Degrowth in Movement(s): Exploring pathways for transformation

Degrowth is an emerging social movement that overlaps with proposals for systemic change such as anti-globalization and climate justice, commons and transition towns, basic income and Buen Vivir. Degrowth in Movement(s) reflects on the current situation of social movements aiming at overcoming capitalism, industrialism and domination. The essays ask: What is the key idea of the respective movement? Who is active? What is the relation with the degrowth movement? What can the degrowth movement learn from these other movements and the other way around? Which common proposals, but also which contradictions, oppositions and tensions exist? And what alliances could be possible for broader systemic transformations? Corinna Bukhart, Matthias Schmelzer, and Nina Treu have curated an impressive demonstration that there are, beyond regressive neoliberalism and techno-fixes, emancipatory alternatives contributing to a good life for all. Degrowth in Movement(s) explores this mosaic for social-ecological transformation - an alliance strengthened by diversity.

Nina Treu is co-founder and coordinator of the Laboratory for New Economic Ideas in Leipzig, Gemany. In her work there and as part of the degrowth and climate justice movement, she tries to bring different movements together. Matthias Schmelzer is an economic historian, networker and climate activist based in Leipzig, Germany. He combines activism in social movements around climate justice and degrowth with academic research.Corinna Burkhart is a Doctoral student based at Lund University in Sweden. Her research focuses on how, in a society increasingly dominated by economic forces, creative spaces and open workshops provide freedom to do things differently, and considers how these spaces can contribute to social transformation.