Research & Degrowth International

At Research & Degrowth International we are looking for an intern to take over communication tasks of the association. If you're interested in joining our team please apply by December 9th. You can find all information about the position and the application process on https://lnkd.in/eDWemBb4

Exciting news! With R&D we are offering an "Introduction to Degrowth" online course. The course is designed to introduce you to the foundational principles, critical debates, and transformative practices of degrowth. The program will run from January 14th to February 13th, 2025, with sessions held every Tuesday and Thursday from 18:00 to 20:30 CET (12:00–14:30 EST/ 09:00–11:30 WST). Sessions and lecturers include: Giorgos Kallis: Introduction to Degrowth and Ecological Economics Claudio Cattaneo: Green Growth vs. Degrowth Gabriela Cabaña: Capitalism, Colonialism, and Growth Lorenzo Velotti: The Commons and Degrowth Eva Navarro: Ecofeminism and Degrowth Brototi Roy: Decolonizing Economics Filka Sekulova: Well-being and Degrowth Marula Tsagkari: Real-Existing Degrowth Ekaterina Chertkovskaya: Strategies for Degrowth Michael Mezzatesta: Communication of Degrowth The inscriptions are open now. Register by Dec 6, 2024 to save your spot. You can find all information on the course, a detailed syllabus and the registration form on https://lnkd.in/dV7XH228

📊 Are Beyond-GDP metrics converging? The need for new ways of measuring human development and well-being has been long recognized, but the field of “Beyond-GDP” measurement is fragmented and has had too little impact. 🥅 MERGE aims to change this by implementing and standardizing metrics in European governance structures.  We conducted a study on 90 Beyond-GDP metrics and mapped the convergence of different measurement systems in three dimensions: conceptual frameworks, thematic taxonomy and the actual metrics. Through our analysis it was found that: 💡Conceptual dimensions are converging towards wellbeing, inclusion (distribution of wellbeing) and sustainability (future wellbeing). However, within each of these dimensions, differences in interpretation occur.  📚In the thematic dimension (i.e.f which themes are covered in wellbeing, inclusion and sustainability), we find that there is considerable overlap between measurement systems. Harmonization of themes between metrics systems could help to overcome the overlapping of domains and ensure more effective application of the metrics. 🔭There is no significant convergence among Beyond-GDP metrics – the metrics are heterogenous and vary in coverage. To provide an initial assessment of the impact of the metrics, we created a ranking system. These metrics could serve as an initial shortlist for further development and synthesization. ☘️ Beyond-GDP metrics are mostly focussed on the dimension of wellbeing and sustainability.  The inclusion dimension is generally less covered in the current Beyond-GDP metrics. It is crucial that future work, focuses more on inequalities in wellbeing.  This report therefore proposes 3 conceptual dimensions, 20 thematic domains and a list of selected metrics as the starting point for the synthesis of Beyond-GDP metrics. To find our suggestion for going forward, read the full report here below. ⬇ MERGE now continues on the effort to consolidate Beyond-GDP metrics and their deployment in EU policy processes. Follow us to stay informed of our progress! Irlan Rum, Leiden University Rutger Hoekstra, Leiden University Annegeke Jansen, Leiden University Joseph Eastoe, Institute for Global Prosperity Ida Kubiszewski, Institute for Global Prosperity Robert Costanza , Institute for Global Prosperity Raphael Kaufmann, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies Mario Biggeri, Università degli Studi di Firenze

Innovative policy approaches are required to tackle today’s environmental and socio-economical challenges. Different policies have been successfully piloted across the globe with insightful learnings and observations. MERGE is now working to harness these learnings to create a synthesized collection of policy recommendations and governance practices that can be implemented in the EU and across the globe. 🌍 To make this goal a reality, we are building on the work of our consortium member, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies. ZOE with the support of several funders and partners have created an online repository for Beyond GDP policy ideas, now including over 320 policy instruments to inspire policymakers around the world. 📖 This policy repository is already available to all MERGE public! You are very welcome to take a look at the policy collection here:  https://lnkd.in/dRViJd5j     🔎 Coming next: MERGE is working on a review of policies for sustainable and inclusive wellbeing that have been successfully integrated into policymaking based on the policy instruments listed in the policy repository. The repository will be enriched with further analysis through case studies of selected policies to showcase real-world examples.    Stay tuned, we’ll share the news once the new case studies are uploaded to the database! Alisa Vänttinen, Tampere University Jenni Kilpi, Demos Helsinki Magalí Brosio, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies Margreet Frieling, Wellbeing Economy Alliance - WEAll Maria Zinutti, Wellbeing Economy Alliance - WEAll Nicole Kormann da Silva, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies Rachele Chevallier, ZOE Institute for Future-fit Economies Olli Bremer, Demos Helsinki

