EVENTS

Upcoming events

27 FEBRUARY 2024  GRONINGEN, THE NETHERLANDS (ONLINE)

Online guest lecture for students in the ‘Critical Approaches to Global Sustainability Challenges‘ course (Groningen) convened by Assistant Professor Christian Lamker in the Faculty of Spatial Sciences at the University of Groningen (Netherlands). I will offer and introductory global perspective on degrowth and capitalism and sustainable futures for cities, buildings, and local economies.

Past events

16 JANUARY 2024  OTTAWA, CANADA (ONLINE)

Anitra Nelson is an invited guest — speaking on nonmonetary futures of an ecosocialist, postdevelopment and real value nature — in a series of online seminars with members of the the research group on democratic planning at the Research Center on Social Innovation and Transformation in Ottawa, Canada.

29 DECEMBER 2023  LANJANUC/ LEANGANOOK (AUSTRALIA)

Peter Yates is midwife to Degrowth Central Victoria (and the World) a substack site arranged by a small collective within Degrowth Central Victoria, a node in Degrowth Network Australia. In 2024 we are creating collective degrowth activities centred in the municipality of ‘Mount Alexander’ a mountain whose more authentic (Indigenous) name is Lanjanuc or Leanganook. Watch this space!

5 DECEMBER 2023  AUSTRALIAN TV CHANNEL 10

Anitra Nelson featured in Young Aussies Stopping Buying New Products In New ‘Degrowth’ Trend segment on Australian TV Channel 10 The Project at 6.30–7.30pm. Recorded on YouTube here.

1 DECEMBER 2023  MELBOURNE AUSTRALIA

Jacques Boulet interview with Anitra Nelson on The need to de-grow: How can we make it happen? for the Borderlands Think Again radio program at 10 am on Friday 1 December on 3CR, as recorded here.

17–19 NOVEMBER 2023  CANBERRA (ACT) AUSTRALIA

Anitra Nelson spoke on a panel on the Saturday morning and then Anitra and Terry Leahy ran a participant-oriented discussion on a future based on real values at the NENA Conference 2023 at the Ann Harding Conference Centre, University of Canberra, ACT —11.30 am–1 pm on 19 November. Conference registration here.

11/ 12 NOVEMBER 2023   ONLINE organised in BERLIN/GERMANY

Online 11 November , a one-day Conference on Anti-Authoritarian Communism and Postmonetary Alternatives organised by AKUT — on utopia, transformation/ revolution and networking. Anitra Nelson presented ‘Postmonetary Commoning: A World Based on Real Values‘ on at 8 pm (CET), 2 pm (EST). Included in-depth discussions with great minds about our political and futurist passion. To be recorded and shared via YouTube. See more details and the program, here.

30 OCTOBER–20 NOVEMBER 2023   ONLINE MASTERS ON DEGROWTH

Weekly, 150 min. lectures and seminars on Housing for Degrowth co-presented with François Schneider. This 10-hour elective for the Online Masters on Degrowth: Ecology, Economics and Policy offered by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB—ICTA) and Research and Degrowth (R&D). See more details here.

2 NOVEMBER 2023  FOOTSCRAY, AUSTRALIA

Anitra Nelson will speak about Exploring Degrowth 7.30–9.00 pm on Thursday 2 November in Borderlands’ Alternative Economics Conversations — at Borderlands Co-operative, 30A Pickett St, Footscray. See Borderlands site for more details about the series and other activities at this Centre for Regenerative Practice. 

23 SEPTEMBER 2023   BUDAPEST, HUNGARY

At community centre Bolygó in Budapest (Hungary) at 2.30 pm (CET) on Saturday 23 September, we had a ‘What is Degrowth? System Change for Beginners‘ hybrid (face-to-face and online) session with speakers — Anitra Nelson, Vincent Liegey and Logan Strenchock. It was a great turnout and the participation was so engaged that the organisers formally ended the session before we’d heard and answered all questions! Much informal discussion ensued. See more details on the event here.

12 SEPTEMBER 2023   ONLINE AUSTRALIA

The AELA Earth Laws Month 2023 includes a talk by Anitra Nelson and Terry Leahy on Degrowth in Australia — What’s Possible? at 6–7.30pm on Tuesday 12 September. In a wide-ranging discussion, Anitra reported on the 9th International Degrowth Conference in Zagreb and participants intervened with questions and comments in chat 99+ times! See recording here.

8–11 SEPTEMBER 2023   GERMANY

Based in Lower Saxony, hosted by queer feminist Friederike Habermann, I visited and stayed in exchange-logic-free communities, activities and networks, including participating in a small Fuchsmühle workshop discussing Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy (and Beyond Money: Yenomon), Thanks to everyone I met and chatted with!

29 AUGUST – 2 SEPTEMBER 2023  ZAGREB, CROATIA

The Planet, People, Care: It Spells Degrowth! 9th International Degrowth Conference was in Zagreb (Croatia), couched in the Zagreb Degrowth Week, a free arts and conviviality festival organised cooperatively with neighbouring capitals. On the Thursday 31 August, at 10 am CET time Anitra Nelson and Vincent Liegey co-convened a Degrowth: A Monetary or ‘Real Values’ Economy? workshop, and at 6 pm presented a session together on our co-written work Exploring Degrowth: 3 Years On. On Friday 1 September at noon, Anitra joined a panel lead by the co-editors of the forthcoming De Gruyter collection Handbook of Degrowth, which contains her chapter ‘Degrowth: Monetary and nonmonetary economies’. Further details in the program. A great week bookended by a ‘watershed’ Assembly on 28 August and a closing party on 2 September! See my report for Green Agenda Journal here.

