What comes after the age of economic growth? That is the meaning of the German term ‘Postwachstum’ (after growth) we have agreed upon to foster the debate on 'degrowth/decroicant in Germany. And how do we get there?

These are the guiding questions for a major conference SERI Germany has initiated, to be held in April 2012. We hope to get a broad range of civil society co-organisers on board, and welcome the interest to join forces announced by the Wuppertal Institute.

The congress is scheduled to have two parts:

·           (1)  a scientific conference – if at all possible the 3^rd International Sustainable Degrowth Conference, in cooperation with the European Degrowth Network and the partners collaborating in the 1^st (Paris) and the 2^nd (Barcelona) conference, and

·           (2)     a Citizens’ Action Conference, organised by civil society organisations, which should pick up input from the scientific congress, discuss and where possib le agree on joint objectives, and develop collaboration, partnerships and common campaigns.

The discussion on Sustainable Degrowth is now going on in quite a huge number of German NGOs, and we hope the congress can become a focal point where all these activities are brought together. Joining forces is imperative if we want to influence real politics, produce hard facts, not only hot air.

 einladung_diskussion_degrowth-kongress

For obvious reasons, the invitation is written in German, and German will be the language of the Citizens’ Action Conference, but the Scientific Congress will be held in English, as the news updates on this page.