European Newsletter - July '25

Summer is here and was kicked off last week in Oslo with the 18th Conference of the International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) and the 11th International Degrowth Conference! It was a great opportunity to meet old and new friends and for everyone attending to make their contributions for strengthening our movement. We're looking forward to the reflections that undoubtedly will start appearing in the coming days and weeks!

If you attended the conference and feel energised to participate more actively in the IDN and/or European Circle, you can join the discussions on Matrix/Element or take part one of our online meetings, always the second Wednesday of the month (so next on June 9th), 4:30 - 5:30 PM CEST. You can find us here: https://u-bordeaux-fr.zoom.us/j/88409933358

European Circle update

During our last circle meeting, we took another small step in our ambition to start hosting webinars. We fixed preliminary dates and topics for coming autumn (to be confirmed with partners and speakers):

  • Thursday September 18th: Rights of nature
  • Wednesday October 14th: Degrowth policies
  • Monday November 10th: The imperial mode of living
  • Friday December 5th: Collapse awareness

If this sounds interesting, keep your eyes and ears open for future updates!

We are also still looking to select new role-holders (coordinator, representative, secretary), so do feel warmly invited to our next Circle meeting on Wednesday July 9th, 4:30 - 5:30 PM CEST, here.

The minutes of the past European Circle meetings can still be found here.  

📣 News and calls for help!

Beyond Growth Spain Crowdfunding

Maybe they are taking after the crowdfunding campaign for the Beyond Growth conference in Estonia (see last newsletter) or they came up with the idea in parallel. In any case, Spain is doing it too! You can find more information on their crowdfunding campaign, here.


New circle members

Although not officially members of the IDN yet, we still wanted to highlight the new local degrowth group in the area of Cologne and Bonn in Germany. You can find out more about the group and their activities on their website - Postwachstum Köln and Bonn (external link)

Upcoming events/actions

JULY

Barcelona [Spain], July 3-6th

Strategy conference on degrowth of aviation and tourism

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. It is built up around the following questions:

  • 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?

Sign up here to receive updates about the conference!


Vienna [Austria], July 14th to August 4th

Alternative economic and monetary systems

BOKU University, OeAD student housing and Economy for the Common Good are organising Summer University courses on alternative economic and monetary systems, aimed at international students and professionals. Find more information on the program on their website!


Jyväskylä [Finland], July 21-28th

Study circle on degrowth and exnovation

The second session of a study circle that in fact spans three years, this time with a focus on community building in the midst of collapse. Registration is still open and you can find more details and the price range for the full week including lodging, meals, membership and the program here.

AUGUST

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 on Instagram or on the festival's website.


SEPTEMBER

Istanbul [Turkey], Sept 12-14th

Next Economies 
https://nexteconomies.net/ (external link)

The root cause of the climate, biodiversity, and social crises lies within our current economic system. Last year's International Prosumer Economy Conference (IPEC2024), Youtube videos here, showed strong interest for coming together again and working towards "United Next Economies."

Next Economies is distinct from other conferences due to its focus on actionable systemic solutions and their practical implementation. This unique approach attracts a diverse and influential global audience. Our conference draws in policy makers, impact and philanthrophic investors, companies and social entrepreneurs interested in sustainable and innovative practices. It also engages NGOs, international organizations, academia and professionals from various sectors, including finance, media, tech, and creative industries.Stay updated with the latest news by following our social media accounts!


Kalentzi [Greece], September 21-24th

Summer School: Life after growth

After two consecutive years of exploring fragments of life after growth, this year we set off to re-discover utopia amidst hopeless and crisis-ridden times. We invite students, early career researchers, activists and practitioners to join us for a dive deep into the reality of local commons-based initiatives to learn and co-create new crafts of living that are in harmony with the human and planetary condition.

📍 Where: Kalentzi, Northern Tzoumerka, Greece
⏳ Application deadline: 5 May 2025
🎓 More info and details on how to apply here
📣 Please, share away to anyone that you think might be interested!

We are looking forward to welcoming you in our little community!


Copenhagen [Denmark], Sept 21st-22nd

Degrowth Festival

Degrowth CPH, together with other Danish organisations, is organising their Degrowth Festival again! More information soon to come, but as a sneak peak you can find last year's facebook event here and the recordings of some of the sessions on the YouTube channel of the Syndicate of Creatures.


Madrid [Spain], Sept 26-27th

Beyond Growth España Conference: Toward a just degrowth

See also the crowdfunding campaign mentioned earlier in this newsletter!


OCTOBER

Malmö [Sweden], October 2-4th

Agroecology Europe Forum 2025

The tickets for Agroecology Europe Forum 2025 are now available! Follow the link to get access to more information regarding the forum and to access the early bird tickets: https://www.aeeuforum2025.se/.

Estonia, Oct 2-3rd

Estonia is organising its own Beyond Growth Conference! As mentioned in the previous newsletter, they are also organising a crowdfunding to increase the reach of the conference.  

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, 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