10 JUNE 2023  BRISBANE (ONLINE) AUSTRALIA

Anitra Nelson will chat with Sabrina Chakori in a session chaired by Anisa Rogers within Degrowth Week Australia arranged by New Economy Network Australia (NENA) and Degrowth Network Australia (DNA). The session Degrowth in Australia and Around the World: Are We Making Progress? goes live at 6.00 pm to 7.30 pm (AEST) Monday 10 June followed by another four days of webinars on degrowth! Recording here 

 

25 MAY 2023  BALWYN (MELBOURNE) AUSTRALIA

Anitra Nelson will talk on Degrowth: If not now, when? and engage in a discussion at a Humanist Victoria event at 7.30 pm on 25 May 2023 at the Balwyn Library (Whitehorse Road). The humanist movement is about society-wide emancipation via ethics, reasoning and compassion. An extract from this talk will appear in a forthcoming New Community Journal produced by Borderlands.

 

27 MARCH 2023  ONLINE, AUSTRALIA

Anitra Nelson and Meaghan Burkett (Ethical Fields) Creating regenerative equitable economies by degrowth, ‘real values’ or community investment? Interview with Sharon Fraser, Clarion Call, in the ‘Movement Building for the New Economy‘ podcast series, 27 March 2023 — https://open.spotify.com/episode/0WOxRzdSmREJHrkZkBOm4D

26 FEBRUARY 2023  MELBOURNE

A National Sustainable Living Festival event on a new degrowth network in Australia, Sunday 26 February 2023, 2pm–4pm, at the Black Spark Cultural Centre, 235A St Georges Road, Northcote. A few short talks introduced this participatory workshop on degrowth, especially in the Australian context. A moderated Q&A invited free discussion from all, especially environmental and sustainability activists, advocates and groups interested in becoming allies of degrowth and the network. The talks by Colin Long, Anitra Nelson and Terry Leahy were all recorded by Robert McLean for his Climate Conversations podcast, access them (27–28 February) here.

8 FEBRUARY 2023  NEW ZEALAND (ONLINE)

A talk on Degrowth: Housing, Food and Neighbourhood Sufficiency for Degrowth Greens Network, New Zealand Green Party. Webinar at 7–8.30pm NZ time (5–6.30pm Melbourne / AEDT) on Wednesday 8 February. Degrowth is gaining traction in NZ with the emergence of the non-party affiliated Degrowth Aotearoa New Zealand (DANZ) too. Contact Piers Locke for recording.

 

5 DECEMBER–9 JANUARY 2022–2023   ONLINE MASTERS ON DEGROWTH

Weekly, 150 min. lectures and seminars on Housing for Degrowth co-presented with François Schneider. This 10-hour elective for the Online Masters on Degrowth: Ecology, Economics and Policy was offered by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB—ICTA) and Research and Degrowth (R&D). See more details here.

1–2 DECEMBER 2022  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The Transitions to ‘Sustainability’: Multiple Pathways, Dissonant Perspectives workshop took place at the University of Melbourne 1–2 December 2022. I was to be a discussant for the 11.15 am to 12.30 pm  Panel 2: Energy Transitions: Ecological Regulation and Justice for Communities. CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS.

28–30 NOVEMBER 2022  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The Australasian Society for Continental Philosophy Conference took place at the University of Melbourne 28–30 November 2022. I was to contribute a paper ‘Ecological breakdown: Is money the real pest?’ in the Radical Ecology stream convened by Mathew Abbott of Federation University. Our session with Darren Roso on Engels and Matt Abbott on nature and separation was planned to take place from 11.30am to 1pm on Monday 28 November. Find more details about the conference here. CANCELLED DUE TO ILLNESS

9 NOVEMBER 2022  ONLINE AUSTRALIA

The New Economy Network Australia and Cohousing Australia host a Housing Week 7–11 November with lots of speakers easily accessed through Zoom. I will speak alongside Peter Phibbs, with Andy Fergus as the facilitator, on Wednesday 9 November in a 18:00–19:30 AEST session on ‘The role of governments in housing’. My talk ‘Housing: The Multiple Heads of a Hydra?‘ will refer to the multiple challenges of current housing and housing policies, and which level of government is best suited to designing and implementing housing policies. Find more details here.

27–29 OCTOBER 2022  ONLINE (CORK, IRELAND & MISSISSIPPI, US)

The Deep Commons conference took place online 27–29 October. The key theme was Cultivating Ecologies of Solidarity and Care beyond Capitalism, Patriarchy, Racism and the State. It was hosted by the Department of Government and Politics, University College Cork, Ireland, and La Terre Institute for Community and Ecology, Mississippi, US. Friederike Habermann, Terry Leahy and Anitra Nelson offered a workshop ‘Beyond Money: Visions and Strategies for Deep Commoning‘ with three short talks but focusing on engagement over money-free futures based on commoning. Our session took place 8–10 am (UTC) Friday 28 October.

27 SEPTEMBER 2022   MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Climate Collaborations: Art, Science, and Future Scenarios, a one-day public symposium sponsored by the Australian Research Council funded project Towards an Australian Ecological Theatre held at University of Melbourne. I talked about making and showed the short film Beyond Money: Yenomon in Session 4 ‘Finding perspective, 2–3pm. The symposium was the first stage to creating an edited collection of chapters on such work in this ecological theatre project led by Professor Denise Varney (University of Melbourne). The symposium was held at Room 553, Arts West (North Wing). Register here

25 SEPTEMBER 2022   BENDIGO, AUSTRALIA

Planet Aware September is a month of events in and around Bendigo, Central Victoria, organised by Bendigo Climate Alliance. I  will join two other Festival of Good ideas speakers on the afternoon of Sunday 25 September at the La Trobe Art Institute, 121 View St, Bendigo 1–5pm, for a talk at 2pm and as a pnellist at 4pm. ‘Let’s Talk About Money and Beyond‘ will explore – and show a short film on – what a world without money might look and feel like and how it would address both socio-political inequities and ecological unsustainability. It’s free but book here.