“It’s a simple question: How can we live well on this planet, without destroying it?” About a year ago, I stumbled upon a book with a curious word in its title: ‘degrowth’. The book focused on many issues that had always interested me, like climate and social justice, the importance of the commons, decolonialism, and the problems with our current economic system. I knew these topics were all deeply intertwined, but the book painted a really compelling and fresh picture of them all. From then on, I fell down a rabbit hole, reading everything I could find with the word ‘degrowth’ in it. To my surprise, many of these authors were based in Barcelona (where I happened to be at the time), so I seized the opportunity. I pitched the story, grabbed my camera, and went around the city filming and having incredible conversations with people like Jason Hickel and Giorgos Kallis, visiting great projects like the housing cooperative Sostre Cívic, and hanging out with the people from Colectivo Grietas (including Emma Marzi and Samuel Suter). More than a year later, I’m still not sure how to properly define degrowth, but there are a couple of things that I believe stand out: the idea that infinite economic growth on a finite planet is not feasible, and the idea that climate change and social justice, at the local and global levels, are inseparable. As you might expect, many people label 'degrowth' as “too radical”, and since it differs greatly from mainstream economic thinking, it faces considerable criticism. Some of their proposals are hotly debated even within progressive circles (such as the issues with green growth, or whether decoupling is happening fast enough). But there is one conclusion that seems to be very difficult to disagree with: the notion that the root cause of most of our problems is the economic system we live in, which is an economic system that seems to irrationally prioritise profit and capital over people’s basic needs and wellbeing. As Jason Hickel puts it in the documentary: “There's no necessary contradiction between social and ecological objectives, but it does require a pretty radical transformation of the way we think about the economy and structure it.” Could the time for this transformation be now? *This is a short version of a longer doc that will come out on YT and is also available on the iPlayer. Huge thanks to Melissa Hogenboom, Camelia Sadeghzadeh, Sarah Dias, Silvia Costeloe, from the BBC to help make this happen, and to the people at Research & Degrowth International, UAB - Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and The Club of Rome. #degrowth

June 2024 = Contra-mapeo 🌿🐌 Some pictures about the counter-mapping project experimented by Research & Degrowth International throughout its 2024 summer school: first a workshop in Barcelona led by Brototi Roy and Lucia Muñoz, then a hands-on try out in Galicia during the Degrowth Bike Caravan, counter-mapping ecological conflicts from a political ecology perspective. We then presented the project at the Conferencia Internacional ESEE-Decrecemento 2024 Pontevedra Club for Degrowth Lorenzo Velotti Diana Bobis @felix

New BBC documentary on #degrowth, with participation of many of our members and students 🙌 Find the full video here 🎥 https://lnkd.in/dHWs-VAQ

Read the story of Catherine, who studies our Master's Degree in Political Ecology, Degrowth and Environmental Justice 📒 🌿

Our degrowth master student Nathalie collected the inspiring stories of human beings in degrowth. Check out what she found ⬇ ✨

Check out our new blog post by #Degrowth Master student Jennifer Wilkins on Kaupapa Māori Enterprise! "In settler colonial nations, the Indigenous nation has been systemically destroyed through dispossession and deculturalisation, eliminating traditional modes of production and value creation. Modern Indigenous enterprise can contribute to rebuilding Indigenous identity, wellbeing and freedom, embedding economy into the socio-cultural space, not the other way round, as Westerners typically see it." https://lnkd.in/dVqtf5Nu