Dear all,
Here we would like to share the public events of Institutet för nerväxtstudier that anyone interested is warmly welcome to join.
Topic: Deep dive 1: Degrowth perspectives on labour and organising
To attend this study circle, you need to have registered in advance.
Topic: Deep dive 2: Degrowth perspectives on wellbeing and welfare
To attend this study circle, you need to have registered in advance.
Topic: Contemporary currents within degrowth and constructive critical perspectives
To attend this study circle, you need to have registered in advance.
Topic: Fundamental Degrowth: The core of degrowth and the origin of the field
To attend this studycircle, you need to have registered in advance.
How can we better organise non-profit organisations, cooperatives and communities working on a socio-ecological transformation? Join us in a workshop with cooperatives from Malmö and Lund and discover what their challenges are and how they see the future of the cooperative model.
In the second part of the event, two experts will share their experiences with the cooperative model and community organising.
Program:
17:00 - 18:00 Workshop Capacity building for non profit organisations. Local cooperatives have been invited (Circle Centre Lund, Matvarukooperative Lund, Alnarp’s Farm, Swop Shop Malmö) to co-create a map of strategies to innovate the cooperative model in order to answer the emerging needs of the sector.
18:00 - 18:30: Food/fika
18:30 - 19:30 The degrowth institute in conversation with Jakob Rask, Founder of Copenhagen Doughnut and writer of Cooperative Handbook and Britt Jurgensen, co-developer of Homebaked Community Land Trust and Homebaked Bakery Liverpool
Attendees can choose to attend all the events or parts of it.
Fika will be served! Please mark "going" on the Facebook event so we know how much fika to prepare to avoid any waste!
https://www.facebook.com/events/1360715034578131
Degrowth of the digital? What can your old smartphone – and a website that sometimes goes offline – tell us about degrowth of the digital?
Please bring your oldest smartphone, laptop, tablet or other web-enabled device to put this degrowth concept to the test!
Discussions on how to think about planned obsolescence with Roel Roscam Abbing (Doctoral Student in Interaction Design at Malmö University) and Jessika Richter (Repair Café Malmö).
We will discuss the possibilities and challenges to repairing and the connection to degrowth!
The workshop will be in English, but Swedish interaction is also possible. We will have some old electronics for people that don't have any at home but still want to participate!
Tentative program:
15.30 – 15.35 Introduction the Institute of Degrowth studies
15.35-15.40 Intro to the theme: ‘Obsolescence driven consumption and the degrowth of production’
15.40 – 16.00 Introduction to ‘Right to Repair Movement’ by Jessika from Repair Café Malmö
16.00-16.20 Presentation by Roel
16.20-16.30 Fika break
16.30-17.00 Workshops with Roel and Jessica on what can be repaired
17.00 – 17.30 Panel discussion
Fika will be served! Please mark "going" on the event so we know how much fika to prepare to avoid any waste!
https://www.facebook.com/events/996112338155422
Join us for the first event in our new series: Get to Know Degrowth!
For the first event, we will be screening the film FAIRYTALES OF GROWTH which introduces degrowth and many of its central ideas.
We will have a discussion with the film director Pierre Smith Khanna, in conversation with Cecilia Paulsson (director of Outgrow the System).
This event is perfect for people wanting to know more about degrowth and alternatives to the capitalist system. No previous knowledge of degrowth is required!
Coffee, tea, and fika will be served!
Everyone is welcome
Come join us on our next session of Degrowth Theory & Praxis on Wednesday the 24th of May 17:00-19:00.
This time we will visit Beijers Park Café to learn more about local currencies and similar initiatives. We will listen to a panel discussion with Ester Barinaga (Lund University), Nils Philips (Malmö Ideella) and Jane Olsson (Swopshop), who will talk about local currencies in general, the Kirseberg local currency Backs and the Swopshop system of Green Hearts.
Fika will be served!