15 SEPTEMBER 2022   BRUNSWICK, AUSTRALIA

Economising the Economy is a 9th Festival of Urbanism (12–17 September, 2022) event. This festival, held in Melbourne and Sydney, offers a series of conversations on threats and opportunities facing our cities and regions. Our panel on reframing market-based economies will be held on Thursday 15 September at Siteworks, 33 Saxon St, Brunswick (and online) from 5.30 pm to 7.30 pm. The event is co-organised by The Alliance for Praxis Research, a collective of HDRs from Monash University and RMIT University with various disciplinary backgrounds.

7 SEPTEMBER 2022   WEBINAR, AUSTRALIA

Earth Laws Month is September, and full of activities organised by the Australian Earth Laws Alliance. On 7 September, noon to 1.30pm (AEST) Degrowth in Australia: What is degrowth? Where does it sit with respect to other alternative economic models and futures? Anitra Nelson and Terry Leahy will discuss Australian degrowth initiatives in a worldwide context. It’s free but book here.

1-2 SEPTEMBER 2022   ROTTERDAM, NETHERLANDS

I gave a lecture on 1 September on women’s liberation, value and money as in Chapter 5 of Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy followed by a masterclass on 2 September on Beyond Money. These e were remotely delivered contributions to the activities of the Desire and Capital working group convened by Ryan Kopaitich at Erasmus University Rotterdam. Ryan’s research focuses on populism, desire and democracy. The group is reading Marx’s mature works, such as Grundrisse and Capital. Find podcast here.

25 AUGUST 2022   MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The New international Book Shop (NIBS) at Victorian Trades Hall 54 Victoria St Carlton will host an in conversation event with Lucy Myers interviewing Anitra Nelson at 5.30–7pm on Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy on Thursday 25 Augsust 2022. The event is free but please book here: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/beyond-money-in-conversation-with-anitra-nelson-tickets-394102730877

 

13–15 JULY 2022   BRIGHTON, UK

The 22nd Utopian Studies Society Opening Utopia: New Directions in Utopian Studies Conference 2022, 13–15 July at the University of Brighton in UK. I spoke to my book Beyond Money while Terry Leahy spoke on the associated ‘community mode of production’ on Thursday 14 July (Day 2) in Panel 5 (Values of Hope) at 10.50am–12.20pm. I also chaired three other sessions at this conference, which transcended disciplinary boundaries..

9–11 JULY 2022   AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS

Fractious Connections: Anarchy, Activism, Coordination and Control — the Society for the Advancement of Socio-Economics (SASE) 2022 annual meeting/conference at University of Amsterdam, 9–11 July. On Sunday 10 July (16:45–18:15) a special session in the Alternatives to Capitalism stream, Author Meets Critics: ‘Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy‘ by Dr. Anitra Nelson (Pluto, 2022) included critics and stream organisers Lara Monticelli (Copenhagen Business School) and Torsten Geelan (University of Copenhagen). Live streamed this session open to the general public, and a recording will be available on SASE’s YouTube channel.

6–8 JULY 2022   LONDON, UK

Keynote speaker for Climate Plenary at the 24th Association for Heterodox Economics (AHE) Conference, 6-8 July, at SOAS, University of London. ‘Crisis in Capitalism or Crisis of Capitalism is the conference theme with three sub-themes — labour and precarity, identity, and climate change. Elke Pirgmaier (University of Leeds, Sustainability Research Institute) chaired the Breaking free: A conversation on climate colonialism, people power and bold visioning session. Asad Rehman (War on Want) had been scheduled to speak but had to withdraw due to illness. The session went ahead with Elke and me at 11:30-13:00 BST on Friday 8 July. A recording will appear here soon.

 

30 JUNE-1 JULY 2022   BERLIN, GERMANY

Participant in a two-day workshop ‘Socialism: Rationality and Distribution‘ organised by Dr Philipp Dapprich (Instutute of Philosophy) and held at the Freie Universität Berlin (Free University of Berlin).

25–29 JUNE 2022   LUXEMBOURG, LUXEMBOURG

The International Network for Urban Research and Action (INURA) has its 30th conference 25–27 June followed by a retreat for members 28–29 June, all in Luxembourg (city). This five-day event is organised by the INURA Common Office in Zurich and the ETH Department of Architecture (D-ARCH). On 28 June I will talk to ‘Degrowth and Beyond Money‘ outlining work associated with postgrowth urban planning, and informal moneyfree economies characterised by degrowth values, relations and practices. Listen to this podcast report on Luxembourg and the conference.

27 MAY 2022   MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

As a new member of the Informal Urbanism Research Hub at University of Melbourne, I gave a public talk ‘Beyond money: Potent informal economies’ at 3.30–4.30pm on Friday 27 May. I argued for in-kind economies that embody real, social and ecological values to create just and equitable societies living within Earth’s limits. Themes centred on a ‘real value’ (vs monetary) framing of informal (vs formal) economies, drawing from Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy (2022). Recording available soon.

24 and 30/31 MAY 2022   INTERNATIONAL WEBINAR

The Global Tapestry of Alternatives and Radical Ecological Democracy presents a pair of Beyond Money webinars organised and chaired by the Radical Ecological Democracy editor and coordinator Pallav Das. The 24 May event at 9am UTC is a conversation between Indian social entrepreneur Meenakshi Gupta who founded Goonj and Anitra Nelson. The 30 May (Americas) — 8am 31 May (Australia) — conversation with Mexican economist David Barkin and and Anitra Nelson takes place at 9pm UTC. The key question is: How, in practice, can we replace the universal equivalent money, and market based production, with self-organising production meeting people’s basic needs within the earth’s limits? — More info here

19 and 26 MAY 2022   MELBOURNE (VIC) AUSTRALIA

Melbourne Free University hosted paired conversations as I joined sociologist Terry Leahy for a conversation on his The Politics of Permaculture then Terry joined me for a conversation on my Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy. These events were held 6.30–8 pm on consecutive Thursdays, 19 and 26 May at The Alderman (upstairs) 134 Lygon Street in Brunswick. We conversed for 40 mins followed by 40+ mins discussion — all for free!

