Philosophy

On the other hand, while a lot of practice-based materials exist (for example in the fields of permaculture, DIY, etc.), it is rare to find articulations between the concrete skills being learned and  their (potential) contribution to degrowth. An effective praxis of degrowth can therefore only be established by framing existing local actions within degrowth historical, economical, political, cultural and sociological background. To this purpose, a combination of content and methodology, as well as of expert and lay knowledge, is crucial.

We avoid the hierarchical structure of transmission of knowledge and experiences, try instead to create an atmosphere of equality and exchange between peers. It is more about sharing knowledge than about teaching and learning. In spite of the fact that in any kind of social experience we encounter power relations, we try to build non-hierarchical structures. The trainer, more than an expert on the topic, is a facilitator and regulator of power relations, taking care of time and assuring the right of everybody to participate and speak. The participants are an important source of content, a resource, and the trainer should know how to explore it to the benefit of the whole participating community. The GROWL process of learning is also participatory. That means that every participant should be included in the process of designing courses, developing materials and building the trainers network.

We also use a “head, heart and hands” approach in which all these three dimensions of experience are equally important. We think, we analyze, we discuss. We feel and express our feelings in order to make an experience of learning more personal. Finally, we learn by practice, by doing. Learning opportunities can and should take place within local communities, provided both by skilled trainers (e.g. craftsmen), or in peer learning across communities of practice (e.g. exchanging good practices and experiences among similar initiatives).

Continuous reflection on the process of learning and self-reflection are essential. Participants can reflect and decide on what they want to learn and how they will do it. The space to express concerns has to be provided and organizers should react to participants’ needs.

Our way of working also brings a lot of degrowth dilemmas. The fact that we are an international project leads to some of the participants of the courses taking the plane to learn about degrowth. This is an obvious incoherence as far as degrowth values are concerned. It can be especially difficult issue if we are working with very critical people. We need to be aware of possible critiques towards the GROWL project and be open to address these dilemmas by using the methodology of ethical dilemmas.

The GROWL training method is also based on the constructivist philosophy. That means that we believe that the realities are socially constructed and in order to get to know them we should deconstruct them, search for their social origins and trail their history in the critical way. Constructivism also means that there is not only one through but many different views on the reality, depending on individual and group experiences. 

Constructivism and deconstruction are the key aspects of GROWL method. First, we help the participants to un-learn: to analyze their own ways of thinking, the origins of their worldviews and that way encourage them to open to the change in their mental structures. The objective of the deconstruction is to re-learn, to help people to change their way of thinking. In order to do this, apart from the deconstruction, we have to assess the reconstruction. We want to help the participants to construct their alternative reality. It may be done as a last part of the individual processes of participants, starting with their presentations and ending with a visualization of themselves in the new world.

Learning about degrowth in the group process, criticizing the mainstream reality and proposing radical alternatives may have important psychological impact on the learners. That is why we have to be attentive to the human process, pay attention to individual evolutions and revolutions.

Moreover, as we want to accompany the participants in the construction of their own alternative realities we should start with the diagnosis of where they come from. The proper presentation is needed in order to become familiar with the social background of participants. Every participant comes from different initiative, different movement. We want to invite them to the process of self-reflection during the course. How they can change their perspectives and realities. We want participants to reflect and exchange reflections on how they can apply into their lives what they have learned during the course. In order to close the process appropriately and leave the participants with constructive energy to apply vital change in their realities we propose to introduce the visualizing exercise at the end of the meeting and positively empower people. This aspect should not be neglected: the deconstruction processes taking place in the courses could otherwise lead to people leaving with negative impression, with the fatalist and immobilizing feeling that there is no alternative.

The goal of this process is to empower people, helping one to make the right questions and be critical on the own proposals of the movement. Ideally, every participant should be able to undertake action after the training and keep learning through his or her actions in the groups he or she works with, including its peers at the GROWL network. This networking element, supports the process commons-based peer open knowledge production, which we believe is fundamental for radical and transformative innovation on the theory and praxis of degrowth.