European Newsletter - Mar'25

Welcome to the March edition of the IDN European Circle newsletter! Featured this month are a database on environmental grassroots actors in Denmark, an update on potential collaboration with the Federation of Young European Greens and a whole bunch of new events added to the calendar! Enjoy! 

European Circle update

During our last Circle meeting (see also the minutes (external link)) we had the pleasure to meet Lena and Serdar, both representatives of the Federation of Young European Greens (FYEG), and discuss how we can collaborate in the future. We also further explored the idea of organising topical webinars, with a first one hopefully taking place in April.

Calls for help!

The IDN is asking for input for the International Assembly of the Degrowth Movement

A currently ongoing pre-assembly feedback phase using a global survey to gather diverse perspectives to shape the foreseen assembly sessions. You can contribute to the survey until March 2nd, right here: https://degrowth.net/news/2025-02-25-6th-international-degrowth-assembly-survey/ 

Input for database on Environmental Grassroots Actors in Denmark

Partly a call for help, partly just spreading the word! During the last year, the Centre for Mobilizing Post-Anthropocentric Climate Action (PACA) has mapped the landscape of environmental grassroots actors in Denmark that, in different degrees, show traces of what we in PACA call post-anthropocentric narratives and practices. The database contains mission descriptions, contact information and field categorizations. View the database here: https://api.paca.sdu.dk/ (external link)

The database also serves as a tool to create alliances and cooperation between actors themselves as a kind of information service and will be updated during the coming years.

Many of the actors usually work in contrast to or outside of the hegemonic socio-technical and political systems of infrastructures, institutions, and market structures. Examples are regenerative farms, climate activist movements, repair-cafes, local biodiversity initiatives, degrowth-networks, art and literature groups, and eco-villages. Some of them are volunteer based and/or non-profit associations and organizations, cooperatives, start-ups, campaign groups, think tanks, social enterprises, eco-collectives and villages, social movements, networks.

To different degrees and in different ways, these actors seek to challenge and replace the hegemonic discourses and politics based on anthropocentrism, technological fetichism, intense consumption, productivism and/or the associated imperatives of economic growth and profitability.

Do you know of organisations that are not in the database yet, but you think would fit? You can reach Kristoffer Willert (kwi@sam.sdu.dk (external link)) with your input!

Do you also need help?
If you would like input for a project, have a job opportunity to share or anything else you need help with from our degrowth community, let us know at europe@degrowth.net (external link)!

Upcoming events/actions

Europe
Since we have started discussing collaboration with the Young Eurpean Greens, it feels appropriate to share a link to their events page in this newsletter! You can stay up to date on their calendar here (external link).

Online, April

In view of the 6th International Assembly of the Degrowth Movement, online assemblies will take place in April 2025 https://degrowth.net/assemblies/assembly-2025/   

Oslo [Norway], June 23-27th

  • June 23rd - Beyond Growth conference in the Norwegian Parliament
  • June 23rd - 6th International Assembly of the Degrowth Movement (also online)
  • June 24-27th - The conference ISEE-Degrowth 2025 (external link) is jointly organised as the 18th Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) and the 11th International Degrowth Conference.

Barcelona [Spain], June
Summer School on Degrowth, Municipalism & Commoning
The Degrowth Summer School for young activists is an empowering and transformative experience that brings together passionate individuals seeking to challenge the status quo of relentless economic growth. More info soon https://summerschool.degrowth.org/ (external link)

Barcelona [Spain], July 3-6th
Strategy conference on degrowth of aviation and tourism
Thanks to the tireless work of people across the world, we’ve seen rising awareness about the impact of aviation on the climate. We’ve also seen increasing outrage about the destruction that mass tourism brings to communities, something that is strongly connected to the growth of aviation. At the same time we have seen almost no real wins in terms of reducing aviation and we must be real about the fact that things don’t look good for climate justice.

