Call for essays on fascism and the Right for State of Power 2026 report

TNI’s annual State of Power reports have, since their launch in 2012, become a must-read reference point for citizens, activists and academics concerned to understand the nature of power in our globalised world in order to inform struggles for justice. With a mixture of compelling infographics and insightful essays, State of Power has examined different dimensions of power (economic, political, social, cultural), exposed the key actors who exercise power, and highlighted movements of counter-power seeking to transform our world. State of Power reports have also been widely praised for their inspiring essays and brilliant art.                                                                                                             

As well as an English edition, TNI also co-produces a Spanish edition of the report in collaboration with Fuhem Ecosocial and the Latin American Council of Social Sciences (CLACSO).

The far-right is on the rise globally, but how do we structurally explain their growing power, how are they exercising it and how can we defeat them? 

The last two decades have witnessed a growing power of far-right movements and parties globally, especially since the 2008 global economic crisis. Trump is the most prominent far-right government leader, but far from alone with Modi in India, Meloni in Italy,  Milei in Argentina, Orban in Hungary, Putin in Russia among others. Far-right parties are on the rise in much of Europe and parts of Latin America, Africa and Asia and far-right xenophobic, racist, misogynist and transphobic discourse occupies an ever-growing sphere of media and social media.  While their rise is greeted with liberal establishment panic at the dangers of ‘populism’, it is noticeable also how many corporate sectors and other elites are willing to appease or compromise with far-right politics against the perceived greater threat of the left. The inexorable trend seems to be towards increasing consolidation of the far-right, but does it have a project that can be sustained or is it destined to fracture? How should progressive forces respond?

For its 2026 edition, TNI is interested in proposals that explore the power relations that have created the rise of the far-right and that shape their power today in order to support movements to sharpen their strategies to defeat the far-right. In short, we are not seeking  analysis for its own sake but to challenge, confront and overcome fascism.

These are some questions – but not an exclusive list – that we are interested in exploring and understanding better. In every case, we are interested in analysis of power relations – the what, the who, the how:

• Who makes up the global far-right? Do they have a common global project? What are their goals?
• What are the underlying causes of the rise of the far-right and how are they similar/different from previous moments the far right gained global power?
• Why has the far-right been more successful than the left in capitalising on the fractures in the global economy that have opened up in the last two decades?
• How is the far-right part of neoliberalism’ ascendancy and to what extent does it challenge, change or perpetuate neoliberalism?
• What is the relationship of the far-right to other structures of global power – transnational corporations, digital economy, financial sector, military-industrial complex, religious organisations and the media?
• How does the rise in militarism and security politics interact with the rise in far-right politics? Can you divorce the two?
• How does digitalisation converge with the rise of the far-right?
• What is the class basis for far-right movements? How does its alliance of seemingly contradictory oligarchic and disaffected working class sectors work?
• What does a rise in nationalist far-right projects mean for imperialism or for global structures of power such the International Financial Institutions?
• What are the strategies and tactics that the far-right have used to gain power? What can we learn from them?
• How does the far-right use xenophobia, racism, misogyny, homophobia and transphobia to build or sustain power? How can it be countered?
• How has the far-right captured significant strands of political and public discourse? How do they shape public opinion and culture?
• How has the far-right governed, sustained and maintained power?
• What are the fractures and divisions within the global right – in terms of forces, ideology, strategies and tactics – that can be used to resist and overcome them?
• Where has the far-right failed either as a political force or a government and what can we learn from these experiences – both recently and historically? What can we learn from the European experience in the 1930s for example, or from Brazil in 2022?
• How will the escalating climate crisis affect the power of the far-right? Do we face a real threat of eco-fascism?
• How can progressive and left forces overcome the far-right and appeal to those who are politically disaffected?What values, principles and practices are needed or can be expanded that can reinvigorate an inclusive liberatory programme with the power and appeal to take on the far-right?
• What case-studies are there of successful projects or programmes that have rolled-back the power and influence of the far-right?

As well as analysis, TNI would also be interested in specific case-studies that draw out general lessons as well as stories and artwork and films that help us understand the energy and power in creative and imaginative ways.