13–14 MAY 2022   BUDAPEST, HUNGARY and ONLINE

The Food for Degrowth in Central Europe Conference took place 13–14 May 2022 in Budapest, Hungary. It was hosted by Sustainable CEU and the Central European University (CEU) Department of Environmental Sciences and Policy, and Cargonomia. I joined Vincent Liegey and others in two sessions. The first (10:00–12:00) introduced degrowth with reference to Liegey’s and my book Exploring Degrowth.  The second session (13.30–15:00) was on food for degrowth in Central Europe and drew on contributions and contributors to the book I and Ferne Edwards co-edited Food for Degrowth. You can find out more details here.

12 MAY 2022   CASTLEMAINE (VIC), AUSTRALIA

I joined a panel on the Castlemaine Currency Project (CCP) — a visual art and social experiment advancing conversations around concepts of money, economic exchange and local resilience from a turbulent and uncertain global economic environment — on Thursday 19 May, 7pm at Lot 19, 19 Langslow St Castlemaine in the CCP exhibition space. There was a short half-hour screening of Economy from the film Tomorrow. The panel started at 6.30pm chaired by Warwick Smith, Economist and Co-Founding Director, Castlemaine Institute followed by Q&A and drinks. For more on the Castlemaine silver wattle currency, see here.

 

5/6 MAY 2022  SANTA BARBARA (CAL) US — ONLINE

Guest lecture to a University of California class (of >650 students) studying the climate crisis in a program taught by Professor Kenneth Hiltner (Director of the Environmental Humanities Initiative and the T. A. Barron Environmental Leadership Program). The talk/interview and discussion with students took place at 12:30–1:45pm on Thursday 5 May (PST) = 5.30–6.45am 6 May (AEST), where I live.

 

30 APRIL 2022   MELBOURNE (VIC), AUSTRALIA

Ecosocialism keynote panel — 4.15pm on Saturday 30 April. Jeff Sparrow, Anitra Nelson and Mat Abbott at the Historical Materialism Melbourne II: A Plague on All Their Houses conference 30 April–1May, Trades Hall in Carlton. Program and registration at the conference site and keep up to date @hmmelbourne

 

30 APRIL 2022   NORTHCOTE (VIC), AUSTRALIA

An event highlighting Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, with author Anitra Nelson in conversation with Terry Leahy, at 1pm (for 1.30pm) Saturday 30 April at the Black Spark Cultural Centre at 235A St George’s Road, Northcote (VIC, 3070). This free event was organised by the Black Spark Invisible Committee.

 

20 APRIL 2022   MAASTRICHT, THE NETHERLANDS (ONLINE)

Keynote address ‘Postcapitalism: The Key to a Sustainable Future’ at 9.30 am CET on Wednesday 20 April for the Maastricht University Sustainability week (19–22 April). I spoke about degrowth, permaculture and why we need to go Beyond Money to address ecological sustainability. Arranged by PINE (Pluralism in Economics) Maastricht, a student-led local group of Rethinking Economics based at Maastricht University. Here is the YouTube recording.

13 APRIL 2022   SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

The Sydney launches of Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy and The Politics of Permaculture took place on Wednesday 13 April at 6.30pm at Gleebooks, 49 Glebe Point Road, Glebe (NSW 2037). Featuring Hall Greenland, (journalist, author, political activist and Greens NSW) and authors Anitra Nelson and Terry Leahy in conversation on their books. Free.

 

11 MARCH–1 APRIL 2022   ONLINE MASTERS ON DEGROWTH

Weekly, 150 min. lectures and seminars on Housing for Degrowth co-presented with François Schneider. This 10-hour elective for the online Masters on Degrowth: Ecology, Economics and Policy was offered by the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB—ICTA) and Research and Degrowth (R&D). See more details here.

 

26 MARCH 2022   NORTHCOTE (VIC), AUSTRALIA

A panel discussion with author sociologist Terry Leahy, Anitra Nelson and Ben Habib celebrating the release of Terry’s book The Politics of Permaculture at 1–3pm on Saturday 26 March at the Black Spark Cultural Centre, 235A St George’s Road, Northcote (VIC, 3070). This free event was organised by the Black Spark Invisible Committee.

23 March 2022   MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

The Melbourne launch of Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy was on Wednesday 23 March at 6.30pm at Carlton Readings (Woiworung Country, 309 Lygon St, Carlton). Featuring Jeff Sparrow, writer, editor, Walkley award-winning journalist, columnist for The Guardian Australia, and lecturer at the Centre for Advancing Journalism (University of Melbourne), in conversation with the author on the book. More details and it’s free but best to book here.

 

16 MARCH 2022  SWEDEN (ONLINE)

At a Researchers’ Desk organised seminar event, I gave a talk, Jennifer Hinton reviewed Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, and we both engaged in discussion with participants. The focus was arguments relevant to climate change responses. The talk took place at 8am CET on Wednesday 16 March 2022. A recording of my talk can be found here.

 

7 MARCH 2022  CASTLEMAINE (VIC), AUSTRALIA

At this event in my home town I spoke to Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy, and about how a world without money might operate — 7–9 pm on Monday 7 March at Northern Arts Hotel in Barker St, Castlemaine. The event was convened by Castlemaine Free University.

