English language space, a forum or network, to discuss, popularize, promote both degrowth and/or post-development?
Confronted with an environmentally, socially and culturally destructive crisis of overaccumulation, economic growth appears more and more as the problem and not the solution. On one hand, affluent and influent parts of the world clearly need to “de-grow” in order to let others, ecosystems, diversity of cultures simply exist. On the other hand, “post-development” away from existing models of consumption, production and self-interest calls for new types of cooperative transformations.
The economic degrowth conference for sustainability and equity took place in Paris on April 18-19, 2008 with 140 scientists and civil society representatives from 30 countries. There appears to be potential for an English language space, a forum or network, to discuss, popularize, promote degrowth and/or post-development.
The proper term that would encompass Northern and Southern situations is open for discussion. What has become a “technosphere” may be at the same time too big, unfair and unright, Should we call for “downsizing”, “right-sizing”, “fair-sizing”, “just-sizing”… ? This is open.
The fundamental root of this crisis is overaccumulation, and the principles of physics, entropy and environmental science, not to mention the planet's finite resources, rule out simple (or even complex) redistribution under the existing industrial paradigm as a solution. There are already myriad responses to this impending crisis.
There is a need to learn about and from, and to coalesce, and begin transitions although not necessarily unite, the diverse responses and experiments in new political agency to confront outdated roles for the state, civil society, media and economic power if we are to jump to a new paradigm with a minimum of destruction and harm and the maximum of cooperation and happiness.
We are looking for ideas on what this discussion, this English language space, might look like and be called, and invite your response.