Schedule 9th International Degrowth Conference

Inflation-driven poverty, collapsing health systems, demographic pressure, fiscal burden –Western welfare systems are facing a severe crisis. And : the worst is yet to come when planetary boundaries limit the overall wealth to be redistributed.

The visible fallacies of the neoliberal capitalist system make more and more societal actors engage in the debate on future-proof alternatives, re-opening the space for more radical ideas and new cooperation. Some call for fair burden sharing, others for decent care work and the importance of (free) public services. The ‘active (caring?) state’ experiences a revival . Much of this argumentation can be directly or indirectly linked to existing degrowth ideas. A chance we should use!

As Friends of the Earth Germany we have long engaged in the debate on degrowth policies, pushing transition from an ecological standpoint . Lately, we are adapting a broader perspective. Believing in the power of ‘unusual’ alliances, we have initiated a number of cooperations alliances with labour unions, welfare and care organizations.

In this workshop, we argue that promoting degrowth as solution not only to the environmental, but to the social crisis is key to (1) directly relate to people’s realities and raise identity with the degrowth narrative – both in- and outside the environmental bubble, (2) dissolve resistance for to ambitious environmental measures and the radical change needed, and (3) bring new partners on board to fight for a just future.

After some key reflections on our work, the floor will be opened for the participants to share their own experiences. Together, we will discuss strategies to identify fields for cooperation, overcome practical obstacles, and make our alliances even stronger.

Info

Day: 2023-09-01
Start time: 10:00
Duration: 01:30
Room: ZV-8-8
Type: Non-academic Session
Theme: Resilience building through degrowth

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