Reflections from the conference

The SUSTAIN ACTION INTERNATIONAL CONFERENCE: Sustaining Collective Struggles in Times of Multiple Crises held on 24–25 September 2026 at Södertörn University brought together scholars from across Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region to explore how collective action persists under conditions of social, political, environmental, and economic uncertainty. Throughout the two days, the conference offered a rich combination of theoretical reflection, empirical research, and methodological discussion, creating a stimulating space for interdisciplinary exchange.

Dominika V. Polanska introducing the keynote speech by Enikö Vincze

Among the highlights were the two keynote lectures, both of which provided important conceptual frameworks for understanding contemporary collective struggles. Enikő Vincze's keynote,"Contesting Interregnum: Fragile Movements in Uncertain Times - a Perspective from an East European Semiperiphery", offered a compelling analysis of social movements operating in a context marked by overlapping crises and political uncertainty. Her reflections on movement fragility, resilience, and the specific conditions of East European societies resonated strongly with many of the themes that emerged across the conference sessions.

Elzbieta Korolczuk introducing the keynote speech of Kerstin Jacobsson

Equally thought-provoking was the keynote by Kerstin Jacobsson,"Theorization of Civil Society in CEE: Present Standing and Future Directions." Drawing on her long term engagement with the field, Kerstin critically assessed the state of civil society research in Central and Eastern Europe. She encouraged participants to reflect on existing conceptual tools and theoretical reflections made in previous research, while identifying new analytical directions for the study of collective action. Her keynote provided a valuable bridge between empirical research and larger theoretical debates.

At the roundtable “Infrastructuring for Engagement: How Is Collective Action Sustained in Post-Collective Contexts?”, the Sustain Action team presented its research cases and discussed with the audience how an infrastructural perspective can help us understand the endurance of movements over time. The exchange provided important feedback for developing our conceptual work.

The thematic sessions generated lively and productive discussions. Presentations on environmental justice, anti-extractivist mobilizations, climate activism, food systems, housing struggles, feminist resistance, and civic agency demonstrated both the diversity of contemporary movements and the common challenges they face. Presentations ranged from anti-extractivist campaigns in Montenegro, Serbia, Bulgaria, Hungary, and Georgia, to climate activism in Ukraine, Germany and Montenegro, food sovereignty initiatives in Germany and Estonia, farmers’ protests in Serbia, housing justice struggles in Hungary, feminist and LGBTQI+ organizing in Albania, Poland and Sweden, and emerging forms of grassroots civic engagement in increasingly authoritarian contexts. Together, they demonstrated both the diversity of contemporary collective action and the shared challenges of sustaining mobilization amid ecological, social, and democratic crises. Across different national contexts, participants repeatedly returned to questions of sustainability, resilience, solidarity, and the difficulties of maintaining long-term engagement in periods of political polarization, democratic backsliding, ecological crisis, and even war in contexts of Ukraine.

Particularly stimulative were the conversations that bridged different fields, geographies and scales of struggle. Researchers working on environmental movements, housing activism, feminist organizing, and civic resistance identified both shared mechanisms of mobilization and differences in how activism unfolds across contexts. Obstacles to sustaining engagement, as well as tensions between institutionalization and grassroots action, are often contextually different, yet also hold many similarities and common features. The conference provided unusually generous time and space for exchanges which revealed the value of comparative perspectives and underscored the potential for cross-movement learning.

Conference participants enjoying a Swedish fika.

Overall, the conference demonstrated the richness and vitality of research on collective struggles in Eastern Europe and the Baltic Sea region. Beyond presenting new findings, it fostered meaningful dialogue, encouraged new collaborations, and advanced ongoing debates about how collective action can be sustained in an era defined by multiple and intersecting crises. The atmosphere was both intellectually rigorous and collegial, making the event a valuable opportunity for exchanging ideas and strengthening scholarly networks across countries and disciplines.

A heartfelt thank you to all participants for making the conference such a stimulating and rewarding experience!

/SustainAction team