The idea of communism is more than just another representative in the line of classical utopias from Thomas More to Campanella to William Morris. It is more relevant today than ever. The global economic crisis has brought the question of a new society beyond capitalism back to the forefront. But what contribution can the communist idea make in the search for alternatives? What must be learned from the failures of the 20th century? The conference 'Communism: A New Beginning' took place at the invitation of Slavoj Žižek and Alain Badiou from October 14 to 16, 2011, in New York, following meetings in London in 2009 and Berlin in 2010. Its debates pick up the threads of the previous conferences, but they also reflect on the turbulent events of 2011, including the outbreak of the Arab Spring and its emergence.