Bonjour
There is still one major issue that should be discussed (in my point of view) is degrowth possible in poor southern country whose ideal model is that of rich countries, that is to say that of excessive consumerism, with an increasingly extravagant abandonment of “social” responsibilities of the state (education, health, infrastructure, etc. …) and a declared opening towards a wild capitalism, coupled with the corruption and the clientelism and corporatism of the ruling class.
How could we discuss a degrowth strategy while the “mass” is looking for employment?
How could we explain the need for a “radical ecology” approach vs green/blue growth economy while many people fight to survive as their minimal needs (health care, education, water supplying, energy etc.) are privatized or very expensive to ensure?
I knew that Pr latouche argued in one of this books that the debate should be “offset” for such countries as their global impact (for time being) is far lower that the one from western countries and TIC’s.
I think that we should initiate the debate focusing on sensitization and education in order to avoid urgently wrong “development strategies” that might became a nightmare for the peoples of the country in really near future…
im from tunisia
Hey there, Germanwatch put forward an interesting debate on this three years ago “Degrowth Debate - Persperctive from the Global South”…you might want to ask them whether they further worked on this topic and might have more material.
I am writing from Fiji in the South Pacific, and have the blessing to work and play in 13 other Pacific Island countries. I am new to the degrowth concept and movement but am very interested in this same convergence of issues as when I look around this is the time for discussion to be raised and debated in our region. The majority of Pacific Island countries are collectivist by tradition and a lot of the ideals of degrowth (as I am learning anyway) align with our not so distant past way of living. It is true that we have fallen for the consumerist capitalist culture of the North, that was deposited through colinisation and subsequent regimes seeking to keep the colonial status quo. It is also true that much of our public spending comes from donor funds that are driving the same “development” paradigm of capital economy and so large projects are delivered in the same vein.
However, we are facing the very real threat of climate change - our seas are already becoming periliously high and storms more voracious - and with this is a generation of voices speaking about the instersection of all these ideas. I would love to see how degrowth aligns with traditional cultures and overcomes the bruises of colinisation and what this could uncover and potentially teach the larger degrowth movement. I feel like there are some diamonds in there ready to be found.
Thank you for your thread, and thank you Kristina for the resources.