Experiental training "LIFE IN A DEGROWTH COMMUNITY"
In the city of Maribor, it is very pleasant for me to live, even from this point of view, because it contains many good sustainable practices that allow me to live my vision of life, which is more environmentally and people friendly. Sometimes, however, I also need a break from the city bustle and I'm happy to move to the countryside. This time, in the week between May 20 and May 24 2019, I attended the workshop "Life in a Degrowth Community", which was held first in Jarenina Valley and then in Maribor. At the workshop we experienced "Degrowth life" both in theory and in practice. In addition to many new information about the concept itself and some of the already established alternative practices, participants in the training also experienced a self-sustaining life on the farm. I had time to deepen study myself and analyze my daily activities (purchases, nutrition, activities, etc.) from the viewpoint of a more sustainable way of life.
The workshop was organized by the Voluntariat Institute, an Slovenian organization for international voluntary work. The Voluntariat's mission is to promote ideas of peace, social justice, sustainable development, international cooperation and solidarity through voluntary work and voluntary projects.
They work with local communities as well as with other local, national and international actors in order to strengthen the positive potential of civil society. Among other things, they often partner with the Fair Trade of Slovenia, Humanitas, Umanotera and society Focus. The project was financed by Bridge 47 and the European Union.
Now, you are probably asking yourself first, what is "Degrowth"?
"Degrowth" is a movement, a philosophy, a concept, a way of life, for greater social and environmental justice. "Degrowth" dispel the myth that growth is the central and only solution for our society. It is therefore a movement that reminds us that infinite growth on the final planet is neither sustainable nor desirable. As a concept, it tries to build thoughtful and democratic ways to increase social and environmental justice, prosperity, meaningful life, emancipation and autonomy.
Sustainable growth is defined as a contraction of production and consumption, which increases human well-being and improves ecological conditions and equality on the planet. It calls for the future in which societies live within the framework of environmental capabilities, open local economies and more equally distributed resources within the framework of new forms of democratic institutions.
How is with the concept of “Degrowth” in Slovenia?
The concept of "Degrowth" has been developing in the global scientific community for several decades, but in Slovenia this trend is not yet well known to the general public. Nevertheless, some initiatives have been developed in our country, which could be defined as good examples of sustainable growth. These are, for example, urban gardens, cycling networks, seed library, exchange of clothing and objects, and organic farming. Due to the poor economic and social situation in the country, people started to self-organize and merge, thus becoming cooperatives an increasingly popular form of business.
Focus society is one of the societies in Slovenia that deals with this concept and also raises awareness and encourages reflection in this direction. Learn more about the concept of “Degrowth” on the Society's website: http://focus.si/english/ or in the website of Degrowth: https://vocabulary.degrowth.org/
And how did we managed to live by “Degrowth” philosophy?
Experiental workshops "Life in a Degrowth community" attended 10 like-minded youths, who were familiar with similar concepts, each in their own way. At the workshop, we explored the concept of “Degrowth” and tried to live according to such principles in a rural and urban environment. First, we spent the first two days on a farm in Jarenina Valley, on the Farm of Tasič, where there are about 40 animals, a garden and a small part of the forest. On the first day we met with the whole team that led the workshop and the participants between each other. I think that, because of similar interests, we coincided quickly and began introducing ourselves into the “Degrowth” Concept. Živa Kavka Gobbo from the Focus society presented us with this concept and we all listened to her, with great interest. Lecture was followed by a dinner, that was already prepared that day and the setting of rules and tasks for working on the farm.
In the next days, we prepared meals for ourselves. Food was purchased by leaders Viktorija and Živa earlier in the Rifuzl shop in Ljubljana, without packaging and locally produced. I think that the group dynamics got very good and everybody took it for their work. We did day-to-day work on the farm - we clean the manure, brushed horses and donkeys, transplanted flowers, pulled weeds, etc. Some of the participants even cut the wood with the ax for the first time. I have to admit that I grew up in a similar environment where we also had animals, a garden, a field and some other cultivated land, so I have already got used to work on the farm, and I’m not ashamed to say it. In fact, this kind of work, I, very much miss in the city. Since I spend a lot of time sitting behind my computer (for editing a blog), I'm no longer in touch with nature as I used to be, so I was very happy to be able to actively participate in external tasks.
