Good day,
We happily invite you to the Together-We-Resist Congress in Basel. From September 11 to 14, 2025, we want to create spaces together—spaces where we can meet, learn from each other, and practice solidarity. We want to share experiences and discuss ideas together. Let’s weave networks for the future—networks that overcome borders and embrace differences.
Globally, repression against people who resist is increasing—especially against those who oppose capitalism, colonialism, and patriarchy. Queer/feminist movements are particularly affected, as they challenge—with every single breath—the norms and laws that keep all of us confined.
Fighting as queer/feminists means fighting borders and nationalism
We feel the tightening of borders. State politics increasingly focus on national identities defined in contrast to the foreign, to the “other.” To maintain these identities, territories are guarded and defended. This leads to intensified border control, everyday racial profiling, and attacks on anything that questions national, colonial, and patriarchal traditions.
That is why we need to build networks that transcend borders. As the border regime militarizes, we want to break down walls.
Capitalism isolates us
It drives us into isolation, competition, and overwhelm. Because individuals are easier to exploit. Our labor and intellect are turned into commodities—used as efficiently as possible by corporations and states. And to keep us from breaking under the weight, we’re pushed to consume ever more products and services. Every need becomes something to pay for—something someone else profits from. But always alone, and only for ourselves. We’re told that our happiness or misery is solely our own responsibility.
We believe this is a lie. We reject the simplistic solutions capitalism offers, and instead aim to dismantle the system at its root.
Repression is everywhere…
We experience various forms of repression. First through laws. States use them to restrict our freedom and control our lives. They dictate what is permitted and what is forbidden—and punish us if we don’t comply. These laws are ideologically driven. They prohibit what those in power consider wrong, regardless of others’ views. We’re not allowed to freely decide over our own bodies. Those who cannot or do not want to work for wages are excluded. Our passports determine who we must be and how we are allowed to move.
Then there’s the state punishment apparatus—used to intimidate us. Police raid our homes and imprison us. Our calls are tapped, and we are photographed in secret. We are forced to pay fines, perform forced labor, or are deported when we disobey the law. This physical and psychological violence is meant to scare us into submission.
And finally, there is the repression by society itself. When we are insulted or attacked because of how we look. When we experience sexualized violence—on the street or in the bedroom. When people believe they have the right to control us and our bodies. When we are humiliated because we have little money, and despised because others think we’re dirty or disgusting.
This violence puts us in a constant state of confrontation and struggle. We do not accept these conditions. But this has emotional and psychological consequences. We isolate, left alone with our fear, sadness, and anger. These feelings of powerlessness paralyze us and drain our energy. On top of that come fines and prison sentences—creating even more burdens. We end up constantly reacting to state and societal attacks for years on end. It wears us down—slowly but surely. But we’d much rather be doing things that bring us joy and help realize our utopias.
…but so is resistance!
The answers to these conditions aren’t individual—they are collective. Because these problems are structural. When we support and stand close to each other, it becomes harder to turn us into commodities. No national border can take away our solidarity and connection with others. The stronger our relationships and networks are, the better we can withstand repression. It’s mutual support that rebuilds and strengthens us.
That’s why we want to come together in our grief—and unite in our rage!
We see resistance everywhere. People are fighting for their freedom and for a good life for all. We want to be inspired by the struggles and resilience of our siblings, and draw strength from each other. The world is changing fast—so we must exchange strategies of resistance, and learn from our contradictions and setbacks. No one is free until all of us are free.
Our statement as the organizing group: “Together We Resist!” That’s why we invite you to connect, exchange, and empower one another. We see the congress as part of a long-term, militant feminist network. Our hope is that the impulses, ideas, and connections born here will live on beyond these four days. Together, we reach for our vision of a world without patriarchy, capitalism, and colonial domination.
– From Thursday, September 11 to Sunday, September 14, 2025 in Basel.
In love and rage,
The Organizing Team