Join us for a guided tour of recent urban developments in the north of Lund, as part of our discussion on degrowth & urban housing.
The tour will be led by Johan Pries, Associate Senior Lecturer in Human Geography at Lund University. You can familiarize yourself with Johan's work here: https://www.keg.lu.se/johan-pries
If you want to know more about the context of urban developments in the north of Lund, you can check out this article (in Swedish) https://www.sydsvenskan.se/.../att-riva-faladsskolan-vore...
We will meet at 16:00 in front of the Geocentrum building in Lund, Sölvegatan 10.
After the tour, we will continue discussions with drinks & dinner at The Herbivore, in Lund.
The event is open for everyone, and no registration is required. You can find the Facebook even here: https://fb.me/e/fpyPDKuJX
Anita Chitaya, a Malawi woman that has taken an active role in her village in areas such as food provisioning and gender equality, travels to the USA to talk to people about climate change, race, class and gender and finds she needs all her persuasion skills to convince her conversation partners of the fact that we are all in this together.
We will be showing The ants and the grasshopper at ABF Malmö and hope to have an interesting discussion with viewers afterwards. Everyone is welcome to join!
You can find more information on the movie here: https://www.antsandgrasshopper.org
Just like every year, we are holding our annual meeting as the year draws to a close. All members of the organisation are warmly invited to participate and have their say. The board will make sure all the necessary documents are sent out in time, so that members can review them in case they would like to.
Because of the formalities that come with the annual meeting of an ideell förening in Sweden, at least some of the members might find this meeting relatively boring and dry. None the less, we are hoping for a good turnout. An annual meeting is the perfect time to bring up things regarding the way we work as an organisation (critiques, points of improvement, anything), so the more people present, the more we can shape the way we work so that everyone feels comfortable with it!
Plus, we do plan on a social event afterwards!
How can degrowth and other social movements amplify their efforts towards social-ecological transformation? By acting more strategically, perhaps? But what does this mean, in theory and in practice?
Welcome to the launch of the book Degrowth & Strategy: How to bring about social-ecological transformation where we will present the ideas of the book and how to put them into practice
Tuesday, 15th of November 2022 17:00 at the Puffendorf Institute for Advanced Studies at Lund University (Biskopsgatan 3)
No registration required, fika will be served!
Together with Krakel, we are organising a study circle on degrowth! As this will be an introduction to degrowth concepts and ideas, we will be reading The Case for Degrowth at an easy-going pace and discuss the book together during 6 meetings, starting on November 9th and from then on every other week.
To participate you need to be a Krakel member. You can apply for membership and register for the circle here. Other than that, all you need is an interest in degrowth, no prior knowledge required!
Location: Krakel, Brobygatan 7 (Malmö)
This years’ Nordic Labour Film Festival features a panel debate on degrowth, climate change and how also unions can be a driving force for a just transition. We will be present together with Jennifer Hinton and a number union representatives to hear each other our on our views. The debate will take place partly in English and partly in Swedish.
You can find more information on the Nordic Labour Film Festival here.
[image from https://www.nlff.se]
In a non-profit economy, companies and institutions would put the benefit of society first, instead of profit interest. Could this be a possible way to meet the enormous challenges of the climate crisis?
Jennifer Hinton is a researcher in sustainability and ecological economics. She comes to NGBG and talks about the Not-for-profit economy model. The Institute for Degrowth Studies with Chaïm de Mulder will also be there to talk about their work with the campaign A Peoples Green New Deal for Malmö.
A short film will be shown and we will hold a conversation with Jennifer and Chaïm. The conversation is moderated by Cia Paulsson, documentary filmmaker and employed in the Scenario 2030 project.
Finally, the event will round up with a hearing of Malmö politicians.
In the panel:
• Tobias Petersson (V)
• Stefana Hoti (MP)
• Arwin Sohrabi (S)
• Simon Chrisander (L)
The short film and conversation will be held in English and the political hearing will be held in Swedish.