26 FEBRUARY 2022  NEW YORK CITY, US (ONLINE)

Beyond Money: A Postcapitalist Strategy event organised by The Marxist Education Project for 4–6pm New York Time. I outlined the interventionist aims and arguments of the book in terms of various environmental and social movements — showing how a nonmonetary economy based on social and ecological values might become a future reality. Time for discussion and possibilities to join a future workshop scheduled for 25 June 2022. More event details here and recording here.

8 FEBRUARY 2022   LONDON, UK

A virtual café event, ‘Who do we write for and why do we do it?‘ will take place at 5pm Tuesday 8 February (London time) organised by the Institute for Connected Communities at University of East London (UEL). An in conversation with editors of the Pluto Press FireWorks series — UEL Professor of Sociology Gargi Bhattacharyya, University of Melbourne’s Honorary Principal Fellow Anitra Nelson and Editorial Director at Pluto Press, David Castle. We will explore the role of non-academic publishing in making research ideas accessible and consider which emerging questions should concern us all. More detail and Eventbrite link here.

27 JANUARY 2022  DUBLIN, IRELAND (ONLINE)

Keynote speaker for the World Wise Global Schools (WWGS) National Teacher Conference on Thursday 27 January, introducing and elaborating on ‘degrowth‘ for Global Citizenship Education teaching and learning. WWGS is based in Dublin and is Ireland’s Global Citizenship Education program for post-primary schools. This was an online event with recording and other resources available here.

 

18 JANUARY 2022  AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (ONLINE)

Keynote speaker for E/co-Housing on Day 2 of E/Co-City: Towards an Ecological and Collective Living Masterstudio Future Cities 2022, 17–21 January. The 2022 Masterstudio for students at University of Amsterdam explores imaginaries of urban living based on principles of collective ownership and ecological lifestyles. It is organised by Federico Savini (Center for Urban Studies) and Mirjana Milanovic (Municipality of Amsterdam, Ruimte & Duurzamheid) in an annual series.

 

18 DECEMBER 2021  FREE OPEN UNIVERSITY OF ECO-SUSTAINABILITY (ONLINE)

The Free and Open University of Eco-Sustainability, 2-4pm Pacific Standard Time — a seminar rave on degrowth, eco-sustainability and low impact living with great discussion. Organised by Solar Tony (‘Thx Anitra, awesome talk, everyone loved it …’).

 

14 DECEMBER 2021  CARDIFF, WALES and ONLINE

Invited speaker for the Alternative (Solidarity) Economy seminar within the Intentional Communities Research Group seminar series arranged by Kirsten Stevens-Wood at Cardiff Metropolitan University, Cardiff, Wales. (Contributing remotely.)

 

4–6 OCTOBER 2021  TORONTO, CANADA and ONLINE

Chaired a session at the Urban Economy Forum 2021, held live in Toronto but also online and was on the steering committee for UEF 2021. Check out all the details for our Low Carbon Inclusion panel on the first day, 4 October (Toronto time) at 3pm to 4.45pm here.

24–28 AUGUST 2021  THE HAGUE, THE NETHERLANDS and ONLINE

The 8th International Degrowth Conference — ‘Caring Communities for Radical Change’ was held 24–28 August 2021 in The Hague, The Netherlands, and online. I co-convened, with co-editor of Food for Degrowth Ferne Edwards, a session with several contributors to the collection. Our panel ‘Food for Degrowth: Integrating Care into Alternative Food Practices‘ took place on Tuesday 24 August at 10:30 to 12:00. Ferne and I contributed a joint paper/presentation to the ‘Degrowth, rurality and agri-food systems: expanding an emerging research field‘ panel organised by Giuseppe Feola (Utrecht University, The Netherlands) on Wednesday 25 August at 14:30 to 16:00. For the full program and more details, see here.

 

5–9 JULY 2021  MANCHESTER UK and ONLINE

Building Alternative Livelihoods in Times of Ecological and Political Crisis was an International Online Joint Conference of International Degrowth Research Networks, International Society for Ecological Economics (ISEE) and European Society for Ecological Economics (ESEE) hosted by the University of Manchester, in Manchester (UK) and online, 5–9 July 2021. I presented a ‘Non-monetary economies and degrowth‘ paper on 5 July (the first day of the conference) in Room 4 (and online) at 15:30–17:00 BST. I also co-convened, with co-editor Ferne Edwards, the Food for Degrowth session on 6 July at 17:15–18:45 BST in Room 5 (and online). This panel featured the following contributors to the collection: Logan Strenchock, Silvio Cristiano, Pati Homs, Sergio Pedro, Deborah Lambert and Petr Jehlička. It was a great affair.

 

21 JUNE to 5 JULY 2021

The two-week long 8th Degrowth and Environmental Justice Summer School ‘Degrowth, Alliances, and Global Solidarity’, offered a hybrid (online/in person) week in Barcelona from 21–27 and then a week of narrative building workshops in Can Decreix (”house of degrowth’) on the French-Spain border (Cebère). I contributed to a discussion on narratives on Monday 28 June and gave a talk on international exchange in a degrowth world on Friday 2 July. The summer school is organised by François Schneider (co-editor, with me, of the Housing for Degrowth collection) of Research & Degrowth.

 

27 MARCH 2021  CARLTON GARDENS, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Degrowth event within the week-long Autumn Rebellion (22–28 March) of XR (Extinction Rebellion). Samuel Alexander, Anitra Nelson and Joshua Floyd discuss degrowth in the Carlton Gardens (SW cnr) 4.30–6pm on Saturday 27 March. I talked about how grassroots activities and mobilisation can drive a degrowth transition. For more: here

 

26–27 MARCH 2021  INTERNATIONAL (AUSTRALIASIA, online)

Short talk for the On-line Workshop on Organising Interdependencies for a Degrowth Society, an activity of the Online Community on Degrowth & Postgrowth for Management Scholars. The 2021 workshop is held as three two-hour sessions and I talked in Session 3 (Australasia), 10–12am AEDT. Organised by André Reichel and Robert Perey. More details on this degrowth stream in the Academy of Managment here.

