The realization that the pursuit of growth is causing our ecological systems to collapse is gaining increasing acceptance – now even in EU politics, as demonstrated by the EU Parliament's "Beyond Growth" conferences. Instead of constantly pushing forward with our capitalist economic system, we must develop visions for a future that is not based on the exploitation of people and the environment! We aim to explore this socially and ecologically just future in our European educational project, Brassica.
The Brassica plant family comes in many forms – from cabbage, kale, and broccoli to mustard and dozens of other varieties. Their shape changes depending on location and growing conditions. They are robust, adaptable, and thrive even under adverse conditions. Brassicas (cruciferous vegetables) remind us that learning can be like this too: flexible, accessible, and diverse. Rooted in different contexts, open to variation, and strong enough to grow wherever they are planted.
Traditional educational models are inadequate for addressing the climate crisis because they integrate the latest findings too slowly and lack practical approaches tailored to regional needs. Therefore, Brassica draws on innovative approaches from pioneers of transformative education across Europe. These include embodied learning, arts-based methods, and experiential learning. These approaches are promising but often lack visibility.
Our partner organizations are Degrowth Vienna (Austria), NaZemi (Czech Republic), Benvenuti in Italia (Italy), and ShiftSlow (international). Together, we are developing educational methods and workshop concepts in four languages that will update, expand, and continue our existing educational work on degrowth. These will be available on our educational platform Endlich-Wachstum.de starting at the end of 2027. Furthermore, this project strengthens the European network of degrowth organizations and the degrowth movement, thereby contributing to a socio-ecological transformation from the ground up.
Our focus is primarily on educational stakeholders in rural areas. Due to urban-centric policies, these stakeholders often lack access to non-formal education and the ability to proactively address the current ecological crisis. Therefore, our project aims to develop educational materials specifically tailored to rural communities, conveying the complexity of climate change and promoting socio-ecological transformation.
The project is roughly divided into three phases:
- First half of 2026: Development of 20 new educational methods and four workshop concepts
- Second half of 2026: Workshops in rural areas in Austria, Italy, the Czech Republic and Germany
- First and second half of 2027: Organization and implementation of train-the-trainers and degrowth festivals in Italy, Czech Republic and Germany