This event is organised in the context of the NGBG festival by Small talks, RåFILM, ABF Malmö and Scenario 2030. Place to be is Norra Grängesbergsgatan 15 (Hypnos).
The Institute for Degrowth Studies and Professor Max Koch of Lund University welcome you to a lecture with degrowth researcher Timothée Parrique on February 3, 15-17.00 at Socialhögskolan, room 208.
Tim will talk about 'Recipes for Utopia: Policies and Pathways for Degrowth' (see the abstract below). He defended his PhD thesis on degrowth at Clermont-Ferrand in December, which was devoted to 'The Political Economy of Degrowth' and is also a co-author of the 'Decoupling Debunked' report.
Description:
"Degrowth yes, but how? How to think about the transition from a growth economy to a degrowth society? To start a discussion about strategies for social-ecological transformation, I will present an inventory of the policies mobilised by degrowthers. As I will argue, existing proposals are too vague, sometimes incongruent and incoherent, and often poorly structured – in short, no good enough for application. To remedy this shortcoming, I will offer a policy agenda for degrowth centred around the three themes of property, work, and money. Going from theory to practice, I will translate the values and principles of degrowth into 9 goals, 31 objectives, and a diversity of policy instruments – a sort of Sustainable Degrowth Goals. More than a political programme to change a system, I will attempt to demonstrate that degrowth can become a full-fledged alternative to capitalism."
Join us at the launch event of Institute for Degrowth Studies together with Pufendorf IAS discussing a new book Towards a Political Economy of Degrowth edited by Ekaterina Chertkovskaya, Alexander Paulsson and Stefania Barca. The collection consists of fifteen contributions which bring degrowth into dialogue with critical social theories, cover previously unexplored geographical contexts and discuss some of the most contested concepts in degrowth. Together, they hint towards informed paths for socio-ecological transformation. The Pufendorf Institute for Advanced Studies, together with Institutet för nerväxtstudier, will host a discussion of the book with its editors and authors, complemented by some fika and refreshments to celebrate the publication.
Please register in advance here: https://www.pi.lu.se/form/towards-a-political-economy-of-degrowth
Discussant: Diana Mulinari (Gender Studies, LU) Participating authors/editors: Stefania Barca (CES, University of Coimbra), Ekaterina Chertkovskaya (Technology & Society, LU), Santiago Gorostiza (ICTA, Autonomous University of Barcelona), Catia Gregoratti (Political Science, LU), Mine Islar (LUCSUS, LU), Max Koch (Social Work, LU), Alexander Paulsson (Business Administration, LU) and Riya Raphael (Gender Studies, LU). The event will be introduced by Ann-Katrin Bäcklund (director of the Pufendorf IAS).
From the cover
Since the 1970s, the degrowth idea has been proposed by scholars, public intellectuals and activists as a powerful call to reject the obsession of neoliberal capitalism with economic growth, an obsession which continues apace despite the global ecological crisis and rising inequalities. In the past decade, degrowth has gained momentum and become an umbrella term for various social movements which strive for ecologically sustainable and socially just alternatives that would transform the world we live in.
How to move forward in an informed way, without reproducing the existing hierarchies and injustices? How not to end up in a situation when ecological sustainability is the prerogative of the privileged, direct democracy is ignorant of environmental issues, and localisation of production is xenophobic? These are some of the questions that have inspired this edited collection.
Editors: Ekaterina Chertkovskaya, Alexander Paulsson, Stefania Barca
Authors: Stefania Barca, Patrick Bond, Hubert Buch-Hansen, Ekaterina Chertkovskaya, Giacomo D'Alisa, Santiago Gorostiza, Catia Gregoratti, Gökhan Gülbandilar, Tuula Helne, Alf Hornborg, Tuuli Hirvilammi, Mine Islar, Max Koch, Emanuele Leonardi, Felipe Milanez, Alexander Paulsson, Riya Raphael
At this lecture, there will be addressed this question by zooming in on degrowth – an umbrella term that critiques the centrality of economic growth in contemporary societies and embraces alternatives that are ecologically sustainable and socially just. The academic-activist discussion will be intorduced on degrowth, ranging from what is wrong with growth to what systemic change would mean from a degrowth perspective, including how organisations and policies can contribute to socio-ecological transformation.
