Degrowth in Kazinczy Street

A really unique festival awaits visitors on 3rd September in Kazinczy Street. As it is our tradition, we would like to show how useful and good it is when the Street of Culture functions as a pedestrian street even on a permanent basis and when finally not hundreds of cars but cyclists, walkers and families occupy the most frequented area of Erzsébetváros.

This year, besides the usual concerts, children’s programs, community cooking that are organised by the local restaurants and bars, another larger-scale initiative is appearing on the scene closely connected to this topic, it is the Conference of Degrowth in Budapest and its team and their guests and presenters.

First, let’s get to know them briefly; maybe because not everybody knows what degrowth is. This is mainly an economic and social movement, the basis is formed from environmental, anti-consuming and anti-capitalist ideas. The thinkers and activists of degrowth stand against overproduction and overconsumption as these are the basis of long-term environmental issues and social imbalances. The concept can be implemented by reducing consumption in a way that does not require personal sacrifice and reduction of well-being. The aim of the supporters of degrowth is rather to maximise happiness and wellbeing by degrowth by sharing work, consume less, and dedicate time to art, music, family, culture and the community. Degrowth is reached by voluntary simplicity on the level of individuals. The supporters of degrowth say that the global solution is localising the economic activities that reduce the ecological footprint and then humanity’s dependence on fossil fuel disappears. Degrowth is in opposition of sustainable development because although its aim is to deal with environmental issues, it does that in order to help ecological growth and it hasn’t improved the lives of humanity and has lead to destroying our environment inevitably, as they say. So degrowth is in sharp contrast with the present form of productivist capitalism, that treats capital and accumulation of goods as a desired aim.

So these are their aims and ideas to summarize it briefly, and we think that they are connected with the things Azért7 Association is “fighting for”. The Degrowth Movement is organising a conference in Budapest between 30th August and 3rd September, several different presenters are going to talk about the problems of economy, production and other scientific topics at numerous locations (Corvinus University, MÜSZI, Auróra, Gólya) and Szimpla is one of the hosts, also. We would like to join the intention by organising the street festival to show that with small (or maybe more) caring we can create a more livable and healthier environment in the city. It’s worth using not only vehicles with engines but walking and using the bike have their real rights in the city and we believe that we focus attention to the positive changes by community programs, cooking, playing music or planting trees.

The main point and aim of the conference is the same as of the festival in Kazinczy Street: start and maintain conversation to enable us to express what we need and to act together to make the environment livable for the next generation, also.

We are looking forward to meeting you on 3rd September on Saturday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. in Kazinczy Street. You can read about the Degrowth movement and the conference itself here.

The detailed program list is coming soon