In the midst of an escalating climate crisis, with right wing governments gaining power, and wars and militarisation increasing, the majority of us are suffering the rising cost of essentials like food and heating while a small group of people enjoy a luxury life of hypermobility.

Looking at this, we think it’s time to gather, connect, pause, think and discuss. We want to organise a strategy conference, bringing together those involved in the struggle against the destructive duo of tourism and aviation.

We in the Stay Grounded Network ask ourselves:

  • Where do we stand with our struggles and where should we focus our energy in the coming years?
  • What skills will we need as a movement in a world of escalating crises
  • How can our struggle against aviation and tourism connect to the struggles of those fighting to meet their essential needs?
  • How can we join forces and learn from each other?

The conference will happen in Barcelona between 3rd-6th July 2025 (tbc) with the potential for hubs in other places of the world as well as with hybrid formats to attend online.
Sign up here (external link) to receive updates about the conference!

Freie Feldlage Harzgerode [Germany], August 4-10th
Altshift Festival.
This year is all about building alliances with other related movements. It’s a shift we are desiring in our society, a shift away from eco-social injustices, from consumerism, from the colonial matrix of power; a shift in a direction we are shining lights on, even if we need more lights to pave the way. Then this shift must be preceded by pressing Alt. More info in https://www.instagram.com/altshift.festival/ (external link) or in their website https://www.altshiftfestival.org/ (external link)

Madrid [Spain], Sept 26-27th
Beyond Growth España Conference: Toward a just degrowth

  • September 26th in the Spanish Parliament (Congreso de los Diputados)
  • September 27th: Social Forum - Make hope possible

Estonia, September
Beyond Growth Estonia Conference in their parliament.
More info to come

Malmö [Sweden], October 2-4th
Agroecology Europe Forum 2025
The co-creation call of Agroecology Europe Forum 2025 is open to proposals the 1st February - the 31st of March. For updates on practical information, like venue, program and registration, you can check the website of Agroecology Europe (external link).

Sund Folkehøgskole, fall and spring 2025-2026 [Norway]

Sund Folkehøgskole is establishing a new program from Fall 2025–Spring 2026, on the topic of Degrowth. The reason for instating the program is the development we see in society today, with climate change, increased differences, the destruction of nature and far too high consumption (in Norway).

More info on the program here (external link).

Jyväskylä [Finland], July 21-28th
Study circle on degrowth and exnovation
This study circle (external link) that in fact spans three years so far has been used as a space to meet and explore, discuss and study ways to facilitate, support and carry out exnovation, meaning the phase-out and termination of harmful technologies, institutions and practices that contribute to climate, ecological and societal breakdown. We focus on exnovation as a key concept within the broader degrowth paradigm.

The second session of our Circle will meet in July in Finland and registration has just opened for those interested. This time we’re focusing on community building in the midst of collapse and are calling for abstracts, papers, perspectives, statements of interest, essays, literary and artistic contributions on the topic of organizing for post-growth communities. We welcome contributions from academics, artists, writers, NGOs, social movements, and anybody interested in participating. We are interested in ways of organizing together while transcending the growth imperative, and helping contribute to the end of fossil capitalism.

This study circle will be one of nine study circles that will take place concurrently during the Nordic Summer University’s Summer Session 2025. The session will take place in Jyväskylä, Finland, between the 21st and the 28th of July. Both adults and children are welcome to attend. In addition to the study circles, the summer session will also include the chance to attend artistic interventions, poetry readings, documentary viewings and family excursions. More details and the price range for the full week including lodging, meals, membership and the program are here (external link).

Interested in joining as a member of IDN?

If you like what you read and want to further help building this network and bringing Degrowth to all the corners of our society, then you should join the International Degrowth Network and the tool where we work Matrix!

Feel free to share this email with other people or groups that may be interested. Thank you so much in advance!

If you have any other questions or proposals relevant to the European degrowth context, you can contact us at europe@degrowth.net (external link).

We wish you a nice month!

Your degrowther European circle