• Who is Talking? •
Ekaterina Chertkovskaya is a member of the Institute for degrowth studies and a researcher at Lund University. Her research is in degrowth and critical organisation studies, with particular interests in the themes of alternative organizing, work and basic materials. Together with Alexander Paulsson and Stefania Barca, she is the co-editor of Towards a political economy of degrowth (Rowman & Littlefield, 2019). She co-organised the 6th International Degrowth Conference for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity in Malmö (21-25 August 2018), which attracted 800 participants from across the globe.
• What is the lecture about? •
The pursuit of economic growth is central to today's economies. Most countries of the world are oriented towards constantly increasing their GDP, while 'green'/'inclusive'/'sustainable' growth is articulated as a policy objective by institutions such as the UN, the EU and others. However, there is no empirical evidence that absolute decoupling of economic growth from resource and energy use is possible on a global scale, and thus green growth is arguably a misguided objective. Simultaneously, multiple groups around the world are calling for systemic change in response to the climate and broader environmental crises, as well as rising inequalities. What are the alternatives? This lecture will introduce degrowth – a research area and a movement that explicitly challenges the centricity of growth and embraces alternatives that put ecological sustainability and social justice at the heart of societies. We will discuss what degrowth is and is not, where it comes from, and some of the key topics for the movement.
• Practical Information •
The event is free for members of UF Malmö. Please bring your membership card as you have to pay the entrance fee otherwise!
The fee for non-members is 30 SEK.
You can become a member on the spot for only 60 SEK!
Fika will be served between 17:00 and 17:15, so make sure to bring your own cup and help in saving our planet!
Be aware that by attending this event, you may appear in official photographs.
This lecture is in cooperation with Folkuniversitetet!
See you there! 🌍 (Malmö Univeristy Orkanen D328)
Our current economic system continues to raise new environmental and social challenges. Can green, sustainable growth be the solution or should we redesign the way we live, consume and produce?
Oikos Lund invites you to a panel debate to discuss whether degrowth is the solution to environmental and social challenges and how it could look like in practice. Degrowth is a social, political and economic movement which advocates for the downscaling of production and consumption. By restructuring the current economic system and society it aims to solve environmental issues and social inequalities.
We will listen to the theoretical perspectives from academics and we will be introduced to community projects which already implement concepts of the degrowth movement!
We will begin with a short theoretic introduction into the topic by Ekaterina Chertkovskaya after which all panelists will introduce themselves and talk about their research and their community project respectively.
Panelists:
-EKATERINA CHERTKOVSKAYA
LTH, Department of Technology and Society
-ALEXANDER PAULSSON
LUSEM, Department of Business Administration
-JESSIKA RICHTER
Repair Café Malmö/Lund IIIEE
-JULIA LINDER
Vi Odlar! Urban Gardening Lund
-LISE BENOIST
Lund Matvarukooperativ
Institute for Degrowth studies discusses connections between degrowth and climate justice with climate activists from all over Europe.
On 1st June 2019 there will be many different public events all over the world to share alternatives to a growth-based society. In the Lund/Malmö-area we want to celebrate Global Degrowth Day as well, bringing together actors working for global justice, sustainability, and well-being. In Lund, the event will include two thought provoking keynote sessions on the notion of degrowth, its relation to technology, feminism and the way we are imagining our future. This will be combined with activities and workshops hosted by groups and organisations related to degrowth ideas. During the day we will provide you with a simple, organic and vegan lunch. Feel free to bring any food or fika! Degrowth is all about sharing and caring.
