Starting from the postulate that each and everyone will be able to blossom where he/she feels better, the Growth Objectors (GO) do not intend to form a single organization from the start. The multiple views held among the Growth Objectors have resulted in some misunderstandings and confusion. We do invest our strengths into diverse groups in order to touch a greater public. Many question the usefulness of these many groups/collectives and start by only seeing negatives divisions. We think that, on the contrary, presenting multiple approaches to solve a single problem: shining the light on Degrowth, can only benefit the movement as a whole and offer an insight into our worldview and its potential future to a wider audience.
Therefore for 2012, we support the candidacy of Clément Wittman1 who is spreading the Growth Objectors’ message to the villages’ councils during his Tour de France. Similarly we understand the point of view of the MOC (Movement of Growth Objectors) , which has chosen to meet with the political parties and share some our ideas; such as anti-capitalism and anti-productivism, thus reinforcing Degrowth as a workable alternative to a doomed growth society. Our ideal is also represented among Europe-Ecologie-Les-Verts, (Y. Cochet among others).
Finally, we support and take part into the broad collective initiative “ Our candidate is Degrowth”, which is trying to mobilise all Growth Objectors into a non-partisan strategy of “ a side step”.
Degrowth is also present and active throughout the year within academia: ,either trough books, articles, conferences and the regular publication of the review Entropia. As far as media are concerned, the review Silence relays all the initiatives close from Degrowth. The review “Proximites” has a local focus around the problem of transition, among others.
We must notice that many Growth Objectors work for other political organisations: Parti de Gauche (Left Party) or the NPA (Nouveau Parti Anticapitaliste – New Anticapitalist Party), or in a more transversal way with the collective Utopia. There is also a movement around Degrowth within ATTAC.
All these different approaches offer a plethora of opportunities for the Growth Objectors to meet locally to form collectives, which are essential for our ideas and practical experiments to flourish.
Next to these open-arm processes, we have to regret the sectarian positions of some, some unfortunate communications based on stigmatisation and denigration, the result of which is the negative re- enforcement of the positions held by people who have not reached the same understanding.
This is why all these initiatives have to be valorised, supported, encouraged…..but also criticised in a constructive and respectful manner.