During this time we visited a nearby ecological and biodynamic farm named “The Golden Thoughts”, where Maja Turinek warmly welcomed us and presented us with an estate, that they process together with her husband and other family members. “Golden Thoughts” farm has been in ecological control since 1996; they produce vegetables, fruits and cereals, and they also have the delivery of vegetable baskets through partner farming. Maja has sincerely described the current situation with which organic farmers are facing in Slovenia. Her words really touched me and made me think how important it is to eat locally produced food. Not only from the point of view of our health, but also from the point of view of local farmers. What we buy, we give power to. It is therefore important that we buy home-made local vegetables and fruits, as this will also stimulate the Slovenian farmer and provide him with a profit. Maja says that she doesn’t need a lot for her survival, just as much, that they are satisfied and that they can spend time with their children's living peacefully.
These few days that we spent in the Jarenina Valley were very intensitive. We had a lot of activities, conversations, visits and lectures. Among other things, a lecture on Sociocracy, conducted by Primož and Katja from the Society for Permaculture of Slovenia. Sociocracy is a model of an organization based on equality, efficiency and transparency. The result is an inclusive and creative way of making decisions. In the 1970s, it was developed by the Dutchman Gerard Endenburg as a business system, in order to involve employees in companies in managerial decisions. Today, many business companies, schools, institutions, networks and sustainable communities are choosing to introduce societies into their organizations. The reason for the success of this method is the involvement of all actors in the decision-making process; therefore, the implementation is more effective.
Days spent in the countryside have passed too fast. I would like to stay longer, but a lot of work and other interesting things awaited us, later in the city. From Jarenina Valley, we pushed towards Maribor, where we also tried to live with "Degrowth" philosophy. In this part of the workshop, I presented to participants sustainable shops and good practices, which I connected all together in a walk under the name AlterSHOPPING - the local experience of Maribor. They were very enthusiastic about the good practices that we have in this wonderful city and what a great choice of different products owners of these stores offer. Some got new ideas, some ate the best bread so far, and some become even more aware of the importance of implementing the whole “Degrowth" idea in everyday purchases. Learn more about the AlterSHOPPING local experience and how to be more responsibile when shopping here.
And what did I learn from this week?
A lot! I learned a lot of new things! First of all, I would like to thank Živa Lopatič and Viktorija Kos, that they gave us the opportunity to get to know all these interesting concepts and ideas, and put the effort and time into the whole workshop, while maintaining the good will and positive atmosphere between us. I think we have to continually learn and upgrade through our lives, only like that, we will be able to live more fully.
It is true, that such themes and ideas are too little available and not heard enough. Therefore, I think, that after completing formal education, non-formal learning and education are still needed in relation to topics that are socially critical, and we need to search for better solutions for our everyday work. Of course, this also depends on the individual and his interests. Towards the end of the study of Textile Design Technologies, I began to focus increasingly on issues of Fair Trade, Ethical Fashion and a Sustainable Way of Life, because of the problems I met.
So I started looking for alternatives in order to try to improve the situation with myself and thus help others. As an unemployed person, I started to look for solutions and became more and more active with non-governmental organizations, who had been listening to such problems. I started looking for solutions that would not only be an "instant" solution, but problems would be resolved in the long run. Therefore, such workshops mean a lot to me, they inspire me and give me the opportunity to see the world in a different way.
I could say, that this week I learned how to properly "grow up" with regard to the environment in which we live and the people with whom we share it. Basically, people are social beings, but I think that during this time we have become too individual. Traditional family life has become fragmented due to the different circumstances and interests of both, young and elderly people. We forgot what the community is, what cooperation is and especially, how to respect the people and the things that we own. But, for the personal growth of an individual, however, we need healthy relationships and a community that functions.
The solution I see is, that we take responsibility for our actions, that we start to buy locally and fairly, we start to reintegrate into the community and to become active in our environment with social impact.
Above all, let’s go slow! Slowly, just like we used to be. First of all, let's be content with what we have. Let’s encourage manual work, repairs, exchange, sharing, cooking, urban gardening, living as much as possible self-sufficiency and taking time for ourselves and for our loved ones, and be solidarity and work for the good of all.