Reclaiming solidarity: The interplay of education and resistance in contemporary social movements

The contemporary geopolitical landscape reflects the urgent need for sustainable networks of solidarity and action in light of global crises, from genocides in Palestine and Sudan to students' protests in Serbia and the EU's crackdown on migrant solidarity. Following the events of October 7th, 2023, students worldwide have mobilised to reclaim their campuses, demanding divestment from arms companies and an end to complicity in the genocide of Palestinians. Government responses have been marked by violence, including police brutality and unlawful detentions, yet a collective call for a new social paradigm is emerging against the backdrop of late-stage capitalism. Furthermore, there has been a historical neglect of social unrest in South-East Europe by both Western media and academia, especially regarding the ongoing student protests in Serbia and the subsequent events that unfolded after the tragedy in Novi Sad on November 1st, 2024. University and secondary school students in Croatia and Bosnia have shown strong solidarity with their Serbian peers, with public support for their demands steadily rising. The involvement in protests of Serbian secondary school students, farmers and other workers' groups indicates a widening of support-base for these movements and the wide breadth of the student movement which has reached wider society both within and outside the country. This paper aims to investigate the critical relationship between education and resistance in fostering networks of solidarity, particularly in the context of recent global social movements. It critiques the forces that commodify education, undermining spaces for collective and critical thinking, and raises important questions such as: what opportunities exist for sustainable organising that brings alternatives, both in theory and practice? What lessons can be learnt across international and interconnected struggles, that aim to dismantle existing power structures? Integrating data gathered from interviews, media coverage, and the cultural practices of students, researchers, professors, and the community in Serbia and the UK, the paper will assess progress in community organising and reimagining educational spaces.