New website of Research & Degrowth

www.degrowth.org

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Thanks to all submissions to the degrowth photo contest.

We had too few photo proposals but we will get back to you around april on the eventuality of postponing the project for next year.

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Join the degrowth photo contest!

We invite you to submit photographs for the Degrowth Calendar 2012.

ABOUT DEGROWTH

In simple words, degrowth means less: less industry, less cars, less urbanization, less environmental destruction, less banks and more bicycle use and spaces for social interaction, more time for nature and friends, more conviviality, simplicity and mutual aid.

Degrowth implies a multi-dimensional reduction of overall consumption and production as a path towards social justice, ecological sustainability and well-being.

More on the topic can be found here: http://www.degrowth.org/What-is-Degrowth.22.0.html

ABOUT THE CONTEST AND WHY TO PARTICIPATE

So far much of our discourse on degrowth has been much theoretical and verbal. In this critical time of austerity, debt, and ecological crises we would like to call for a VISUAL illustration of the ideas, strategies, and dimensions of degrowth and thus make them understandable and known in society at large.

While degrowth is far from reality, some of its elements can be found here and now, and can be pinched on the street walls for reflection. Our proposal is to have a visual discourse, a discourse while talks without words. And this is the reason to launch the degrowth photo contest project. The 12 best, and most artistic and expressive photographs received will be published in a degrowth calendar which will be distributed widely. We will also offer special artistic degrowth prizes to the 12 “winners”. The good photos will be presented on the R&D website, and possibly an exihition will be organised.

All photos will be under the creative commons label.

Thus joins us and help us spread the degrowth word!

CONTENT OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS

Please select one or more of the following categories:

Category 1 “TOO MUCH”: What shall we challenge now (Financial sector?, long work hours?, Mines?, inequality?, Adverts?, airports?, Highways?, nuclear plants?, Supermarkets?, industrial meat production?)

Category 2 “TRANSFORMATION”: What is the transformation which needs to happen - the change, metamorphosis, or revolution in a post-growth society. This category includes the growth of alternatives which gradually replace existing structures and practices (examples are public movements, abandoned ski resorts or highways, closed pig factory farms, growth of people’s gardens).

Category 3: “THE DEGROWTH SOCIETY HERE AND NOW”: How could a real degrowth society look like? Certainly, degrowth is an evolving project and we cannot be certain about its concrete final outlook. Yet, we can be creative and try to imagine and actually see some of the elements of the degrowth society already here and now. Examples include: bicycle and train transportation, sharing of objects and houses, local production, autonomous small scale energy, DIY, composting, convivial activities, communal buildings and projects, market-free zones, cooperatives, etc.

Thus, we call for your creativity, brightness, humor and search for beauty in taking the ’degrowth’ images. Please use your imagination and do not be confined to the examples above.

When taking photos consider that you can treat any of the following dimensions: *Time* *Natural resources* *Infrastructure* *Money* *Institutions and rules* *Inequality Property* *Imaginary*. It shall involve anoverall reduction of production and consumption.

HOW TO SUBMIT?

For submission under category 1 (Too much) send it by email to the following address (where "at" corresponds to "@"): photo1 at degrowth.net

For submission under category 2 (Transformation) send it by email to the following address: photo2 at degrowth.net

For submission under category 3 (The Degrowth society here and now) send it by email to the following address: photo3 at degrowth.net

Images should have a minimum resolution of 2500 pixels. Please send us also: your name, a title for each image and a short description of the idea behind it (in one or two lines). All languages are accepted.

Finally, our intention is not to make another standard collection of environmentalist images from disasters and social misery. On the contrary, the idea is to inspire our creativity and give visibility to the existing degrowth transformations, practices and patterns.

Deadline October 30 2011

The second Degrowth conference ECONOMIC DEGROWTH TODAY, took place in Barcelona , 26-29 March 2010