Social movements in the global era: from Seattle to the war in Ukraine. Interview with Donatella della Porta

Abstract

The article is based on an interview conducted with Professor Donatella della Porta, one of the most important contemporary scholars of social movements and political participation. The interview traces the evolution of social movements during globalization, in particular from the arrival on the international scene of the Global Justice Movement, up to touching the most current issues relating to the crises that contemporary society is currently experiencing such as ecological, sanitary and democracy crisis. Environmental movements are examined, such as Fridays for Future, but also antiracial protests as Black Lives Matter and the new wave of protest in the Global South around democratization. It was then decided to focus attention on activism in critical junctures such as that which emerged during the pandemic and the current Ukrainian war. The interview provides an interesting insight and the role played by civil society and social movements into current global dynamics.