One of the core activities of R&D is the facilitation of networking and the flow of ideas between various actors working on degrowth, especially in academia. For this reason, as well as in order to increase the visibility of the degrowth ideas and proposals in the public space, R&D has organized the 1st and 2nd International academic Conferences on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity and called for the 3rd and 4th International academic Conference on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity, which led to the International Conference in Venice 2012, the Conference of the Americas in Montreal 2012 and the International Conference in Leipzig 2014. Apart from demonstrating latest research in the field, the conferences aim at promoting cooperative research and work in the formulation and development of research and political proposals.
The 5th International Conference on Degrowth for Ecological Sustainability and Social Equity will be held in Budapest in September 2016. More information will soon be available here: budapest.degrowth.org
Requirements & Suggestions for the 5th Int Degrowth Conf 2016
Download here the PDF: Call for 5th Int Degrowth Conf 2016
Past conferences: Paris 2008, Barcelona 2010, Montreal 2012, Venezia 2012, Leipzig 2014.
Past conferences Declarations: Paris 2008 Barcelona 2010
Support group of the International Conferences on degrowth for ecological sustainability and social equity
Introduction: Research & Degrowth (R&D) has promoted a number of international conferences on degrowth for ecological sustainability and social equity. Within the plurality and increasing number of events on degrowth that we have experienced and participated in, we wish to develop a clear identity and philosophy for the International Conference as a regular and recognizable event, where scholars, civil society and practitioners come together to update each another on their degrowth-related research and activities. At the same time, we wish to involve the groups who have hosted the conferences up to now in the promoting process. This will ensure a democratic, smooth and effective decision-making process.
– 1º Int. Conference in Paris (2008) (paris.degrowth.org) hosted by Telecom sud-Paris;
– 2º Int. Conference in Barcelona (2010) (barcelona.degrowth.org) hosted by the Autonomous University of Barcelona;
– Conference of the Americas in Montreal (2012) (montreal.degrowth.org) hosted by the Université de Montréal, McGill University, Université du Québec à Montréal, HEC Montreal and Concordia University);
– 3º Int. Conference in Venice (2012) (venezia.degrowth.org) hosted by Associazione per la Decrescita, Spiazzi, IUAV, Universitá di Udine, Cittá di Venezia, Arci, Kuminda and Sesterzo.
– 4° Int. Conference in Leipzig (2014) (http://leipzig.degrowth.org/en/) hosted by Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie, Förderverein Wachstumswende e.V., DFG-Research Group “Postwachstumsgesellschaften” at the University of Jena, University of Leipzig
Support group (SG): The SG is the official promoter of the International Conferences.
Members: The SG is composed of people who have been highly involved in the local organizing committees of the previous international conferences. Each organizing committee can propose from one to five people for the Support Group (gender balance is preferred). Our recommendation is that we have a group of a maximum of fifteen people to ensure operative and fast decision-making.
All members of each local organizing committee should be informed and consulted on the process by the members they have chosen to represent them in the SG. In order to have a smoother and more effective communication, each group has a contact Person.
Paris: Francois Schneider, Denis Bayon
Barcelona: Filka Sekulova, Viviana Asara, Giorgos Kallis, Federico Demaria
Montreal: Bob Thomson, Geoff Garver, Julie Anne Ames, Hervé Philippe
Venice: Chiara Marchetti, Marco Deriu, Mauro Bonaiuti, Daniela Del Bene
Leipzig: Nina Treu, Corinna Burkhart, Daniel Constein, Barbara Muraca, Gualter Babtista
In bold letters are the Contact Persons of each former LOC (local organizing committee). The Contact Persons are the communicators of the SG. They take part in the SG phone meetings and respond to proposals and communicate with their local group. The Contact Persons are no representatives. They can distribute tasks among the other members of their local LOC members.
There is also a Coordinator of the SG. The Coordinator coordinates the activities of the SG. Responsibilities are the organization of group phone calls, reminding of deadlines, making the decision process smooth. The Coordinator has no hierarchical function. The Coordinator is not necessarily one contact person of the SG to the LOC.
The Coordinator works with the email-address: supportgroup@degrowth.org At the moment, the coordinator is Corinna Burkhart.
Tasks: The SG is to be responsible for:
– Drafting and advertising the call for new conferences on basis of the old call (during or right after the previous conference);
– Receiving and evaluating proposals for new conferences;
– Making a decision based on the criteria expressed in the Call (at least one year and a half before the next conference, so as to give enough time to the selected host);
– Following-up, advising, monitoring and, if necessary, participating in the local organizing committee of the next conference.
– The SG puts together a list of names for the Advisory Board for the DG-conferences (from the past conferences) and offers the list as a suggestion to the LOCs
Decision-making process
Concerning the call: the Support Group edits and improves the draft based on the previous Call.
Concerning the selection: once proposals are received, each member of SG will express, with a concise comment or comments, which are the three proposals, ranked by preference, that she/he considers most interesting. A complimentary option would also be to mark how each proposal scores according to the criteria mentioned in the call (e.g. from 1 to 10). Each member should then express in a concise paragraph, which one of the three proposals that she/he has selected and would like to support and why. Once proposals preferred by most of the members have been identified, the Support Group will try to achieve a consensus, through exchanges, both via mail and email, and then, if necessary, via a phone conference call.
If after one month a decision has not been taken, then the Support Group will vote and the proposal that gets the majority of votes will be selected.