 

20 MARCH 2021  DAYLESFORD, AUSTRALIA

Tyson Yunkaporta (Sand Talk) on sustainability, in conversation with Anitra Nelson on degrowth (Exploring Degrowth and Food for Degrowth) at 7pm on Saturday 20 March at the Daylesford Town Hall — MC Patrick Jones — with Q&A. Hosted by Artist as Family’s School of Applied Neopeasantry and Hepburn Relocalisation Network. Video recording, here.

23 FEBRUARY 2021  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ZOOM)

Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices book launch with co-editors Anitra Nelson and Ferne Edwards (NTNU, Norway) and chapter contributor Terry Leahy (University of Newcastle, Australia) at 4pm to 5pm on Tuesday 23 February, with Q&A. An official event of the National Sustainable Living Festival hosted by the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute (University of Melbourne, Australia). Watch the video here.

 

19/20 FEBRUARY 2021  LONDON (ZOOM)

Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson co-authors of Exploring Degrowth in conversation with Derek Wall at 7pm to 8.30pm London time 19 February (6am to 7.30am AEST on 20 February) at Housmans radical bookstore. For details — https://housmans.com/event/introduction-to-degrowth-with-anitra-nelson-and-derek-wall-online-event/

15 and 17 FEBRUARY 2021  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

(Co)Housing Ecologies (Pts 1 and 2), 7–9pm on 15 and 17 February. Part 1 was a Forum with David Holmgren (Melliodora), Cate Grant (Murundaka) and Daryl Taylor (KInship). Anitra Nelson was MC (Pt 1) and facilitated a breakout session in the workshop (Pt 2). On Zoom. Hosted and organised by Cohousing Australia.

 

15 FEBRUARY 2021  CENTRAL VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (PODCAST and 16 FEBRUARY MAINfm BROADCAST)

Allie Hanley interviews Terry Leahy and Anitra Nelson on degrowth and associated climate change and sustainability themes for her Saltgrass podcast (‘Salt of the earth people: Grassroots change.). Aired on MAINfm 94.9 on 16 February at 4pm and podcast posted 15 February 2021 here.

7/8 FEBRUARY 2021  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ZOOM)

A Marxist Education Project event in their Pluto Press FireWorks series of talks — Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson co-authors of Exploring Degrowth in conversation with extensive Q&A, 2pm to 4pm Eastern Time Zone on 7 February (6am to 8am AEST 8 February). Video here

17 DECEMBER 2020  POSTCAPITALISM PODCAST

The Postcapitalism Podcast offers interviews on imaginaries of the world after capitalism and strategies for getting there. Chris Wellard is the host. Mid-December ‘Anitra Nelson on capitalism, COVID-19, and degrowth economics was first aired, listen here, where you will also find links to references I mention. The Postcapitalism Podcast site is a great resource for activists and scholars.

26 NOVEMBER and 3 DECEMBER 2020  AMSTERDAM, THE NETHERLANDS (ZOOM)

Originally a two-day face-to-face symposium at University of Amsterdam (Amsterdam, The Netherlands) for contributors to the PostGrowth Planning book (Routledge, forthcoming) co-edited by Federico Savini (University of Amsterdam), Kim von Schönfeld (Wageningen University) and António Ferreira (University of Porto). Necessarily organised via private Zoom meetings. My contribution is a chapter on dwelling beyond growth co-written with Paul Chatterton.

5 NOVEMBER 2020   DAREBIN CLIMATE ACTION NOW, AUSTRALIA  (ZOOM)

Can degrowth save us from the climate catastrophe? What changes must we make to live within Earth’s limits? Where are the practical models? Hosted by the Darebin Climate Action Now, Anitra Nelson explores these questions and more around the degrowth movement as she lives it and analysed in the Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide book she has coauthored with Vincent Liegey. See Facebook event page here. Register here.

28 OCTOBER 2020   SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (ZOOM)

Revolutions are wrought from testing times and sparks that light the way ahead. Anitra Nelson (Central Victoria) and Vincent Liegey (Budapest) speak in postcapitalist terms to their recent books – Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide and Pandemic Solidarity: Mutual Aid during the Covid-19 Crisis — which are imbued with transformational insights. One explains the background, activities, and political achievements and challenges for  ‘degrowth’. The other analyses the eruption of mutual aid organisations across 18 countries and regions in the current pandemic. This SEARCH Foundation event was on Wednesday 28 October at 20:00–21:00 AEDT. Here is the recording.

 

21 OCTOBER 2020   REGIONAL VICTORIA (AUSTRALIA) PODCAST

Climate Conversations— the continuous conversation about climate change: news, views and interviews — hosted by regional Victoria’s Robert Mclean posts a podcast interview ‘Anitra Nelson takes us on a journey through degrowth’ (21 October 2020) here. Robert feels somewhat apprehensive about a degrowth future but Anitra tries to convince him that a degrowth future is nigh.

8 OCTOBER 2020   CENTRAL VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA (ZOOM)

Anitra Nelson and Patrick Jones in conversation about ‘degrowth’ — living with minimal ecological footprints locally and as a society — with reference to the recently published Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide. Patrick has contributed a key chapter to Food for Degrowth: Perspectives and Practices, which Anitra co-edited, due out in December. This event is hosted by the Goldfields Library Corporation and Castlemaine Library on Thursday 8 October 7.00–8.00pm AEST. Media here. Recording here.

5–6 OCTOBER 2020   TORONTO, CANADA (ZOOM)

Anitra Nelson talks on ‘COVID-19: Capitalist and postcapitalist perspectives’ on the panel at the 2nd Urban Economy Forum — on the occasion of World Habitat Day and 75th United Nations Anniversary— in the Theme 4: Urban Transformation: Shifting Paradigms in Urbanism session. Day 2, 6 October 9am–Noon (Toronto time). Booking for the free forum here.

