At 17:30 CET, 9th March 2016, The Red House in Sofia will host a debate on economies of sharing and solidarity.
CLICK HERE FOR THE LIVE STREAM!
This debate is in Bulgarian.
An English-language highlights video will also appear on this page post-debate for non-Bulgarian speakers.
9th March 2016, Wednesday, 17:30 CET
The Red House’s premises at 15 Lyuben Karavelov St.
About the debate:
The possibility of creating sustainable and prosperous societies outwith the confines of traditional perceptions of economic growth has occupied and energised the minds of civil and environmental activists since the late seventies. Typically, proponents of degrowth look at the social and environmental burdens of a growth based economy and call for a change of focus. Instead of the primacy of GDP, efficiency and production, degrowth looks to build communities around sufficiency, sustainability and a more equal distribution of resources. Shifting away from the ubiquitous drive to boost profits, degrowth looks to prioritise the well-being of societies and the environment through reinvigorated democratic institutions and improved human co-operation.
But, could such an approach actually work and would a non-growth economy, divested of its profit imperative, provide a real alternative to our liberal market economies? Won’t the idea of negative growth actually harm the possibilities for redistribution and thus paradoxically destroy the idea of social solidarity? And, is it not unrealistic to envisage a non-consumerist society, based on solidarity and sharing? What of related concepts, such as the drive for minimum basic income, are these and degrowth solutions for a better world or distractions whose pursuit will only serve to worsen the positions within which we find ourselves?
To find out more, either be at The Red House on the 9th March, tune into our live stream here on Time to Talk on that same evening or revisit this page post-debate to view the English-language highlights.
Speakers:
Moderation:
Stefan Krastev – Political and Social Programmes Coordinator, The Red House
Participants:
Vania Grogorova – Chairwoman of Solidarna Bulgaria
Boyan Rashev – Co-Manager of denkstatt Bulgaria
Filka Sekulova – Environmental Economist and Researcher at the Autonomous University of Barcelona and for Research & Degrowth
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Time to Talk (http://www.tttdebates.org) is a young and vibrant pan-European network of centres of debate, dedicated to stimulating discussion on the key socio-political themes of the day. Established in 2011, the network brings together debate centres from all across Europe, including non-EU states such as Turkey and Russia.
What unites Time to Talk members is a dedication to picking up where public discourse leaves off and tackling those vital questions, which mainstream commentaries all too often either ignore or only superficially observe. Members of the network are committed to confronting uncomfortable issues, offering inspiring new points of view and encouraging audience participation.
Debate organised as a part of the project “Challenges to Key European Values and the Future of Europe” with the support of the European Union’s Europe for Citizens Programme and is one debate of many taking place as part of an international series of debates on the same theme in cities around Europe, including Barcelona, Bratislava, Brussels, London, Sofia and Warsaw.