Usually, TNI offers mini-grants of 250-500 euros – to be prioritized for activists with low-incomes and/or working in the Global South – however unfortunately budget constraints mean that we can’t commit to this. We are however seeking to fundraise for the publication so it may be possible to offer mini-grants if we are successful. Please mention in your submission if you wish to be considered for such a grant if such funding becomes available. 

While TNI is proud of our high standard of scholarship, this call does not require any specific academic qualifications. Contributors to earlier editions of State of Power have included students, professors, well-known authors, journalists, activists and artists - all at different stages of their careers and lives. TNI particularly welcomes submissions by women, young scholars/artists and people based in the Global South.

The final report will be made up of a mixture of essays from this open call, a number of pre-commissioned essays, infographics as well as accompanying podcast(s) and webinar(s). We have designed a process to feature what we consider the best essays in the main report. The decision on which papers are featured will be decided by an Editorial Panel made up of editors of the report and a number of TNI’s associates. The selection process will follow three stages:

1. In the first stage, researchers will be asked to send to stateofpower@tni.org :

a) 1-2 page pitch for your long-read essay

b) a short bio 

c) 3-5 links to previous work. It will help your application if your previous work is not just limited to academic texts but includes some more accessible journalistic pieces.

Pitches should include:

    • the main argument you are trying to make

    • how it relates to and helps us understand geopolitical and economic power

    • the key points you would include

    • stories or examples that illustrate it  

The pitch can be based on existing papers or be provisional ideas of what you hope to  explore. If you would like to apply for the grant – available to low-income participants –please indicate this at this stage.

2. Those whose pitches are chosen will be asked to submit an essay. The top 4-5 essays will be selected for the report by the Editorial Panel.

3. Authors of the selected essays will be invited to a ‘virtual’ authors conference to both present their work and give constructive feedback on one other essay.

4. The selected essays will go through a final round of revisions based on feedback by the Editorial Panel, and subject to final copyedit.

5. Essays that do not make the top 8-10– and are considered good essays by the Editorial Panel - will be available as downloadable PDFs linked from the main report. Grants unfortunately won’t be available though for the essays that don’t appear in the main report.

• Pitches should be written in English although actual essays can be written in English, Spanish or French as they will be translated and we have enough editors who can work in different languages.
• They should be emailed to stateofpower@tni.org
• Pitches must be a maximum of 2 pages or 800 words. They do not need to be of continuous prose but must capture the main arguments of the essay and can be expanded outlines. Bios should be 200 words or less.
• The decision of the Editorial Panel is final. If your pitch or essay is chosen, please be ready to respond to peer reviews and copy editing comments based on the timeline below.
• Final Essay length: 3000-5000 words. The upper word limit is strictly applied.
• Style: TNI has five basic criteria for its research and publications that will also be used to assess the pitches and essays:
  • Credible: Well researched and evidence-based
  • Accessible: Readable by a broad non-specialist audience (in other words please avoid too much academic jargon) and try to use stories, examples
  • Additional: Adds depth, new insights or detail to existing knowledge/research
  • Radical: Tackles the structural roots of critical issues
  • Propositional: Does not just critique, but also puts forward just alternatives where relevant
• TNI's styleguide can be found here in English and here in Spanish
• Do not include references in brackets within the text eg (Abramson, 2011) in the academic style. As we first publish online and then as a printable PDF, please hyperlink the text pointing to the reference AND provide an endnote with the full reference in Harvard style. You may also provide a bibliography at end of essay instead.
• Please do not overdo it on the endnotes (no more than 40 for each essay) – use it mainly for referring to facts/evidence that may be surprising, questioned or challenged.
• Please send as .doc file or .docx file or Open/Libre Office equivalent for written texts, pdf for artistic submissions.

2 June: Submission of pitches

16 June: Pitches approved for submission of full essay

15 September: Submission of full essay

29 September: Decision on whether essay approved for final report or published as PDF

13 October: Author conference

October/November: Review, second draft, final copyedits

5 December: Final draft 

January: Preparation of promotion, syndication etc

End of January: Publication of essays