I am part of a small collective that is promoting an alternative socio-economic approach to the society-economy-environment nexus in "post-industrial" Greater Manchester, England. I will describe the approach we have taken which is to promote alternative thinking via publication, networking, and working in alliances with actors from a variety of sectors. I will reflect on what we have learned from our successes and failures, emphasising the importance of identifying issues that both engage people and are open to a degrowth orientation (e.g. income and wealth distribution, finance and investment, alternative exchange systems, sustainable and affordable food), and the value of framing the degrowth alternative positively, both in its concepts (the Viable Economy) and its goals (e.g. economic and social security).

The ecological concept of edges and ideas from critical community psychology (my own academic discipline) will inform the contribution.

Additional links:

• Link to our project

This media entry was a contribution to the special session „Intervening at the regional level“ at the 5th International Degrowth Conference in Budapest in 2016.