NB this syllabus is subject to change, in consultation with students leading the relevant weeks. Optional reading suggestions may also be added.

Introduction

week 1: intro; Russell Brand on revolution: “We no longer have the luxury of tradition”; David Graeber, “A Practical Utopian’s Guide to the Coming Collapse”.

week 2: Thomas Jefferson, The “Tree of Liberty” Letter and Letter to James Madison; Maximillien Robespierre, “Justification of the Use of Terror”; Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels, Manifesto of the Communist Party.

I. The Mexican Revolution

week 3: Viva Zapata! (I understand that you can watch the movie for free here, though you have to open an account to do so; or you can pay to watch it on YouTube; alternatively, I can and will screen it for those who wish on campus.)

• See also: Alec Dawson on the Mexican Revolution; The Mexican Constitution of 1917; The Constitution of 1917, with amendments.
• See also: “The Plan de Ayala”; “The 6th Declaration of the Selva Lacandona”.

week 4: The Underdogs

week 5: Cartucho

II. Che Guevara

week 6: Guerrilla Warfare

week 7: Che (Only Che:Part One is required viewing. It looks as though you can see an unsubtitled version of the movie here or here. Mitch tells us he’s found a subtitled option here. You can watch the whole film–probably subtitled, though I haven’t checked–for $3.99 on YouTube; alternatively, I will screen it for those who wish.)

week 8: The Bolivian Diary (At times this is repetitive, so you can probably skim some sections.)

midterm examination

III. Nicaragua

week 9: Fire from the Mountain (See also the movie on YouTube.)

week 10: The Country under my Skin (Only pages 150-304 are required.)

Conclusions

week 11: a) Sara Ahmed, “Embodying Diversity: Problems and Paradoxes for Black Feminists” and Confrontation: Paris, 1968; b) “What is Canada?” and Glen Coulthard, “The Colonialism of the Present”

week 12: The Coming Insurrection; Invisible (read as much or as little as you want)

week 13: conclusions

April 11: Final essay (assignment 6) due

April 29: Reflective essay (for assignment 5) due