DEGROWTH! Political School 2024: PROGRAM
REDEFINING PROGRESS: Nature, Care, & the Working Class
“At what point do we escalate? When do we conclude that the time has come to also try something different? When do we start physically attacking the things that consume our planet and destroy them with our own hands? Is there a good reason we have waited this long?”
― Andreas Malm, How to Blow Up a Pipeline
Welcome to a New Frontier of Political Thought!
Welcome to an experiment in the making, a laboratory for rethinking the socially accepted truths and dogmas of the 21st century. This year we invite you to the second edition of the Degrowth Political School in Slovenia, entitled “Redefining Progress: Nature, Care & the Working Class”, building on the foundations laid by our first edition, “The Limits to Growth”.
Today we face global climate breakdown, rising authoritarianism and growing social inequality – symptoms of a world order in decay. The so-called “green transition” often serves as a smokescreen for corporate interests, repackaging environmental destruction in the language of progress. Meanwhile, the elite continue to thrive, fueling the crises that threaten our existence. The shifting dynamics of geopolitical dominance, marked by events such as the US elections and the rise of China, signal the twilight of old empires and the dawn of new ones, with ordinary people caught in the crossfire.
In this context, Olivier De Schutter, the UN Special Rapporteur on extreme poverty and human rights, has published a groundbreaking report, “Eradicating Poverty Beyond Growth”. He argues that growth in wealthy nations has become “anti-economic,” weakening our economies, ecosystems and commons. De Schutter calls for “development without growth,” advocating a democratically planned transition that serves people and the planet, not corporate profits.
Timothée Parrique, a key voice in the degrowth movement, echoes this sentiment. What was once a controversial idea is now a rigorous field of study, with over 600 scientific studies and 380 policy instruments identified for a degrowth transition. The narrative of “green growth” is increasingly being exposed as an unrealistic utopia, while degrowth offers a viable path forward. The tide is turning, and the Degrowth Political School is at the forefront of this critical movement.
At the Degrowth Political School, we reject the obsession with GDP and profit maximization that has led us to the brink of ecological and social collapse. Instead, we strive to create new imaginaries that prioritize human well-being and ecological balance over the insatiable pursuit of growth. We envision a world where care work is recognized as the foundation of our society, where the economy serves people and the planet, and where solidarity, not competition, drives our actions.
We are here to build alliances, break new grounds, and challenge the powers that be. We are here to deconstruct the dominant discourses that have historically legitimized inequality and environmental degradation. We are here to plant the seeds of a future where nature, care and the working class are at the heart of our political and economic systems.
In these times of uncertainty, we must be the architects of the future we want to see.
Ajda Pistotnik
Director and Co-Founder
Policy Lab
