Our national reckoning with racism and police brutality, long in the making, was not inevitable. Activists and community leaders had to not only organize an effective, lasting movement against racist brutality carried out by the police but also navigate the media portrayal of the Black Lives Matter movement. The BLM movement forced the American public to see the dots and acknowledge the pattern of senseless violence carried out by the police against the black community. In so doing, the movement created the largest civil resistance campaign in American history, with millions of people across the country and around the world joining the protests.

Peru is a resource-rich country where mining dominates the extractive industry. In fact, the mining industry — which has around 200 active mines throughout the country and 48 mining projects worth $57.7 billion in investment currently under development — accounts for 10% of Peru’s GDP and 60% of its exports. This creates an incentive for the government to protect and promote mining investment, many times at the expense of the interests of local communities. Therefore, it’s no wonder that some of the most visible social conflicts in Peru over the last two decades have been related to extractive industries.

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Right-wing populist movements, which incorporate right-wing political theory and populist modalities, have become increasingly prominent and mainstream over the past decade, both in the Global North and Global South. European far-right populism shares many commonalities with other regional populist movements, but also has its own set of distinct methods, risks, and uncertainties. 

This discussion paper by Michelle Poulin, Carr Center Topol Fellow, will outline the unique characteristics of European far-right populist movements, the ways in which countries’ 20th century histories have influenced current day populist politics, and the online and offline organizational strategies that have helped right-wing movements influence the successes of right-wing political parties in recent years. It will also examine the rise of Germany’s far-right populist movement and the social factors that may have led to it. 

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