30 SEPTEMBER 2020   MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA (ZOOM)

Degrowth, Solidarity and the Welfare State — Anitra Nelson and Boris Frankel in conversation on the recently launched FireWorks series from Pluto Press (London), for which Anitra is a series editor. This Melbourne Sustainable Society institute (MSSI, University of Melbourne) event focused on significant topics in Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide by Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson, Pandemic Solidarity: Mutual Aid During the Covid-19 Crisis by Marina Sitrin and Colectiva Sembrar, and Reinventing the Welfare State: Digital Platforms and Public Policies by Ursula Huws. Q&A followed — Wednesday 30 September 1.00–2.00pm, recording here

16 SEPTEMBER 2020  PODCAST RECORDING

Michael Bayliss presenter and producer of Post-Growth Australia Podcast interview for Episode 7: Discovering Degrowth with Anitra Nelson  Degrowth? What does it mean? Is it about austerity and deprivation? Or is it about community, collaboration and unshackling ourselves from the matrix of the growth economy into a world that is more equitable, liveable and sustainable? According to Anitra Nelson — definitely the latter! Listen to the podcast here.

28 AUGUST 2020  GLOBAL (ZOOM) LAUNCH

A Global Tapestry of Alternatives event in the Webinar series ‘Dialogue on Alternatives in the Time of Global Crises’— co-authors Vincent Liegey and Anitra Nelson in conversation on the recently launched Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide Friday 28 August 18.00–19.30 AEST. More details and 99 min. recording here — https://globaltapestryofalternatives.org/webinars:10

30 JUNE 2020  CANBERRA, AUSTRALIA (ONLINE)

Vincent Liegey and I participated in a webinar panel launching the special Crisis issue, Demos Journal #10 with thoughts and reflections on writing and analysing crises for our feature essay ‘Democratic crises and degrowth‘. Time: 6:00pm – 7:00pm AEST See Facebook event. Our contribution to the journal focuses on degrowth and genuine democracy; you can read it here

6 JUNE 2020 GLOBAL DEGROWTH DAY

Vincent Liegey and I talked with one another about our forthcoming book Exploring Degrowth: A Critical Guide — in a public online session — outlining why and how we got together to collaborate on the book and some of its key points. Pluto Press (London) will issue the book in August, the second in their new FireWorks series.

The 6 June, Global Degrowth Day — Good Life for All event went live 11.00–12.30 Central European Summer Time (19:00–20.30 Australian Eastern Standard Time). You can watch a 10mins preview video here  And the 90mins live event YouTube recording is here.

 

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3 and 4 JUNE 2020  BRISBANE and SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA (online)

At 7–8.30pm on 3 June I conversed with Ana Poças from the Dutch Degrowth Platform on ‘What role for degrowth in a Covid-19 world?‘ This webinar session had Michelle Maloney as the MC as it was organised by the New Economy Network Australia (NENA). Watch this space for the recording.

At 7–8.30pm on 4 June I talked about degrowth to a class of the Marrickville School of Economics (Sydney) in a course — Contagion the Kitchen Table — run by Rebecca Conway, mainly drawing on Exploring Degrowth, Food for Degrowth, and Housing for Degrowth. (A longer version of this talk was presented online for RMIT University environmental and planning students (ENVI 1051) on 25 May.)

 

13 MAY 2020 CASTLEMAINE, AUSTRALIA (online)

On panel discussing local Alternative Economics — including degrowth —for the Castlemaine Commons, a weekly online one-hour show available to watch now here.

 

7 MARCH 2020  MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

In conversation with Terry Leahy on Exploring Degrowth — aka postgrowth — a movement that focuses on quality rather than quantity and respecting Earth’s limits — at 2pm–3.30pm, Trades Hall, The Commons, Cnr Victoria and Lygon Sts Carlton 3053. We discussed the degrowth movement and activism, housing for degrowth, such as eco-collaborative housing with food grown collectively and frugal abundance shared. This was a ‘Re-Tune Talk’ organised by Dance House, Carlton — podcast to come.

17 FEBRUARY 2020  DORTMUND, GERMANY

I contributed remotely to the 5th Dortmund Conference on Spatial Planning and Research 2020 17–18 February at the School of Spatial Planning at TU Dortmund University — jointly organised with the Academy for Spatial Research and Planning (ARL), Hanover, and the Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development (ILS), Dortmund. The overall theme of the conference was Rethinking Spaces — Planning in a Changing World. The roundtable to which I contributed on Monday 17 February 17:30 to 19:00 — ‘Post-growth from international planning perspectives: Digital roundtable on the future of planning in a post-growth world’ was moderated by Christian Lamker (University of Groningen) Kim Carlotta von Schönfeld (Wageningen University) and Viola Schulze Dieckhoff (TU Dortmund University). For more details see page 199 in the Book of Abstracts.

16 FEBRUARY 2020  CARLTON (MELBOURNE), AUSTRALIA

I spoke in a small panel at a Cohousing Australia and New Economy Network of Australia (NENA) event of the 2020 Sustainable Living Festival, at 10am on Sunday 16 February at the Kathleen Syme Library and Community Centre, 251 Faraday Street in Carlton. There were 60+ people participating. We talk about what prompted us to seek eco-collaborative housing, our experiences and why we believed living this way is significant in the context of a climate emergency. See the full day Collaborative Futures Festival organised by Cohousing Australia and NENA here, and details on our panel, here.

