Degrowth & The Great Turning

Event Overview

This course offers a 9 week expanded spiral combined with a deep dive into the scientific literature on how we safely scale down western economies to safe levels. It’s fundamentally about how we achieve the Great Turning. The course is 2.5 hours on Saturday’s at 10-12:30 am PST, 1:00-3:30pm EST, 19h-21:30 CET and runs for 9 weeks. It’s one part WTR community engagement and one part technical lecture. Participants will walk away with a clear understanding of the post-growth science and an action plan to move it forward in your community.

Here’s the Course Outline:

1. Catching up on the Discussion
   • Introduction to Degrowth and its historical context
   • Overview of the European Degrowth Movement
2. Internalizing the Analysis
   • Understanding the incompatibility of sustainability and economic growth
   • Empirical evidence supporting Degrowth
3. Liberatory Potential for the Global North
   • Degrowth as a counter vision to current economic models
   • The role of Degrowth in achieving environmental and climate justice
4. The Policy Program’s Social Components (Part 1)
   • Key components of the Degrowth policy package
   • How these policies challenge and complement existing frameworks
5. The Policy Program’s Environmental Components (Part 2)
   • Detailed exploration of specific policies and their implications
   • Case studies of successful Degrowth initiatives
6. The Policy Program’s Economic Components (Part 3)
   • Adapting policies to local contexts
   • Strategies for implementation and advocacy
7. Developing an MVP: Adapting to the US Context
   • Creating a Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Degrowth in the United States
   • Identifying opportunities and challenges
8. Developing an MVP: Reflection on Personal or Organizational Position
   • Reflecting on how Degrowth aligns with personal or organizational values
   • Leveraging insights for transformative action
9. Developing an MVP: Reflecting on Our Prototype
   • Evaluating the prototype and refining the approach
   • Preparing for implementation and scaling

Course Format:

• Readings for Homework: Engage with key texts and analyses to deepen your understanding.
• Collective Reflection: Discuss and reflect on the materials with fellow participants.
• Current Political Moment: Explore how Degrowth relates to the current political landscape.
• Clash or Compliment: Analyze how Degrowth clashes or complements existing understandings and movements.

Join Us: wedegrow.us

Degrowth is the environmental movements end game. You ready to win?