All people, groups, organizations and movements that feel connected to the degrowth ideas are asked to participate. We imagine a diverse movement with the aim of creating a more self-determined and thoughtful way of living together!
We hope someone from some of you will find the time to join us for the event! Please find information about the event below.
There are many already existing alternatives that give an idea of how a just and sustainable world could look like – cooperatives, community organising, small-scale agriculture, bike kitchens, digital commons etc. However, they are still fairly marginal in a world dominated by the strive for profit, growth and long-distance trade.
Today’s policies – usually oriented towards growth and favouring large companies with powerful lobbies – are part of the problem. But can policies, if framed differently, become part of the solution instead?
At this event, we will address this very question by discussing degrowth policy proposals, how they are received in the current political realities and if/how progressive policies can be pushed into the policy-making bodies.
Participants:
HUBERT BUCH-HANSEN (Copenhagen Business School)
MAX KOCH (Lund University; Institute for Degrowth Studies)
ANNIKA LILLEMETS (Vändpunkt party)
EKATERINA CHERTKOVSKAYA (Lund University; Institute for Degrowth Studies)
MARINA FYODOROVA (Lund University; Institute for Degrowth Studies)
How can we eat, produce and consume food in ecologically sustainable and socially just ways? In a world where food is mostly produced and distributed in industrial ways, using various chemicals, long transportation and excessive packaging, it might seem difficult. What is more, farmers are pressured by big players, and the work in agriculture is often extremely hard and poorly compensated. Enormous amounts of food are also wasted.
There are, however, local organisations that actively try to address these issues. In our first April event, the Institute for Degrowth Studies/Institutet för nerväxtstudier, will gather some of these actors in order to discuss their approaches and challenges.
Join in this panel discussion, spread the word and help us create an alternative future of food production and consumption!
**UPDATE: Confirmed participants are EcoLivs, Mossagården and Yalla Trappan**
Please note: The event will take place in the room Lilla Salen in ABF Malmö (Spånehusvägen 47)
Waste is an inevitable outcome of the economy geared on growth – with its overproduction, overconsumption and disposability. While we keep creating waste, the problem is that it does not disappear, even when the various recycling and waste management systems are in place. The circular economy comes with a promise to change this. In this lecture, however, it is argued that this promise is illusory. Hervé Corvellec (Service Management, Lund University) will take us through the promises and pitfalls of the circular economy to address the crucial question: what can be done with waste?
Even when knowing of problems with waste, it is not so easy to avoid it as an individual, with so much packaging and disposable items surrounding us everywhere. How does one even start? We thought visiting the very space that creates such an opportunity in practice is the way to go. At this event, we will visit Gram – a zero-waste shop in Malmö – and its founder, Rowan Drury, who will share her long-term knowledge and experience.
Mikael will give a lecture on the topic, followed by Q&A. Please find the description of the lecture below.
Orthodox economists have usually assumed that technology alone can create economic growth without increasing the use of resources, a proposition supported by microeconomic production functions which have been in use since the 1930s. The association of growth with good economic performance can also be traced back to the same period with Keynes and the depression economics. Since the 1950s economic growth has been an official policy objective in most western countries. Low or negative growth is usually associated with hardship and economic instability. From this viewpoint degrowth is hardly compatible with a healthy economy.
Mainstream economics, however represents a very narrow view of the economy. In fact, neoclassical (microeconomic) production functions are not suitable for understanding the macro economy and the proposition that technology can fuel economic growth without increasing the use of material resources lacks empirical support. There is also limited theoretical support for the view that economic growth is necessary for economic stability. A broader understanding of the functioning of the real economy makes a much stronger case for degrowth, which will be further discussed at the events in Malmö and Lund.
Check up Mikael´s presentation here.
This is a participatory format, where the degrowth movement and the economist’s perspective on it will be introduced, followed by participants’ discussion.