6–7 FEBRUARY 2020  UNIVERSITY of SYDNEY, SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA

Terry Leahy and I will present together on a dedicated panel at the 11th Australian International Political Economy Network (AIPEN) workshop organised by the School of Social and Political Sciences, University of Sydney 6–7 February. We will talk about Nonmarket Socialism. What is it? How will we get there? My talk will draw on a book manuscript I am currently working on Moving Beyond Money: A Post-Capitalist Strategy to be published by Pluto Press (London). Check out AIPEN here.

24–26 NOVEMBER 2019  RMIT UNIVERSITY, MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

I joined Ariel Salleh, Terry Leahy and Samuel Alexander on a panel — with Hans Baer as MC — at 15.30–17.30 on Monday 25 November in the Swanston Academic Building Main Theatre 80.07.01, 445 Swanston St Melbourne (RMIT University). Our panel discussed Radical Futures for Ecological Economics at the Australia New Zealand Society of Ecological Economics (ANZSEE) 2019 Conference ‘Ecological Economics: Solutions for Now and In the Future’. My talk  ‘”Through the Looking-Glass” of Ecological Economics’ is the second half of a duo with Terry Leahy and offers non-monetary economies (real value studies), specifically non-market socialism — as the foundation of postcapitalist transformation.

I was the Chair of the organising committee for this conference. Here is an associated article on The Conversation on ecological economics and for more on the conference see the ANZSEE site.

13 OCTOBER 2019   BENDIGO, AUSTRALIA

Elena Peyrera and Anitra Nelson on e-cohousing at the Bendigo (e)cohousing forum held at The Old Church on the Hill, 36 Russell Street, Quarry Hill, VIC 3550 5.00–8.30pm.

25 SEPTEMBER 2019   CASTLEMAINE, AUSTRALIA

Talk on recent research in Europe and relevance to Australian cohousing developments. Held by the Mount Alexander Ecohousing Group affiliated with the Mount Alexander Sustainability Group in the Ray Bradfield room in Victory Park Mostyn Street, 7–9pm.

4–5 JULY 2019  CARDIFF, WALES  and  5–9 AUGUST  BERLIN, GERMANY

Participant in Workshop 1 (4–5 July in Cardiff ) of the Eco-communities in Urban Futures research project instigated by Sheffield University Professor Jenny Pickerill. We are co-developing chapters for the Eco-Communities — Another Life is Possible book. I responded to the keynote speaker. Here is a short item I wrote relevant to our discussions:.  Afterwards, I conducted a week of self-funded fieldwork at Cloughjordan Ecovillage (Ireland) and spent another week in a housing cooperative in Zurich (Switzerland) collecting primary material for my chapter. Finally, I joined a small team of international contributors to the Eco-Communities book for a team residency in Berlin, 5–9 August, partially funded by The Netherlands Independent Social Research Foundation. Alongside our book, we are co-writing a journal article for Urban Studies and scoped funding for continuing our collaboration.

26 JUNE 2019 MELBOURNE

Short talk on ‘Dirt Justice’ in Panel 1, Dirt Governance, led by Wendy Steele at 9.30am on Day 1 of the Transformative Urban Governance Conference 26–27 June at RMIT University, Melbourne (Victoria, Australia).

20 JUNE 2019  BENDIGO, AUSTRALIA

Breakfast with Fiona Parker interview for ABC Central Victoria radio — 9am–9.40am — in a special session on ‘downsizing’ and eco-collaborative living (including Small is Necessary: Shared Living on a Shared Planet).

26 MAY 2019 MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA

Interview as one of a panel discussing sustainable housing, living and urban planning during the wee hours of Sunday morning on 3RRR’s The Party Show

 

11 MAY 2019  WEIMAR, GERMANY

Invited speaker at the Postgrowth City: Perspectives of Socio-Ecological Transformation of Urban Society Conference 10–11 May, at the Bauhaus University, Weimar, Germany. Contributing talk (remotely) on Housing for degrowth: Contradictions challenging grassroots activists.

21 FEBRUARY 2019  MELBOURNE

As part of the National Sustainable Living Festival 2019, the last — and best? — of 30 events in 14 countries comes the Melbourne launch of Housing for Degrowth: Principles, Models, Challenges and Opportunities, at RMIT University in Building 80 (aka Swanston Academic Building) at 445 Swanston St Melbourne on Level 2 in Lecture Theatre Room 7 at 5.30 – 7pm on Thursday 21 January.

Explaining and debating ‘degrowth’ in housing and urbanisation was lead editor of the collection Associate Professor Anitra Nelson; Professor Jago Dodson, Director RMIT Centre for Urban Research; Routledge Environmental Humanities series editor Emeritus Professor Libby Robin (ANU); Professor Brendan Gleeson (Director of the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute, University of Melbourne) and Terry Leahy (Conjoint, University of Newcastle). Free but please register at Eventbrite: https://www.eventbrite.com.au/e/housing-for-degrowth-melbourne-book-launch-tickets-53612013977 We had 200+ attendees

19 FEBRUARY 2019  MELBOURNE

What are the housing alternatives of the future? This Cohousing Australia event — at 6–8pm at the Presidents Room at the Kelvin Club 14–30 Melbourne Place, Melbourne — to find out about cohousing and why everyone is talking about it was attended by 60+. It was an opportunity to learn the value of community living and resource sharing, and to find out how cohousing and alternative ownership models can lift community engagement and build a more sustainable future, as well as the potential of Community Land Trusts to deliver perpetually affordable housing. Panel of speakers: Anitra Nelson, Heidi Lee, and Karl Fitzgerald with MC Elsie L’Huillier of Commoners Coop. Find out more here.

27 OCTOBER–4 DECEMBER 2018  EUROPEAN TOUR

As co-editors of Housing for Degrowth: Principles, Models, Challenges and Opportunities, from 27 October to 4 December, I and François Schneider will speak with other urbanists and contributors to the book at more than 25 events and workshops in cities in 11 European countries.

A working schedule of the tour can be found here. Details for just some of these events appear below.