We need a degrowth aligned job guarantee and solidarity fund, here is how we can create it!

Motivation

In a world where capitalism and colonialism are upheld by full-time efforts, while those fighting for global justice work precariously, part-time, or on a volunteer basis, it's no wonder we find ourselves losing ground.

Activism and societal transformation shouldn't be relegated to the margins but should be central to our daily work, encompassing not only productive efforts but also the care and regeneration of culture and biodiversity.

The degrowth movement, primarily driven by academics or those with secured material needs, needs to become more inclusive. For the movement to truly reflect the sensibilities of the global working class and the Global South, we must provide financial support to those in need and to work that is socially and environmentally necessary but unsupported by the market.

The core coordination of the International Degrowth Network (IDN) relies heavily on the extraordinary, often invisible efforts of individuals. To avoid burnout and ensure sustainability, we must provide material security to these rotating coordinators, allowing them to contribute fully without sacrificing their own well-being.

This aligns with the recent article by Vlad Bunea and Félix Garnier:
"Create a Solidarity Fund. Contributions would be voluntary, but this would support more diverse voices within the Degrowth community. Walking the talk is more likely to change the world than just talking or writing about it. The Solidarity Fund would be managed by people selected by sortition and rotated frequently. The selection pool is open for discussion, potentially including contributors and Global South members. Degrowthers could contribute 1% of pre-tax income up to $50,000, 3% for $50,000-$100,000, and 100% of income exceeding $100,000."

Full article available here.

Target Groups

We propose a job guarantee and justice program under the IDN tentatively but not exclusively, supporting:

1. Compensation for IDN coordination work.
2. Support for environmentally and socially desirable work.
3. Unconditional financial aid for those in need.

 Requirements

To make this program feasible we need to:

• Establish a core group to design and execute the program.
• Create a legal entity to organize and manage the structure.
• Set up a financial entity to deliver global economic support.
• Implement a solidarity fund with no minimum contribution and a maximum limit per year.
• Develop a democratically organized resource allocation process.
• Ensure transparency and fairness in eligibility requirements.
• Handle anonymity in financial aid to avoid stigma.
• Provide support beyond financial aid when needed.
• Establish a timeline for economic support decisions.

Proposed Timeline

- July-October 2024  Conceptualization, organization, and securing of funding.
- October-November 2024: Formation of the working group and selection of the program lead.
- November 2024-April 2025:Establishment of legal, financial, and procedural structures.
- June 2025: Presentation at the degrowth conference, with the kickoff for membership and support applications.
- June-August 2025: Collection of applications and memberships.
- September 2025: Selection of beneficiaries through a plenary voting process.
- October 2025: Notification to beneficiaries and initiation of support distribution.
- December 2025: Year-end plenary session to discuss membership status, support provided, learnings, and planning for 2026.

Contact group

• Angela Perez
• Andreas Budiman 
• Alan Fortuny Sicart
• Myriam Best
• Stella Mcshera
  

 

Sources

• Degrowthers of the World, Unite
•  The Case for a Job Guarantee  
• A Crowd-Sourced Global Policy Cloud for a World Revolution