between the economic infrastructure and symbolic and cultural systems. His work has been influential not only in anthropology but also in sociology and political theory; his approach, which addresses both the material and symbolic dimensions of social structures, has made significant contributions to interdisciplinary debates.

 

AXEL HONNETH

 

Axel Honneth, born on 18 July 1949, is a German philosopher and social theorist. He is considered one of the most important representatives of contemporary critical theory and is particularly known for developing his theory of "recognition" (Anerkennung). In his work, he has analysed how individual identity, social justice, and moral conflicts are shaped through mutual recognition relationships.

 

He served for many years at Goethe University Frankfurt and was director of the Institute for Social Research (Frankfurt School). Honneth's thought stands out for its attempt to update the Hegelian legacy and reconfigure critical theory towards a normative theory of social justice. His works have had a wide impact in the fields of political philosophy, sociology and ethics; he has assessed the crises of contemporary democratic societies in the context of a lack of recognition and social exclusion.

 

ALENKA ZUPANCIC 

 

Alenka Zupancic, born in 1966, is a Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalytic theorist. She is known within contemporary continental European philosophy for her work combining Lacanian psychoanalysis with Hegelian dialectics. With her original interpretations on ethics, comedy theory, sexuality, and metaphysics, she has opened up a productive intellectual space between philosophy and psychoanalysis.

 

As one of the leading figures of the Ljubljana School of Psychoanalysis, she has conducted research at the University of Ljubljana and has been influential in international academic circles. Zupancic's thought reopens the debate on modern subjectivity, desire, and ethical issues through the critical dialogue he establishes between Kant, Hegel, and Lacan. His work has resonated widely not only in the fields of philosophy and psychoanalysis but also in the contexts of cultural theory and political thought.

 

CLODOVIS BOFF 

 

Clodovis Boff, born in 1944, is a Brazilian Catholic priest and theologian. He is recognised as one of the key representatives of liberation theology in Latin America. He is particularly noted for his work systematically addressing the relationship between theology and social justice. He has been involved in academic and pastoral activities for many years, analysing the relationship between the Christian faith and conditions of poverty, inequality and political oppression. Together with his brother Leonardo Boff, he has been influential in shaping the theoretical framework of liberation theology.

 

Clodovis Boff's work focuses on the social role of the Church, the connection between faith and historical practice, and the methodology of theology. Although he has taken a critical stance towards certain aspects of liberation theology over time, he is considered an important and controversial figure within Latin American theological thought.