Degrowth from the East – between quietness and contention. Collaborative learnings from the Zagreb Degrowth Conference

Abstract

While degrowth as a plural and decolonial movement actively invites the Global South to be part of its transformative project, the current NorthSouth dichotomy threatens to miss the variety of semi-peripheral contexts. Against this backdrop, we aim to contribute to dialogues on degrowth from the often-overlooked ‘East’ – specifically post-socialist Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). Instead of being viewed as a site for transformative examples and inspiration for degrowth-oriented socio-ecological transformation, CEE is often portrayed as ‘lagging behind’. Problematising such reductionist narratives, this essay explores CEE as a lively and rich site of postcapitalist alternatives. Based on two special sessions organised at the 2023 International Degrowth Conference in Zagreb, we reflect upon insights gathered on various degrowth-aligned traditions and practices in CEE with a goal to 1) advance an equitable dialogue between the global degrowth scholarship and the East, and 2) strengthen a context-sensitive degrowth agenda in CEE.

Keywords

• degrowth
• central and eastern europe (cee)
• quiet sustainability
• semiperiphery
• catch-up development
• post-socialism