“Degrowing Is Beautiful” (Küçülmek Güzeldir) The first edited book on Degrowth in Turkey
Our planet is threatened by the false belief in (economic) growth myth. The idea that more economic growth is continuously needed causes an unquestioned acceptance for the people who seek to improve their living conditions. This idea assumes that the basis of all social, economic, political and environmental progress is economic growth. It further assumes that growth produces wealth and provides the necessary means for social improvement. Therefore the political establishment always places economic growth and development as its main target. Development or economic growth is like a religion to both left and right politics. Those two can’t only agree on how to get there or to put more clearly, they can not agree on what should be sacrificed to get there. But when will the confrontation between affluence vs well-being, competitive society vs solidarity society, conquering the planet vs living in harmony within the planet will enter our agendas? Today notions like degrowth and agrowth are far more important than economic growth/development. “Degrowing Is Beautiful” (Küçülmek Güzeldir) is compiled with a passion to accelerate this debate in Turkey.
(From the back cover of the book; Translated by Ethemcan Turhan)