With Bernadette Albrecht (Misereor) (Small Room) (German)

The workshop “Thank You, That’s Enough! Why Less Is Liberating…” with Bernadette Albrecht from Misereor explored in an engaging and profound way where the drive for growth in our capitalist society originates and how each of us repeatedly encounters it in everyday life.
At the beginning of the workshop, there was an introduction round in which the participants reflected on the question: “What is enough for you?” — in a double sense: “What are you satisfied with?” and “What are you fed up with?” This formed a good foundation for the following exchange.
Afterwards, a bag was passed around from which everyone took an item. For each item, a question related to sufficiency was asked, which the participants answered with yes or no. It became clear that all areas of our lives play a role in this context and that the group was already in agreement on many things and had prior knowledge.
In the subsequent presentation, what had already been touched upon in the earlier discussion became clear: the idea of “growth as the meaning of life” originated during the early industrialization period and has since solidified as a kind of mental infrastructure. The speaker presented the concept in the tension between respecting ecosystems and preventing social unrest caused by dissatisfaction and inequality. Political, collective, and individual measures were also introduced that make it possible to put sufficiency into practice.

Finally, a questionnaire was distributed, allowing participants to reflect on their own prosperity in terms of alternative concepts of wellbeing and to recognize the role they themselves play in the socio-ecological transformation. Due to the in-depth discussion beforehand, unfortunately there was little time left to explore this more intensively. However, the intention was clear, and the impulse for changing one’s own perception of prosperity was set.

Overall, the workshop was very enriching thanks to the stimulating methods and the engaged participants, shedding light on the important connections between our local prosperity and the current societal challenges.